This movie seemed harsh to me. One of the reasons for that is that Marek’s main character looks like a person I used to know, someone I have lost actually. I won’t get into any details. There were quite a few moments in this movie which were astonishing how they portrayed reality out there. The reality exists, but many are not ready to accept it as fact. To me, Marek is an ordinary teenage boy who needs his own space. He is tired of hearing from people who think they know what is best for him. Unfortunately, he should have listened to his dad, a person who indeed loved him, though somehow the link between them was lost.
There is emptiness in the boy’s heart, caused by the absence of his mother. I did not get if she died or just left them, but somehow the fact she was not there was affecting Marek in a way that made me think that he was much closer to her than to his father.
I can not blame him for running away. I have considered this possibility several times. Even after seeing movies like this, it could be hard to survive couldn’t quell my thoughts that someday, I may do it. The difference between Marek and me is that he is braver than I am. He made a decision and acted on it. It is another matter of whether his decision was silly or not.
The first sex scene is alarming. I felt sorry for the boy. I was watching the screen thinking, “Now you have to go back.” But at the same time, I realized that for him, this was not an option. When he announced for the first time his new profession, the scene at the bar is where you see the way he deals with it. I could hardly forget how he spoke as he approached the American tourist, the way he looked at him. It seemed oddly professional. I don’t really know what term to use to describe it.
At the same time, we see the other types of characters. The pimps, boys, and clients are portrayed in greater detail. Somehow even their facial expressions talked about their personalities, or at least it did to me.
I passed by a very similar place to this bar where the pimp approached Marek for the first time. And you know, as I thought about it, the similarities between the movie and reality were unbelievable. The only difference the prostitutes were girls, but nothing more. When school is over, I have to pass that area again. 8 pm doesn’t seem like the right time to do it, but I have no choice. After seeing this movie, it freaks me out a bit.
But on to the movie, it is the masterpiece of Wiktor Grodecki. Of this, there is no doubt. I highly recommend that you watch it at least once. And maybe someday, you will be able to make a difference for a boy who may be living like the boys shown in this movie. You may be his only way out of this hell he is living through. Even though it is hard, the boys seemed destined to be doomed.
