No End (Bez konca) (1984)

90% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
77% of users liked it
(689 ratings)

The late, celebrated Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski) has created a downbeat but emotionally harrowing, magic realist tale in this film about a fictional couple whose lives are taken over by events in Poland in the turbulent, early 1980s. Antoni Zyro (Jerzy Radziwilowicz), a Polish attorney,… More The late, celebrated Polish director Krzysztof Kieslowski) has created a downbeat but emotionally harrowing, magic realist tale in this film about a fictional couple whose lives are taken over by events in Poland in the turbulent, early 1980s. Antoni Zyro (Jerzy Radziwilowicz), a Polish attorney, dies in an automobile accident. For the next several weeks, his spirit watches what happens to his wife Ula (Grazyna Szapolowska) and his cause, and directs her course of action. Ula decides that her love for her dead husband can only be expressed by hiring an attorney to defend Antoni's clients - one of the most prominent is a hero of the Gdansk strikes, accused of creating the Polish solidarity movement and fighting for the cause of democratic labor. As the lawyer defends the worker who fights for his right to organize a union, Ula is still struggling with the loss of her husband -- and losing her battle to go on. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 49 min.
Directed By: Krzysztof Kieslowski
Written By: Krzysztof Kieslowski, Krzysztof Piesiewicz
Genres: Drama, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Jun 17, 1985 Wide
On DVD: Aug 17, 2004

Critic Reviews

Vincent Canby, New York Times
I suspect that the story of how No End came to be made, and of how it speaks to Polish audiences, would be of as much interest to American audiences as the film itself.
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
This 1984 feature by the remarkable Krzysztof Kieslowski has been described as his most explicitly political.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
No End functions both as a compliment and a precursor to the director's most lasting works.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
The aching of a moral crisis permeates every pore, from courtroom to bedroom
Noel Murray, AV Club
[Deserves] to be counted among his acknowledged classics
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
Orwellian bleakness notwithstanding, a remarkably spiritual film
Dan Jardine, Cinemania
Kieslowski's most overtly political film, also one of his most potent; it boasts a finale that will surely set viewer's tongues wagging, whether in agreement or disconcertion
Rumsey Taylor, Not Coming to a Theater Near You
A dated although nonetheless remarkable work of propaganda.
Mark Robison, Reno Gazette-Journal
A brilliant opening scene, but the political message is weak.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
The film was powerful enough in its political jibes to have made the state and the church and the opposition party condemn it.