The English title of this film caused me to expect a story about a married
couple. You know... Mr. and Mrs. Welt. Lest you draw a similar expectation,
let me advise that it refers to the English word for the effects of injury.
It might have been better translated from the Polish word "Pregi," The
Scars, but no one in the distribution channels for this official entry to
Best Foreign Language Film Awards of 2004 consulted with me about it.
Twelve-year old Wojtek Winkler (Wacek Adamczyk) is being raised by his father
(Jan Frycz) after his mother's death when he was very young. The stern Mr.
Winkler can't relate with his son on a loving basis and uses corporal
punishment as his only means to correct the irresponsibilities his son shows
toward his studies and other duties. But, instead of achieving his goals,
his borderline sadism has created an environment of fear and abuse, little
aided by his priest or school teachers.
He finally flees his father's house, never to return but with the welts left
by the beatings more internal than on the skin--ones he will bear throughout
his adult life. When the story picks him up 20 years later, he (Michal
Zebrowski) is a spelunker who spends long hours alone in his beloved mountain
caves -- perfect settings for his love of isolation and fear of people.
Strong and charismatic, when he is among his peers, he's a demanding
perfectionist with no patience for ineptitude or amateurism. What it affords
him is the deep pleasure of isolation.
Continued avoidance of meaningful human contact is his determined way of
never becoming his father, but it has made him aloof and cynical. His
inner strength and uncompromising self discipline has also made him
magneticaly appealing to his circle of acquaintances and comrades who are
either put off by his demeanor or look up to him as something of a role
model. As a writer who gets laid off, he demonstrates his loose cannon
attributes by nearly wrecking his editor (Jan Peszek) and his office.
And, then, when he becomes the focus of beautiful Tania (Agnieszka
Grochowska), his transformation back to humanity takes its first tortuous
but lovely steps away from the psychological burden he carries.
~~ Jules Brenner