NOWICKI, Jan

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Nationality: Polish. Born: Kawal, 5 November 1939. Family: Married the director Marta Mészáros. Education: Attended the School of Theatre and Film, Kraków. Career: 1965—film debut in Ashes; in TV series Dyrektorzy.

Films as Actor:

1965

Popioł (Ashes) (Wajda)

1966

Bariera (Barrier) (Skolimowski) (as He)

1967

Password: Korn (Podgórski)

1968

Pan Wołodyjowski (Colonel Wolodyjowski) (Hoffman) (as Ketling)

1969

Dziura w ziemi (A Hole in the Ground) (Kondratiuk)

1970

Doktor Eva (Żułlawski—for TV)

1971

Życie rodzinne (Family Life) (Zanussi); The Third Part of the Night (Zulawski)

1972

Anatomy of Love (Zaluski); Skorpion, panna, i lucznik (Scorpio, Virgo, and Sagittarius) (Kondratiuk); Sanatorium pod klepsydra (The Hour-Glass Sanatorium) (Has); A Wasted Night (Majewski—for TV)

1973

Story in Scarlet (Kluba)

1974

Hour after Hour (Zaluski)

1976

Kilenc hónap (Nine Months) (Mészáros); Red Thorns (Dziedzina)

1977

Ok ketten (The Two of Them; Two Women) (Mészáros)

1978

Olyan, mint otthon (Just Like at Home) (Mészáros) (as Andras Novak); Spirála (The Spiral) (Zanussi); Moloch (Szulkin)

1979

Útkösben (On the Move) (Mészáros) (+ co-sc)

1980

Orökseg (The Heiresses) (Mészáros); W. Bialy dzie in(In Broad Daylight) (Zebrowski); Golem (Szulkin)

1981

Anya és leánya (Mother and Daughter) (Mészáros); Spokojne lata (Kotkowski)

1982

Napló gyermekeimnek (Diary for My Children) (Mészáros) (as Janos/Juli's father); Kettevalt Mennyezet (Pal Gabor)

1983

Wielki Szu (The Great Szu) (Chęciński); Délibábok országa (The Land of Mirages) (Mészáros)

1984

Spassenieto (Paunchev)

1985

O-bi, O-bi—Koniec cywilizacji (O-bi, O-bi—The End of Civilization; Ga, Ga—chwala bohaterom) (Szulkin); Hulyeseg nem Akadaly (Xantus) (as Dr. Korosi)

1986

Biala Wizytowka (Bajon); Zygfryd (Siegfried) (Domalik) (as Waldo, circus owner)

1987

Magnat (The Magnate) (Bajon) (as Ksiaze Hans von Teuss); Napló szerelmeimnek (Diary for My Loves) (Mészáros) (as Janos)

1988

Schodami w Gore, Schodami w Dol (Upstairs, Downstairs) (Domalik); Piroska és a farkas (Bye-Bye Red Riding Hood) (Mészáros) (as ornithologist)

1989

Notater om Korlighedon (Leth); Lawa

1990

Napló apamanak, anyammnak (Diary for My Father and Mother) (Mészáros) (as Janos); Potyautasok (as prison boss)

1991

Konyortelen Idol (Sara)

1993

The Great Post Office Robbery (as Bogdan, the cop); A Magzat (Fetus) (Mészáros); Magneto (Kolski) (as Zanik)

1995

Siódmy pokój (The Seventh Room) (Mészáros) (as Heller); Mlode Wilki (Zamojda)

1996

Dzieci I ryby (Bromski); Deszczowy zolnierz (Saniewski) (as Jan Szymanski);

1997

Sztos (Olaf Linde Lubaszenko); Mlode Wilki ½ (Zamojda)

1998

Historia kina w Papielawach (History of Cinema in Popielawach) (Jan Jakub Kolski)

Publications

On NOWICKI: articles—

Ecran (Paris), September 1979.

Film a Doba (Prague), January 1982.

Iskusstvo Kino (Moscow), November 1990.

Mazierska, B., "Superwizja," in Filmowy Serwis Prasowy, vol. 39, no. 8/9, 1993.

Lubelski, Tadeusz, "Ten slawny uœmiech," in Kino (Warsaw), November 1996.

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Jan Nowicki first won wide critical acclaim for his portrayal of a member of the "lost generation" in Jerzy Skolimowski's Bariera. He was labeled the "Polish James Dean" and considered heir to the legacy of Zbigniew Cybulski. In subsequent roles, however, Nowicki demonstrated a range of characterizations that denied this early attempt at classification and cut against the grain of the young Polish film heroes of the time. In Dziura w ziemi he played a well-adjusted, energetic young man who charms people with his love of life. In Życie rodzinne he portrayed a cynical and introspective man plagued by a series of profound doubts. In Spirála his portrait of a man hopelessly awaiting an unheroic and undignified death was accomplished with an economy of gesture and an immobile face in which only the eyes showed animation. After this part, which was difficult for the audience, demanding almost the limit of what a spectator can bear, a number of others followed. It seems there is no character that Nowicki could not play. In Wielki Szu he acts with restraint the part of a confidence trickster whose dubious fame is nearing its bitter end. In three of Piotr Szulkin's films he adjusted to a future fantasy world. Finally, the figure of a powerful count of a Polish-German house in Filip Bajon's Magnat represents the culmination of his acting career. Here Nowicki portrays a man who over the course of dozens of years bears witness both to the gradual disappearance of old values and to growing fascism in Europe and in his own family.

A special chapter in Nowicki's career has been his involvement in several Hungarian films directed by Marta Mészarós, his wife. In Útkösben he portrays an actor whose obsession is his profession. The role is frequently seen as a personal statement because of the similarity between Nowicki and the character and the fact that Nowicki collaborated on the screenplay.

Nowicki's list of film credits is rich and without interruption. He creates his characters either with mimicry or a deadpan face, and according to the character he applies irony, cynicism, metaphor, or a grotesque exaggeration. In spite of all this, in all of the characters he portrays he remains himself. Nowicki has also gained official recognition and popularity for his work in television and, more notably, in the theater.

—Blažena Urgošíková