Watch Blind Chance

Blind Chance is a 1987 Polish film directed by Krzysztof Kieslowski. The film stars Boguslaw Linda, Tadeusz Lomnicki, and Zbigniew Zapasiewicz in the lead roles. The movie is a captivating and complex exploration of the workings of fate and chance in life. The film centers on Witek, a young man who is in the midst of deciding his future career. He is on his way to take an entrance exam for law school when he is detained by a train station guard for riding without a ticket. This moment of hesitation causes a chain reaction of events that lead Witek down three different paths. Each pathway explores his life based on small differences in his decision-making process.

In the first path, Witek makes the train and becomes a dedicated member of the Polish Communist Party. He meets a woman and they have a child, but he realizes that he is living a life of unhappy conformity. In the second path, Witek misses the train and finds himself drawn towards the ideals of the Polish opposition movement. He becomes a member of the Solidarity trade union and actively protests against the Communist government's oppression. However, he realizes the sacrifice that this commitment requires and comes to question his role in the opposition movement. In the third and final path, Witek catches a train but, while sitting on the train, observes people around him and is drawn towards ideas of spiritual enlightenment, abandoning his desires for material success.

The directing of each of these scenarios is done very well, with poetic flow and a good balance of visually creative moments and historically-accurate storytelling. Each narrative successfully delves into the psychology of choice and outcome, as Witek navigates challenges and social influences with varying degrees of intensity and consequence.

Kieslowski uses a "butterfly effect" logic to show how small decisions can affect the course of one's life. Each of Witek's choices has a ripple effect that can change the trajectory of his life in significant ways. The uncertainty and randomness of life choices are one of the movie's primary themes. Even with the best of intentions and preparedness, everyday decisions and circumstances can greatly influence someone’s entire life.

Blind Chance also explores how political ideologies can shape a person's identity and influence their decision-making. In each path, Witek is surrounded by different people with their own set of beliefs, which influence his decisions. Kieslowski takes advantage of the communist era backdrop in Poland to explore how these conflicting beliefs can be both identity-forming and limiting. The resistance movement becomes an important factor in all three paths while the young protagonist reacts differently in each, a direct reflection of Kieslowski's reflections on identity and its malleability.

Despite the different paths, the emotional core of the movie is Witek's search for his true self. He is constantly grappling with questions of identity, purpose, and fulfillment, trying to figure out what it is that he really wants from life. Each of the different 'what-if' storylines is grounded in a deep sense of personal identity and philosophical exploration, which enhances the resonance of the film.

With masterful cinematography and a heartfelt exploration of the different paths that life can take, Blind Chance is an engrossing, philosophical drama that is not to be missed. It is a poignant reminder that life is ever full of countless paths and opportunities, but stays still in the fact that we can only choose one of them. It is a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a movie that challenges them to think.

Blind Chance is a 1987 drama with a runtime of 2 hours and 2 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.7.