The article offers an existential interpretation of Roman Polanski’s movie: Two men and the wardrobe (1958). Despite a large number of publications dealing with Polanski’s work, there is still no single study that would directly and primarily show the philosophical and existential potential of this short film. This article aims to amend this situation and reveal this potential. The paper is divided into five parts. Firstly, it depicts the issue of loneliness presented in Polanski’s film, referring – secondly – to the recognition of selected existential philosophers (J. Ortega y Gasset, E. Lévinas, J.‑P. Sartre, A. Camus). Thirdly, the article presents the specificity of the grotesque and absurd motifs characteristic for the film, exposing their connection with the problem of loneliness raised in it. Fourthly, the paper interprets the Polish director’s short film in the context of an authentic way of existence. It refers to the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, and emphasizes the gap between ‘being oneself’ and belonging to community (society). Finally, the article presents a psychological‑existential reading of Polanski’s short film, paying attention to the psychological determinants of human existence.

Álex de la Iglesia’s film, Balada triste de trompeta (2010) explores historical trauma and collective memory of the Spanish Civil war through clown figures adapted to the grotesque aesthetic of esperpento. Besides the use of popular culture motifs, this article focuses on how notions of the mythical trickster and classical philosophy and melancholy combine in a dark humor subversive work.

Tadeusz Rittner steered clear of political themes in his dramas with the single excep-tion of the Wrogowie bogaczy (The Enemies of the Rich). First performed in 1921, the play exposes the insane madness of social (Bolshevik) revolution. At the same time, though, the tragic horror is handled with ironic distance and diverted into absurd grotesque. Moreover, Rittner invests the individual scenes and exchanges between the characters with hints and references that turn the story into a playful game with the theatrical traditions, including the familiar set of plot drivers, i.e. the pursuit of power, love/eroti-cism and art/imagination. For all its cleverness, the play, when staged at the Słowacki Theatre in Cracow, turned out a complete failure. One simple reason for it was that Rittner’s broad, generalized vision failed to meet the current demand for a more con-crete reenactment of historical events.

This is a deconstructive reading of Juliusz Słowacki's Lilla Weneda, focusing on Ślaz, an enigmatic character usually marginalized in interpretations of this quasi-historical Romantic drama. Drawing on Professor Marta Piwińska's study of ‘Lilla Weneda’ in Dramat polski: Interpretacje (2001), this article explores the gaps and fissures in Słowacki's text. While complementing her analysis with a number of alternative readings, this article also uses deconstruction to challenge some of the points that are embedded in the traditional reception of the drama.