Przeor Kordecki: A Dusty Relic or Hidden History?

Is it worth your time?

Look, if you are into deep-dive history or you just have a soft spot for grainy, pre-war Polish cinema, you’ll probably find something to hold onto here. But if you’re looking for a brisk pace or modern action, skip it. You will likely hate the theatrical, booming dialogue that feels like it’s being shouted to the back row of a massive opera house.

It’s a very specific kind of movie. It feels like a filmed play, honestly. The sets have that painted-backdrop look that I actually kind of dig, even if it’s totally fake by today’s standards.

The vibe of it all

The whole thing centers on Father Kordecki, and let’s be real, Karol Adwentowicz carries the weight of the entire screen on his shoulders. He has this intense stare that makes you feel like you’re being scolded for not praying enough. It’s heavy.

There is a scene near the middle where the monks are just… staring at a wall, I think? Or maybe they were praying. The camera stays on them for so long that I started counting the cracks in the stone floor. It’s not boring, exactly, but it is demanding. You have to be in the mood to just sit there and absorb the moodiness.

Some random notes I scribbled:

• The costumes look surprisingly heavy. You can tell the actors were probably sweating buckets under those wool layers.
• Every time someone speaks, they use their whole body to emphasize the point. It’s like watching silent movie acting but with actual sound.
• The lighting is very high-contrast. Lots of shadows. Very moody.

It’s funny, I was thinking about how much cinema has changed since 1934. I recently watched The Sleep Walker and that felt like a different universe entirely. This one feels much more rigid, like it’s afraid to break the rules of theater. It reminds me a bit of the stuffy energy in Theodor Herzl, der Bannerträger des jüdischen Volkes, where the message is clearly way more important than the camera work.

There isn’t a whole lot of 'action' in the way we expect today. No big sweeping drone shots of the monastery. Just a lot of people talking in rooms and looking worried. Sometimes that’s enough. Other times, I just wanted someone to trip over a rug just to break the tension.

It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a time capsule. 🕯️ If you watch it, don't expect a blockbuster. Expect a long, loud sermon from a time when movies were still figuring out how to be movies.