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The Scar

The Scar

1976106 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 67th percentile of all films
Director
Krzysztof Kieślowski
Starring
Franciszek Pieczka, Mariusz Dmochowski, Jerzy Stuhr, Stanislaw Igar

When a political decision is made as to the location of a new large chemical factory, Stefan Bednarz is put in charge of it. This honest communist party man has to confront the local community opposing the construction.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Scar?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Scar streaming on The Criterion Channel.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Scar?

The Scar earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Scar worth watching?

The Scar's Midcredits score is the 67th percentile of all films, from 5.6K ratings across 4 sources. 58% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

67th percentile

Better received than 67% of films

69th percentile among Drama68th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)69th
Approval (how many liked it)63rd

67 /100

69th percentile of all films

72nd percentile among Drama70th percentile among 1970s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

58% liked it

63rd percentile of all films

63rd percentile among Drama65th percentile among 1970s
58% rated it 7–1042% rated it 1–6

Critics 86% · Audience 68%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

63rd percentile

5.6K ratings across platforms

66th percentile among Drama66th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 62% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow, bleak drama about an individual struggling against an unyielding, corrupt system.

Fans praised

  • Guileless critique of systemic hypocrisy
  • Sensitive, unobtrusive direction with atmospheric visuals
  • Complex character study of a man trapped between duty and conscience

What stands out

Atmosphere78

Bleak, immersive depiction of 1970s Polish socialism

Plot and story75

Factory-construction story anchored in moral compromise and political maneuver

Acting72

Pieczka's nuanced portrayal of conflicted manager

Cinematography72

Gritty, thoughtful imagery; occasional awkward zooms/cuts

CharactersDivisive70

Protagonist compelling; supporting cast underdeveloped

Emotional impactDivisive60

Restrained melancholy; less resonant than later Kieslowski

DialogueDivisive55

Over-reliant on exposition; 'show, don't tell' violations

Pacing45

Deliberate but slow; risks losing viewer attention

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Scar like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
MelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsSolemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its material with earnest gravity, never undercutting its dour realism.
The rideThe mood is consistently heavy and contemplative, building to a resigned, melancholy ending.
StructureThe story follows Bednarz chronologically from his appointment to his resignation, with occasional references to the past but no structural experimentation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film lingers as a critique of systemic failure, leaving you thinking about compromise and disillusionment.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeAn honest party official is assigned to build a chemical factory, confronts local opposition and systemic flaws, and ultimately resigns in disillusionment, crushed by forces beyond his control.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfCorruption
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% (this title) · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Corruption · 3% of filmsDuty · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines how a well-intentioned official is corrupted by and ultimately crushed by a system that prioritizes ideology over human and ecological consequences.
StanceThe film observes Bednarz's disillusionment while interrogating the ethics of a state-driven industrial project.

The world

Mid 20th centuryRuralInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Stanislaw Radwan
SettingA small Polish town in the late 1960s transformed by a state chemical factory project.
MusicSparse, atmospheric score that underlines the bleak tone.

Content guide

Is The Scar okay for kids?

Not Rated

The Scar is not rated. As of October 2, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (0/100), sexual content at minimal (0/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (17/100) and frightening material at minimal (0/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • FinlandS
Overall
None / Minimal · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (12 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Scar have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Scar?

Cast

Franciszek Pieczka
as Stefan Bednarz
Mariusz Dmochowski
as Boleslaw
Jerzy Stuhr
as Jurek
Stanislaw Igar
as Minister
Agnieszka Holland
as Hania
Jan Skotnicki
as Stanislaw Lech
Stanislaw Michalski
as Ministry Employee
Michal Tarkowski
as Michal Galecki
Andrzej Skupien
as City Council Member
Halina Winiarska
as Stefan's Wife

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Scar?

The closest match to The Scar is A Short Film About Love (1988); both are films by Krzysztof Kieślowski.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Scar?

678 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: slow cinema. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.