Film Music and the Crystal-Image in Krzysztof Zanussi’s The Structure of Crystal

Abstract

Krzysztof Zanussi’s 1969 debut feature film, The Structure of Crystal (Struktura kryształu), revolves around two scientists with opposing worldviews—one rooted in ethical integrity and the other driven by conformism. These polarities are reflected in Gilles Deleuze’s notion of the crystal-image, which I apply to Wojciech Kilar’s music for the film. I argue that Kilar’s underscoring continuously reshapes the grounds of understanding between the antagonistic worldviews at the film’s core, ultimately to deliver a powerful critique of the social reality of post-1968 Poland.