1 review
I liked "Skazany na bluesa" (Condemned to the blues) a lot, even though I hardly heard about Rysiek Riedel and the band Dzem. The reason is that I am a hardcore fan of classical music and composers like Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, or Brahms. But I am still open-minded enough to like a good song better than an uninspired and boring symphony. Secondly, I spent almost all of the 1990s in the United States. So I was doubly ignorant about the rock-blues musical events of that time in Poland. In spite of that, I was deeply moved by the life and addiction to drugs of Rysiek Riedel. I could also see that he was a talented person and could understand why Dzem band became famous. The plot begins in 1976 in Tychy, in one of the Silesian housing estates. 20-year-old Rysiek (Tomasz Kot), although intelligent and quick-witted, does not work; he finished his education after barely passing primary school and lives from day to day on his parents' pot, in constant conflict with his father. Rysiek is fascinated by Western music and hippie culture, full of dreams of an Indian life on the prairies. Gradually, we learn the story of the creation of the Dzem group and Rysiek's further life, his rise to fame, and the addiction to drugs. For me, "Condemned to the blues" worked from each angle: as a social drama, biography, introduction to the music of Dzem and a powerful story about drug addiction. I also appreciated the acting of Tomasz Kot and think that he is one of the most versatile Polish actors. So for 100 minutes I was completely gripped by the sheer weight of this interesting and moving story.