The Stranger

The novel "The Stranger" by Maria Kuncewiczowa was first published in 1936, and fifty years later, the author returned to the fate of her heroine by writing a film screenplay based on this work. Róża, played in the film by Ewa Wiśniewska, is the daughter of a Pole working in Russia. Growing up in Taganrog, she first encounters concert music, and inspired by the performance of an Italian violinist, she decides to dedicate herself to playing the violin. She moves to Warsaw with her aunt to study at the conservatory, where she meets Michał Bądski – her first, tumultuous, and unforgettable love. Disappointed by the breakup and a failed relationship, Róża returns to Warsaw, forever remaining a "stranger" – a person unable to find her place either among people or in her own life. Her sense of alienation, unfulfilled musical passion, and wasted talent deepen her frustration, which affects her relationships with loved ones. She marries out of reason, and the death of her beloved son Kazik further breaks her. She cannot show warmth to her daughter Marta, even though the girl has inherited musical talent and, thanks to her mother, becomes a famous singer. However, her daughter's success brings Róża neither satisfaction nor solace. At the end of her life, lonely and embittered, the heroine makes a painful reckoning with the past. Only then does she realize her own mistakes and incapacity to accept her fate. She decides to have an honest conversation with her husband and daughter, finding a belated reconciliation with herself and the world. Ryszard Ber’s film intertwines the present with the past, with music playing an important role—especially Schumann’s song "Ich grolle nicht" and Brahms’ Violin Concerto in D major, symbolizing Róża’s dreams, love, and unfulfilled longings.