Michał
Waszyński is often called a mythomaniac, but every new life he created for
himself came true. Imagine Frank Abagnale Jr from Catch Me If You Can, transplanted into La Dolce Vita. Yet, he was always haunted by the mystical tragedies
of his homeland. In fact, they inspired the film he will always be remembered
for, the Yiddish language Polish film adaptation of S. Ansky’s The Dybbuk. Even though the man himself
converted to Catholicism, his story will still resonate with audiences when
Elwira Niewiera & Piotr Rosolowski’s documentary The Prince and the Dybbuk (trailer here) screens during the
2018 New York Jewish Film Festival.
Waszyński
was born the son of a poor Jewish blacksmith in Ukraine, but he died as an
exiled Polish prince in Italy. It was kind of true too. Evidently, there was
some kind of royal title bestowed on him. Of course, the wealthy Contessa he married
was real enough, even though he was a closeted homosexual. The path he took to
get from point A to point B was convoluted, but it involved stint in the Soviet
backed Anders’ Army, as a propaganda filmmaker. Indeed, he was already well
known in Poland, largely as a director of light comedy and melodrama, as well
as his magnum opus, The Dybbuk.
Through
impressionistic readings of his diary entries (shockingly frank, given the
content and possible consequences), the film makes a convincing case Waszyński’s
affinity for The Dybbuk was rooted in
his own unrequited feelings for a classmate. He would never helm another work
of the Dybbuk’s caliber again, but he
took on producing duties on films throughout the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, notably
including the massively over-budget The
Fall of the Roman Empire and Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s The Barefoot Contessa.
Despite
the artistically rendered expressionistic interludes, the best part about P&D are some of the conversations they
captured, like when Mankiewicz’s wife Rosemary and daughter Alex revisit their memories
of the Contessa shoot by nostalgically
reading over passages of his diary: “you had dinner at the casino, that must
have been lovely—Dad won a million Lira, good for him.” Two fellow Anders’ Army
veterans reviewing his service records are also quite droll. Big surprise, Waszyński
did not score well when it came to discipline and loyalty.
Frankly, we sort of wish P&D were a more traditional that-happened-and-led-to-this style
documentary, because it feels like Niewiera & Rosolowski are glossing over
a lot of wonderful high-living. Nevertheless, this is the film they have and it
definitely leaves viewers fascinated. Even today, the extent of his social
climbing reinvention is remarkable, especially for Old Europe. Highly
recommended for fans of 1960s Hollywood/Cinecitta glamour and Freudian analysis,
The Prince and the Dybbuk screens
this Wednesday afternoon (1/10) and Thursday night (1/11) at the Walter Reade,
as part of this year’s NYJFF.