I sadly have to give this movie not the best grade. I was looking really forward to seeing this movie, as it turned out that this was the first movie of the Polish film series that I had went to see. So I was filled with anticipation. But the movie was incredibly underwhelming.
In one of the first scenes, the protagonist falls out of a train, into what we learn is the town/village in Poland where he came from ( or did he?) prior to World War II. This person seems to be running from some people (real/imagined) as he makes it down one of the streets in the village. A bit later, he is actually chased down the street by a dog. Then he goes into a man’s house where the man doesn’t recognize him. Nevertheless,after talking and convincing the man that protagonist did actually remember him prior the war- the man let’s him stay.
This movie at it’s best is an existential analysis of who our protagonist is in regards to how he views his own identity, and how other’s view him. To some people he is seen as a prophet- especially is he ‘makes some children feel better’ (although if you ask me, it was just coincedence). To others he is nothing but a charlatan; someone on the lamb, a drifter, etc. All of this really highlights, who is this man? And perhaps to a larger degree, who are Polish men after the war? Who are Polish men who served in the war? What happens to men who might have lost their way post war?
BUT THE WAY THE MOVIE GOES ABOUT THIS HAS SUCH A CONFUSING WAY TO IT. The character ( and everyone else) seemed so confused about who this man was- that it gave the movie a very confusing feel. It was hard to focus, and I was itching to get out of the theater. In fact, once the movie was over, EVERYBODY rose from their seats to get out. Nobody seemed to have felt moved enough to see the credits, or sit with their emotions for a bit. Some people let out some exasperated groans.
But some scenes did move me a bit- and didn’t leave me as exasperated.
The scene at the end where the villages hear from his wife about how he is drifter who has abandoned his family, and consequently drive ( and stone) him out of town is a little hard to watch.
And perhaps the larger message it carries is that in post War-Polish society, a man doesn’t know who he is, doesn’t know his place in society, nor do these communities who lent these men to the war effort know these men anymore. Furthermore, the sad truth of the matter is that post-War II Polish society has a bit of a general disturbed, distrustful state, and can turn on their fellow Polish man via Primitive ways- as we witnessed with how the Protagonist was not only run out of town, but stoned by the town, too.
This movie in some ways reminds me of the post World War II Polish society’s version of the movie Taxi driver, starring Robert Deniro. True Robert Deniro’s character was a lot more deranged than our protagonist in Jump (in addition, this protagonist is more fumbling, rather than deranged).
In sum, the movie tries to tackle some big questions, but the flow of the film could have been less confusing.
Grade: C-

Already in a rut a month into the school year? Are you fearing that midterm around the corner? Well, if you would like to take a brief hiatus from your academics, perhaps you could take a dive into the movie, Jump directed by Tadeusz Konwicki. This movie is part of the series playing at the Michigan Theater entitled, Martin Scorsese Presents: Masterpieces of Polish Cinema.
Jump is particularly interesting because it focuses on the existential experience of a man returning to his village in Post-war Poland. Who is he now after the war? Is he the same again? What is he to others? Does he even know? Will others believe him?
So, if you are interested in trying to find the answer to this question, or go along for the existential journey, then this movie is for you. Check it out!

This Thursday evening I had the pleasure of seeing DJ Adam Westing Smith perform at BTB Cantina’s weekly Thursday electronic music event, “A2 Level Up”. Adam is a senior at the University of Michigan who produces and DJs electronic music in his free time, collaborating with other students to label his own work and create an aesthetic for his performances. Adam’s performance was impressive for a local amateur DJ in its own right, no qualifications that he is currently a full time student are necessary. I would also like to emphasize that BTB Cantina has been burgeoning into a fine night club of its own, a venue that adds a new and unique night life experience to Ann Arbor worth pursuing for those that enjoy loud music and life-affirming dancing.

Adam’s musical influences are manifold, to say the least. It is apparent he’s influenced by local Detroit Techno DJ’s such as Golf Clap and Erno the Inferno, and he remixes EDM heavyweights such as Bassnectar into his act as well, however the most impressive aspect of his musical influences, in my opinion, is that they spread far beyond the scope of EDM alone. Amongst his other sounds, listeners will hear references to metal and rock songs. This multifaceted, open-minded approach to electronic music helps differentiate Adam’s music. DJing is a magical, alchemical art – their equipment is a cauldron into which they can stir the various sounds they enjoy. This unprecendented artistic freedom is what challenges many DJs – how does one create a unique and coherent blend from a practically infinite number of possible ingredients?

As Adam’s performance demonstrates, a good DJ does not make this final decision alone. A DJ ought to read the audience and channel their energy into their own performance, take the dance floor’s vibes into account to refine your performance. Adam did a solid job of reading the dance floor, building excitement, and tearing the house down with well placed drops throughout the night.

I’d also like to give it up to BTB Cantina. They have, in the last 2 years, been able to increase their attendance on Thursday nights significantly. Their dance floor is open and accessible, and the venue provides lights and dancers to enhance the in-house DJ’s performance. The Cantina also does a great job of keeping their acoustics just loud enough to hype the crowd up without compromising sound quality. No matter how good a DJ is, if the venue they’re playing at doesn’t draw a good crowd, doesn’t have a chill vibe, and doesn’t do the performance justice, the night will not live up to the hype. So great job, Adam Westing Smith, and great job, BTB Cantina for providing a fun, accessible venue to promote local student talent.

Here’s a link to Adam Westing Smith’s soundcloud if you want to check out his music: http://soundcloud.com/adamwesting