Jan (Zbigniew Zapasiewicz), a young and talented biochemist, has good reasons to be satisfied with his achievements: he finished his postgraduate studies in three years, got his postdoctoral degree in another four, and is currently trying to become a full professor. Focused exclusively on his academic career, the man lives alone and shuns the company of other people, thanks to which he can realize his life plan in tranquillity. Anna (Maja Komorowska), who lives in the same building, is his exact opposite in many respects. The unorganized, unhappy and neurotic girl is unable to settle down. Having failed to write a PhD thesis in the field of biology, Anna wants to change the subject of her research and applies for a position in the institute of biochemistry, where her neighbour, whom she only has a nodding acquaintance with, works. Unfortunately, Anna’s candidacy gets rejected and it is Jan who has the unpleasant duty of informing her of the fact. Their relationship doesn’t, however, end with this: after the official conversation, Anna invites the man for tea at her place. This short meeting, during which nothing seemingly happens, is going to leave a mark on the lives of both characters.
Unlike characters in other films by Zanussi, Anna and Jan don’t discuss philosophical or moral matters, but talk about mundane, prosaic things. Their awkward utterances and clumsy gestures do, however, form convincing psychological portraits. Self-conscious Anna tries to gain her guest’s approval, but all her endeavours turn into a fiasco. A Beethoven record she plays on the gramophone squeaks and is unbearable to listen to, a scientific article the PhD student boasts about turns out to be written by somebody else, and the reproduction of a piece by Van Gogh that she painted is a complete failure. Anna is mentally unstable, neurotic and lost. In one of the scenes, the dynamic shots in which she nervously walks around the flat, are juxtaposed with static shots showing Jan sitting on the sofa and carefully observing his neighbour. In the relationship being developed between them, the down to earth assistant professor represents stability, distance and mental balance. Despite his (seemingly?) dominant position, Jan will eventually flinch from the contact that Anna so desperately craves. The meeting with his neighbour will, nevertheless, have consequences for him: the matter-of-fact man will probably finally understand that his cold rationality is just a mask, separating him from other people.
Thanks to excellent, nuanced performances by Zbigniew Zapasiewicz and Maja Komorowska, the characters are multidimensional and non-stereotypical. Jan, in all his inaccessibility, is kind and helpful, and hysterical Anna is capable of showing force of will in the face of crisis. Behind the Wall is worth seeing not only because of the outstanding creation of screen characters and excellent directing, but also because this small masterpiece seems more up-to-date today than when it premiered. The anonymity in huge blocks of flats, frustrations stemming from bad life choices, ill-planned academic careers – these themes are very contemporary. Unknown to the broader public and forgotten by film scholars, Behind the Wall is one of Zanussi’s greatest achievements and still calls for new interpretations.