Obi-Wan Kenobi Series Final Evaluation
In the realm of dark, dystopian, and sci-fi cinema, the apocalypse tetralogy by Polish filmmaker Piotr Szulkin stands out as a compelling exploration of human nature and society's collapse. Among these four films, made between 1979 and 1986, O-Bi, O-Ba is often hailed as the standout entry.
Set in a world that has undergone nuclear war, the film is a visually imaginative fever dream with the primeval and gothic residue of a modern dark age. The story unfolds in a subterranean dwelling called "The Dome," where approximately 1,000 humans eke out a meagre existence.
O-Bi, O-Ba is an existential parable that delves into our relationship with religion, faith, and authority, and our fear of emptiness and cosmic horror. The film's cryptic grammar aims to reveal certain truths about human nature. One of the survivors, known as "Soft," acts as a totemic false prophet of morale, inspiring the inhabitants with lies of an Ark that will rescue them.
Soft, who carries out daily tasks and serves as a yes-man and a fixer within the compound, works for the powers that be. However, the film showcases our inherent psychology that survives tragedy and historical ruin, our need for a better place, and our desire for escapism.
It also exposes a system where authority is inflicted, using allegiance-bound individuals as disposable resources. Wealth is still used as a lever of control, and precious metals may not even buy a single onion in this world. The Ark serves as a beacon of hope for the survivors, distracting them from the deteriorating conditions of The Dome and the failures of the authoritarian rule.
Piotr Szulkin was part of a cinematic movement known as The Cinema of Moral Anxiety, and O-Bi, O-Ba is one of the films produced by this movement. The Polish and Eastern European art have a particular talent for capturing desolation within their aesthetics, expositions, and mediums, possibly due to their history.
Among the other films in the series are Golem (1979), The War of the Worlds: Next Century (1981), and Ga-Ga: Glory to the Heroes (1985). Each film in the tetralogy offers a unique perspective on political oppression, dystopia, and societal collapse, fitting within Polish cinema's tradition of allegorical and cautionary storytelling during the communist era.
Entertainment within the subterranean dwelling called "The Dome" in O-Bi, O-Ba, a standout film from the apocalypse tetralogy by Piotr Szulkin, is led by Soft, a totemic false prophet who inspires the inhabitants with lies of an Ark that will rescue them. This escapism serves as a distraction from the deteriorating conditions of The Dome and the failures of authoritarian rule, providing a form of entertainment that fuels hope and offers a momentary escape from reality in the dark, dystopian world that has undergone nuclear war.
