Mrs. Latter's Salary

The screenplay is based on the first volume of Bolesław Prus’s Emancipated Women, and the events are presented through the eyes of Madzia Brzeska—a young, naïve teacher working at Mrs. Latter’s boarding school. Hanna Mikuć, in this role, has created a psychologically credible portrait of an innocent girl who watches with growing astonishment the cynicism of the world around her. The film’s action takes place in Warsaw at the end of the 19th century. Emma Latter, a strong and commanding woman, struggles with increasingly serious financial problems. The parents of the pupils are behind on payments, while her own children become a source of additional worries. Her son Kazimierz, a reckless bon vivant, extorts large sums from his mother, while her daughter Helena tries in vain to force millionaire Solski into marriage. Mrs. Latter, who has devoted her life to the well-being of the children, is now tormented by their failures and neglects the affairs of the school. The institution gradually loses its prestige, and its headmistress—her authority. The problems multiply with a series of disturbing events. Joanna, a class lady, returns home late at night, and rumors link her to Kazimierz. Klara Howard, a fervent feminist, incites the students against the mathematics teacher, an opponent of women’s liberation. She herself is secretly in love with the student Kotowski, who, however, holds feelings for the very young Mania Lewicka. His letters to the pupil, sent secretly, are revealed, causing outrage and intervention from Mania’s concerned uncle. To Warsaw also arrives Mr. Lewicki, who has been in love with Emma Latter for years and asks for her hand in marriage. Emma gives no clear answer, consumed by mounting problems. Ultimately, news that Kazimierz has forged his mother’s signatures on promissory notes fills the cup of bitterness. Driven to bankruptcy, Mrs. Latter unexpectedly leaves Warsaw, and the only person who knows the destination of her journey is Madzia Brzeska. The film reveals not only the drama of an individual confronting the social and moral constraints of the era but also subtly portrays the life of 19th-century Warsaw’s provincial society, its customs, and class tensions. Viewers become acquainted with both the mechanisms of power within the boarding school and the psychological struggles of the characters, giving the story depth and authenticity.