The Lunar Trilogy

Summary

The first volume, Na Srebrnym Globie (On the Silver Globe; first book edition: Lwów, 1903) describes, in the form of a diary, the story of a marooned expedition of Earth astronauts who find themselves stranded on the Moon and found a colony. After several generations, they lose most of their knowledge and are ruled by a religious cult. The second volume, Zwycięzca (The Conqueror or The Victor; first book edition: Warsaw, 1910), focuses upon the colonists' anticipated Messiah, another traveler from Earth. After initial success, he fails to meet their expectations and is killed in an allegory to the death of Jesus Christ. The third volume, Stara Ziemia (The Old Earth; first book edition: Warsaw, 1911).describes the visit of two Lunar colonists to 27th-century Earth.

Interpretations

Żuławski has been likely influenced by H. G. Wells and Jules Verne. His work is seen as a major milestone in the development of science fiction and fantasy in Poland, gaining great popularity and having been well received by critics since. Atkinson has called the trilogy second most famous work of Eastern European sci-fi after the works of Stanisław Lem. Jasińska-Wojtkowska and Dybciak note that it was the first well developed Polish work of science-fiction, and would not be surpassed till the works of Lem few decades later.

It has been described as Żuławski's take on the philosophy of history and interpreted as a critique of a socialist, egalitarian utopia. Żuławski's story shows the unpredictability of human nature as victorious over the concepts of utilitarianism and social regulation. He is critical of religion, arguing that they are a social construct that can have destructive influence on humanity. He is also concerned with the political uses of scientific knowledge, and is critical of the pursuit of "pure science", and is also critical of the notion of technological progress, which Żuławski sees as leading to greater conflict and inequality. Instead, Żuławski argues, the humanity should focus on the moral progress. The work has been described as "poetic and tragic", combining "scientific fantasy with skeptical reflection", and an anti-utopian vision of humanity's future. It has been classified as a social utopia-type science fiction or simply a dystopia.

Adaptation

Director Andrzej Żuławski, who is Jerzy Żuławski's great-nephew, attempted to adapt the trilogy into a film in the late 1970s. After about three-quarters of the movie had been completed, Poland's Ministry of Culture became disturbed by the footage that had been shot thus far, and shut down the production, ordering that the unedited film and all related materials be destroyed. They were preserved in spite of this directive, and when the Communist government's power began to decline in the late 1980s, Żuławski was convinced to edit the existing footage into movie form. He did shoot some new footage, but foley in order to provide a bridge between the scenes that had been filmed previously. He did not intend that the film be shown commercially. On the Silver Globe premiered at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival. Despite its title,the film adapts the whole trilogy.