Bad Luck

Thoughts on Andrzej Munk’s Bad Luck

The main character makes terrible choices throughout the film. He lacks a sense of self. How can one make good decisions if they are confused about their identity? Simply by convincing himself that such a thing as bad luck actually exists. It’s almost as if he is wearing a pair of blinders that enable him to see only the nearest object of his desire thus dissociating himself with the seer. He becomes lost in a sea of possibilities.

The film illustrates the absurdity of the notion that an individual is not to be held responsible for jumping on the bandwagon of slothful abandon. During the course of the film the main character becomes accustomed to the false freedom that irresponsibility creates. He would be a great communist if he were to relinquish his creative spontaneous self. This would not be natural: it is depicted as repressive. If communism is to be successful, it must allow for the promotion of individuals through personal expression in addition to allowing an authentic culture to manifest.