The End of Civilization: Three Films by Piotr Szulkin: Limited Edition – Radiance Films (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Dates: Poland, 1981 (The War of the Worlds: Next Century), Poland, 1985 (O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization), Poland, 1986 (Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes)
Director: Piotr Szulkin (All Films)
Cast: Roman Wilhelmi, Krystyna Janda, Mariusz Dmochowski, Jerzy Stuhr, Marek Walczewski (The War of the Worlds: Next Century), Jerzy Stuhr, Krystyna Janda, Kalina Jedrusik, Mariusz Dmochowski, Marek Walczewski, Jan Nowicki, Henryk Bista, Leon Niemczyk, Krzysztof Majchrzak (O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization), Daniel Olbrychski, Jerzy Stuhr, Katarzyna Figura, Mariusz Benoit, Henryk Bista, Marek Walczewski (Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes)

Release Date: December 4th, 2023
Approximate Running Times: 97 Minutes 39 Seconds (The War of the Worlds: Next Century), 90 Minutes 9 Seconds (O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization), 84 Minutes 28 Seconds (Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes)
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (The War of the Worlds: Next Century, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization), 1.66:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVCC (Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Polish (All Films)
Subtitles: English (All Films)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £37.49 (UK)

"Masquerading as both works of science fiction and horror, Piotr Szulkin's satirical, surrealistic apocalypse trilogy is Polish cinema's best-kept secret. These highly imaginative works of fantasy are bound by a preoccupation with the machinations of power and a distinct visual sensibility. 

In a radical reworking of the H.G. Wells classic, War of the Worlds: Next Century, tells the story of Iron Idem (Roman Wilhelmi), a television host, who finds himself contending with a Martian invasion, whose takeover involves collaborating with the state and manipulating the populace through a media apparatus made up entirely of fake news... 

Meanwhile, in O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization, the survivors of a claustrophobic, subterranean world in ruins are pacified by Soft (Jerzy Stuhr), who engineers a mass collective dream of escape through means of a mythical vessel, The Ark...

Finally, in the darkly comic Ga-Ga: Glory to the Heroes, Scope (Daniel Olbrychski) must be tried and convicted of a heinous crime for him to participate in a bloody, televised gladiator contest...

Frequently butting heads with Polish authorities before and after the collapse of Communism, writer and director Piotr Szulkin remains a unique visual stylist whose parables of power transcend easy genre pigeonholing." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (War of the Worlds: Next Century, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization, Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes)

Here’s the information provided about the transfers, "War of the Worlds: Next Century, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization and Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes were restored by WFDiF, Perspective Film Studio and Sound Palace in collaboration with the Polish Film Institute and Studio Zebra. The restorations were supervised by Piotr Szulkin, Witold Sobocinski, and Nikodem Wolk-Laniewski. Additional color correction was preformed by Radiance Films on Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroesin 2023."

The War of the Worlds: Next Century comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 33.9 GB

Feature: 26.5 GB

O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 31.7 GB

Feature: 25.8 GB

Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 29.8 GB

Feature: 24.1 GB

Piotr Szulkin, the director, supervised the existing masters used for these transfers, and in most areas, the sources overlap. The transfers for all three films look excellent. Flesh tones look healthy, color saturation is very good, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and there do not appear to be any issues related to digital noise reduction. That said, grain is more noticeable in Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes than in the other two films.

At the time I am writing this, I do not own or have not seen Vinegar Syndrome’s Piotr Szulkin's Apocalypse Tetralogy. Based solely on screenshots I have seen, there are a few areas where that release differs from Radiance Films release: there are color differences, and Vinegar Syndrome’s release frames The War of the Worlds: Next Century and O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio, while Radiance Films frames these two films in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio.

Audio: 4.5/5 (LPCM Mono Polish - The War of the Worlds: Next Century, LPCM Mono Polish - O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization, LPCM Mono Polish - Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes)

Each film comes with one audio option, a LPCm mono mix in Polish with removable English subtitles. All of the audio tracks are in excellent shape, free of any distortion or background noise. Dialog comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced and robust when it should. Also, all of these audio tracks are great range-wise.

Extras:

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with The War of the Worlds include reversible cover art, an animated short film directed by Jan Lenica titled Labyrinth (14 minutes 56 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono with Polish text and removable English subtitles), a video essay titled PRL - Polish Post-Apocalyptic Fables by Dobrotka Wieckiewicz on how science fiction, surrealism and the grotesque was used to explore themes of consumerism, reification and alienation by Piotr Szulkin and others during the Polish People's Republic (6 minutes, LPCM stereo with English text, no subtitles), and a documentary titled Samosiuk. The Independent Film Republic on War of the Worlds cinematographer Zygmunt Samosiuk (30 minutes 13 seconds, LPCM stereo Polish and English with non-removable English subtitles for Polish). 

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization include reversible cover art, an animated short film directed by Miroslaw Kijowicz titled Cages (7 minutes 51 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono with Polish text and removable English subtitles), an interview with production designer Andrzej Kowalczyk titled Retrofuturism (23 minutes 28 seconds, LPCM stereo Polish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Michael Brooke.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc with Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes include reversible cover art, an animated short film directed by Zofia Oraczewska titled Banquet (8 minutes 40 seconds, 1.33:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono with Polish text and removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Piotr Szulkin and screenwriter Tadeusz Sobolewski titled Sunday with Piotr Szulkin (22 minutes 13 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Polish with removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Daniel Bird.

Other extras include removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings and an 80-page booklet with (limited to 3000 copies) cast & crew information for each film, an essay titled The War of the Worlds: Next Century - The Media Invasion written by Piotr Kletowski, an essay titled Having a Blast: Piotr Szulkin’s Nuclear Holocaust written by Michal Oleszczyk, an essay titled Piotr Szulkin and Exercises in Futility written by Olga Drenda, an archival interview with  Piotr Szulkin by Ela Bittencourt, an essay titled The Grotesque, the Philosophical and the Absurd: Three Animated Counterpoints to Szulkin’s Apocalypse Trilogy written by Daniel Bird and information about the transfers.

Summary:

The War of the Worlds: Next Century: Three days before the dawn of a new millennium, Martians land on Earth.

The War of the Worlds: Next Century is an imaginative reimagining of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. The narrative revolves around a protagonist named Iron Idem, a news reporter who tries to expose the truth behind the Martians. He holds principles firmly, but as the narrative unfolds, they gradually take away the things he values for defying the status quo.

Just like Orson Welles did with his radio adaptation of The War of the Worlds, Piotr Szulkin uses the modern medium of television to showcase how misinformation can spread like wildfire. From its opening setup, The War of the Worlds: Next Century is a biting social commentary on the role that propaganda plays in the news industry. Though the protagonist projects himself as someone free of restraints, it quickly becomes clear that those behind the scenes pull the strings. The people he works for manipulate him in a way that reflects how they treat the public they are supposed to inform. That said, the exportation of propaganda from the news is more relevant than ever.

Though there is really only one character, Iron Idem, with substantial screen time, when it comes to the performances, no matter how small the role, the entire cast is excellent. That said, Roman Wilhelmi’s nuanced portrayal of Iron Idem shines the brightest. It is through the eyes of his character that the story unfolds, and from the moment we meet his character until his moment of truth, he delivers a pitch-perfect performance.

From a production standpoint, it is mind-blowing what Piotr Szulkin is able to deliver considering the resources he had to work with. Nowhere is it clearer than when it comes to the Retrofuturism set and costume design. Another area where The War of the Worlds: Next Century excels is its stylish cinematography, which heightens the mood. That said, one of the most visually stunning moments is a home invasion sequence where the police cut through the protagonist's door with chainsaws. Ultimately, The War of the Worlds: Next Century is an extraordinary critic of the dangers of authoritarianism.

O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization: The survivors of a nuclear war live in an underground bunker, waiting for a fabled Ark to come and rescue them from their misery.

O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is a claustrophobic post-apocalyptic film that pushes minimalism to the extreme. The basic narrative revolves around a protagonist named Soft, who keeps other survivors' hopes alive by talking about a mythical Ark. Most of the characters that he interacts with have accepted their fate; they aimlessly wander throughout the underground bunker. Characters embrace their enslavement and the decaying bunker, symbolizing the crumbling Soviet Union.

Though it has the core elements that are synonyms with post-apocalyptic cinema, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is a film that is in a class all of its own. Also, it is a film overflowing with social commentary and symbolism. At its core, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is an allegory about the human condition.

When it comes to the performances, the entire cast is great in their roles, especially Jerzy Stuhr’s portrayal of Soft. He delivers a phenomenal performance of a man given the task of creating hope for a society on the brink of extinction. Another strength of the performances is how well-defined the characters are.

From a production standpoint, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is a film that exceeds the sum of its parts. The narrative does a great job building momentum, and a driving score reinforces the immediacy of the events that unfold. Again, the set design is impeccable; it is a mix of modern and future aesthetics. Also, the visuals do an amazing job of heightening the mood. The most striking moment visually is a scene where a character reveals to Soft two women he has frozen to preserve them for the fabled Ark. Ultimately, O-Bi, O-Ba: The End of Civilization is a thought-provoking post-apocalyptic film whose haunting finale images will linger in your mind.

Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes: In the 21st century, prisoners are sent to explore unfamiliar worlds.

Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes is a science fiction film laced with dark humor and an abundance of absurd moments. The narrative revolves around a reluctant hero named Scope, a prisoner sent on a mission to explore undiscovered planets. Though he is expecting the planet to be unlike anything he has ever seen, it actually resembles Earth. Upon his arrival, the inhabitants of this planet greet him as a hero. Has he discovered a utopia, or is something sinister awaiting him?

Though the look and feel of Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes mirrors that of Piotr Szulkin’s other films, it is hard not to see how much his style resembles Terry Gilliam’s, notably Brazil. Piotr Szulkin, like Terry Gilliam, works wonders with limited resources. Nowhere is this clearer than when it comes to the set and costume design, which are a mixture of modern and futuristic elements.

The cast is all outstanding in their roles, and their performances verge into over-the-top territory. That said, Daniel Olbrychski, in the role of scope, is the only grounded character in a world of outlandish characters. He delivers a performance that perfectly complements the operatic performances of the rest of the cast.

From a production standpoint, there is no area where Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes does not deliver, and then some. Its briskly paced narrative is a steady mix of subversive humor and the bizarre. Once again, Piotr Szulkin creates visually arresting moments that heighten the mood. Ultimately, Ga-ga: Glory to the Heroes is a highly entertaining sci-fi/comedy hybrid that fans of dystopian black comedies should thoroughly enjoy.

The End of Civilization: Three Films by Piotr Szulkin is an excellent release from Radiance Films; each film gets a solid audio/video presentation and informative extras, highly recommended.

Written by Michael Den Boer