Why So Blu?

Through and Through (Blu-ray Review)

Some films pull you in with warmth and clarity. Others hold you at arm’s length, abstract and cold by design. Through and Through (1973), the debut feature by Polish director Grzegorz Królikiewicz, lands in the latter category. Set in 1930s Kraków, it tells the story of a struggling couple pushed to a breaking point, blending stark imagery with unconventional structure. Radiance Films now brings this hard-to-find title to Blu-ray with a sharp new transfer and a thoughtful restoration that gives this bold, difficult film a proper home.

 

Film  

Through and Through doesn’t play by traditional rules. From its opening frames, it’s clear this isn’t a film interested in comfort or convention. Director Grzegorz Królikiewicz leans into abstraction, shots stretch on, angles distort, and characters often seem more like symbols than people. It’s not about building tension or unfolding a plot in the usual way. This is more like watching a concept being deconstructed in real time.

The film follows Jan and Maria, a couple scraping by in pre-war Poland. Jan can’t find stable work. Maria tries to keep them afloat. As their options run out, they spiral into crime. That sounds like a tight character drama, but what we get feels almost like an abstract reenactment. Characters don’t so much speak as deliver lines in isolated shots. Emotional beats are buried under layers of visual experimentation. The effect is disorienting, and for me, it made the story hard to care about.

There’s no doubt this was crafted with intent. The sound design plays with discord and echo. The stark black-and-white photography feels haunted. Every shot is composed with tension, like a student film turned inside out. But there’s also a stiffness to it—something cold. You can sense the influence of avant-garde theater or performance art. And while I can appreciate what the film is doing on a conceptual level, I just didn’t connect with it.

Some viewers may find this deeply moving or thematically rich. It’s the kind of film that leaves interpretation wide open. For others, especially those looking for story or momentum, it may be a frustrating watch. I respect its place in Polish cinema and understand why Radiance chose to release it. But it’s not a film I can imagine revisiting.

Video 

NOTE: Stills are provided for promotional use only and are not from the Blu-ray.

Encoding: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1

Region: Free

HDR: N/A

Layers: BD-50

Clarity and Detail: Excellent throughout. Textures in clothing, walls, and background surfaces are crisp and well-defined, giving the image a natural sharpness without appearing over-processed.

Depth: Despite the minimalist lighting and composition, there’s a surprising sense of visual depth, especially in wider interior shots.

Black Levels: Deep and stable. Shadow detail is preserved without any signs of black crush, even in dimly lit scenes.

Color:  N/A

Flesh Tones: Consistent and well-balanced within the grayscale range. No tonal shifts or blown-out highlights.

Noise and Artifacts: None observed. The encode is clean, with no visible banding, macroblocking, or digital noise.

Audio 

Audio Format(s):  Polish LPCM 1.0 (Mono)

Subtitles: English

Dynamics: Solid for a mono track. The mix is clean, with subtle ambient textures coming through clearly when present. It maintains a stable balance throughout.

Height: N/A

Low Frequency Extension: N/A

Surround Sound: N/A

Dialogue: Clear and well-prioritized in the mix. Voices sound natural and appropriately centered, with no distortion or harsh peaks.

Extras 

Radiance Films has assembled a thoughtful slate of extras for Through and Through. The disc includes a new 2K restoration supervised by cinematographer Bogdan Dziworski, presented with uncompressed mono audio. There’s a newly recorded interview with critic Michał Oleszczyk, along with three early short films by director Grzegorz Królikiewicz, offering added context to his experimental style. Packaging includes a reversible sleeve with artwork by Time Tomorrow, a limited edition booklet featuring writing by Ela Bittencourt, and a clean, full-height Scanavo case with a removable OBI strip. Limited to 3,000 copies.

Bonus Materials

• New 2K restoration supervised by cinematographer Bogdan Dziworski
• Uncompressed mono PCM audio
• New interview with critic Michał Oleszczyk (2025)
• Three short films by Grzegorz Królikiewicz: Everyone Gets What They Don’t Need (1966, 12 mins), Brothers (1971, 6 mins), Don’t Cry (1972, 9 mins)
• Reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Time Tomorrow
• Limited edition booklet featuring new writing by critic Ela Bittencourt
• Limited edition of 3000 copies, presented in full-height Scanavo packaging with removable OBI strip leaving packaging free of certificates and markings

 

 

Summary 

Through and Through isn’t an easy watch, and it won’t be for everyone. Its jagged structure and emotional distance kept me at arm’s length, but I can see how fans of Eastern European avant-garde cinema might find it compelling. What’s not up for debate is the quality of Radiance Films’ Blu-ray — the restoration is excellent, and the bonus material adds real value for anyone curious about Królikiewicz’s early work. If you’re collecting Polish cinema or deep cuts from the 1970s, this limited edition might still be worth a spot on your shelf, just know what you’re getting into. For more from the label, check out our Radiance Films coverage here.

Through and Through will be released on Blu-ray August 19, 2025!

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