Subsidiaries (1975)

Synopsis: Krzysztof Kieslowski's made-for-television drama is a moving examination of professional morality and sociopolitical stature. The film follows Romek (Juliusz Machulski), a young man infatuated with the concept of art who is hired to work behind-the-scenes as a tailor for an opera.... Krzysztof Kieslowski's made-for-television drama is a moving examination of professional morality and sociopolitical stature. The film follows Romek (Juliusz Machulski), a young man infatuated with the concept of art who is hired to work behind-the-scenes as a tailor for an opera. Believing that he has found his perfect job, Romek begins to discover that the artistic community isn't the utopian ideal he imagined it to be. Employees and performers continually argue over ridiculous issues while jealousy sparks even more vindictive battles. When Romek's friend is fired because of the heartlessness of one of the opera's performers, his illusions are shattered once and for all, sparking an act of redemption that will hopefully restore Romek's faith in humanity. Kieslowski, a nonbeliever in the magic of art after realizing how painful and technical a process his chosen craft actually is to create, aims to debunk the alluring myths that surround the performing arts with SUBSIDIARIES. By focusing on a naive, wide-eyed youngster, his point hits home even harder in this somber though realistic depiction of the theater world, showing how human beings of every profession basically bear the same shortcomings of cruelty, conniving, and corruption. [More]