Next to Andrzej Wajda's Canal, Man on the Tracks is the first fully mature work of the Polish school of cinema, a current which had permanently changed the face of the national cinema.
The structure of Munk's film somewhat resembles the structure of a crime story: it starts with a death in mysterious circumstances, followed by testimonies from people who knew the deceased, and is concluded by solution of the mystery. The titular man on the tracks who dies under a train is Władysław Orzechowski (played by Kazimierz Opaliński), an experienced train operator who is forced to retire shortly before the unfortunate event. The case of this tragic death is complicated, as, when the accident happened, one of the stoplight lights was off for unknown reasons – which could have led to a derailment of the vehicle.
A committee counting several people tries to explain this mysterious situation. Some railway engineers automatically assume that the light was intentionally switched off by Orzechowski, who apparently attempted to carry out a sabotage act, as he felt betrayed by his colleagues. On the other hand, stories of people who knew the train operator paint a picture of a person that perhaps was difficult, but nonetheless loved his profession and was prepared to make large sacrifices in the service of railway. Who, then, is responsible for the situation which almost led to a massive tragedy?
Socialist realist movies often featured a figure of a culprit of it all, a 'saboteur' and 'parasite,' often spying for foreign intelligence and longing for the previous political system. Initially, it seems that Orzechowski will be a rather conventional villain: the operator represents the 'pre-war school,' he is self-important, strict, and cold, and moreover skeptical towards social initiatives. But, even though the main protagonist of Man on the Tracks represents the bygone era, this is not represented as a drawback in Munk's film. Orzechowski has trouble with completing the enforced plan, because he wants to do everything meticulously and properly, which in the socialist reality, where the value of work is measured according to dubious norms, comes across as ineffective, or even suspicious. The protagonist of Munk's picture does not comply with the ubiquitous mediocrity and always strives for best results in his work. In one scene, the train operator says contemptuously to a young assistant, who tries to save on coal, that he would probably pump shit if it got him to the goal. The black and white distinction between the 'old' and 'new,' compulsory in typical mass produced pictures, is completely questioned in Man on the Tracks. It is enough to listen to the tone of the announcements broadcast through speakers in the railway station scene (Workers of the world, unite! Farmer, potato beetle is your enemy! Mother, protect your child from diarrhea!), in order to understand that Munk ruthlessly mocks the propaganda slogans.
The form of the film matches its content perfectly. We learn about Orzechowski's life from four flashbacks. Three of them are recounted by people who knew the train operator: the station master Tuszka (Zygmunt Maciejewski), the mechanic Zapora (Zygmunt Listkiewicz), and gatekeeper Sałata (Zygmunt Zintel), while the fourth one is a reconstruction of the course of the accident, as reported by the representative of the regional party comittee Karaś (Ludosław Kozłowski). The reports are provided mainly by people prejudiced against the late man and holding personal grudges against him. It is only after a while that a relatively accurate image of the protagonist begins to emerge from different memories. By introducing a narrative structure similar to that appearing in Orson Welles's Citizen Kane, Munk presents Orzechowski from various perspectives and demonstrates that truth is always complex and that premature judgement and categorical criticism are deeply unjust.
Man on the Tracks is a work that goes in line with the spirit of the upcoming thaw, which condemned the Stalinism and rehabilitated some victims of that corrupt period. This does not mean, however that Munk's film is political and calculated. Man on the Tracks resonates with the audiences predominantly by virtue of the immaculately portrayed social background (see: scenes from the life of gatekeeper Sałata) and of a nuanced psychological portrait of the lead protagonist, wonderfully played by Kazimierz Opaliński. Cinematography and editing are also its strong elements, as they raise the emotional temperature of the drama and – even almost fifty years after the premiere – engage viewers no less effectively than a good crime story.
- Man on the Tracks (original title: Człowiek na torze), Poland 1957. Directed by Andrzej Munk. Screenplay: Jerzy Stefan Stawiński, Andrzej Munk. DoP: Romuald Kropat. Production design: Roman Mann. Cast: Kazimierz Opaliński (Władysław Orzechowski), Zygmunt Maciejewski (station master Tuszka), Zygmunt Zintel (gatekeeper Witold Sałata), Zygmunt Listkiewicz (Stanisław Zapora), Roman Kłosowski (stoker Marek Nowak). Produced by Kadr. Film Studio, Black and white, 80 mins.
Author: Robert Birkholc, transl. AM, May 2016