Foul Play

The original title of Foul Play, which takes place in the colourful reality of the Warsaw underground of the 1970s, is probably one of the catchiest in the history of Polish cinema: Excuse Me, Is It Here They Beat People Up? Yet Marek Piwowski’s imagination doesn’t stop there. In the clever gangster Belus and the policemen who pursue him the director doesn’t see opposing forces, but rather equal rivals who are connected by a fondness for below-the-belt blows. The confrontation between protagonists is reported by Piwowski with typical mischievous charm, at once drawing from classic crime movies and exceeding its limits. As usual, in Foul Play the director unites professionals and amateurs (the policemen are played by the great boxers Jerzy Kulej and Jan Szczepański); he fills the plot with picturesque digressions and asks tricky questions such as: how long can a dromedary survive without drinking?

Piotr Czerkawski

Marek Piwowski (b. 1935) is a Polish director, screenwriter and actor who has mainly made documentaries. Two of his three features have a cult status: the comedy The Cruise (1970) and the quasi-documentary crime film Foul Play (1976). He is also an actor who has appeared in small parts in television and feature films.