The Contract

The Contract

114 mins | Drama | Nov. 17, 1980

Bearing traces of the old Anton Chekhov play The Wedding, The Contract is set during an "arranged" ceremony. The bride and groom barely know each other, but this matters not at all to their tradition-bound families. At the last minute, the bride balks. Only slightly nonplused, the groom's father, a status-seeking doctor, decides to go ahead with the expensive reception anyway. Polish director Krzysz Zanussi uses this scenario to stick it to capitalist corruption, and to society's destruction of the individual spirit. Leslie Caron, the one recognizable member of the cast, is outstanding as a wealthy, over-the-hill ballerina who happens to be a kleptomaniac.

The Contract

114 mins | Drama | Nov. 17, 1980

The Contract
Bearing traces of the old Anton Chekhov play The Wedding, The Contract is set during an "arranged" ceremony. The bride and groom barely know each other, but this matters not at all to their tradition-bound families. At the last minute, the bride balks. Only slightly nonplused, the groom's father, a status-seeking doctor, decides to go ahead with the expensive reception anyway. Polish director Krzysz Zanussi uses this scenario to stick it to capitalist corruption, and to society's destruction of the individual spirit. Leslie Caron, the one recognizable member of the cast, is outstanding as a wealthy, over-the-hill ballerina who happens to be a kleptomaniac.
IMDb rating 6.8
Producers P.P. Film Polski, PRF "Zespol Filmowy", Polish Corporation for Film Production
Original title Kontrakt
Directors Krzysztof Zanussi
Writers Krzysztof Zanussi

Cast

Maja Komorowska

as Dorota, żona Adama

Tadeusz Łomnicki

as Adam Ostoja-Okędzki, ojciec Piotra

Magdalena Jarosz

as Lilka Bartoszuk, żona Piotra

Krzysztof Kolberger

as Piotr Ostoja-Okędzki

Nina Andrycz

as Olga Aleksandrowa, kierowniczka baletu opery

Zofia Mrozowska

as Maria, była żona Adama, matka Piotra

Beata Tyszkiewicz

as Nina, siostra Doroty

Janusz Gajos

as Bolesław Bartoszuk, ojciec Lilki

Edward Linde-Lubaszenko

as dziennikarz Zygmunt, przyjaciel Piotra

Ignacy Machowski

as przyjaciel Adama

Christine Paul-Podlasky

as Patrycja, córka Penelopy

Peter Bonke

as Sven, partner Niny

Leslie Caron

as Penelopa Wilson, bratowa Adama, matka Patrycji

Irena Byrska

as niania w domu Adama

Jolanta Kozak-Sutowicz

as Weronika, służąca w domu Adama

Maciej Robakiewicz

as chłopak Patrycji

Jerzy Święch

as ksiądz

Liliana Komorowska

as baletnica

Laura Łącz

as baletnica

Krystyna Sznerr-Mierzejewska

as śpiewająca "Ave Maria" na ślubie Lilki i Piotra

Jan Jurewicz

as Zenek, kierowca Bolesława

Eugeniusz Priwieziencew

as tancerz Arnold

Andrzej Pieczyński

as tancerz

Agata Rzeszewska

as baletnica

Andrzej Szenajch

as pan Andrzej, organizator kuligu

Edward Wichura

as kucharz

Wiktor Zborowski

as gość

Emilia Ziółkowska

as staruszka karmiąca zwierzęta

Czesław Mroczek

as kościelny; nie występuje w napisach

Zbigniew Zapasiewicz

as mężczyzna przy telefonie w "Victorii"; nie występuje w napisach