Forgotten Love: A Tale of Finding After Losing Everything

“My name is Maria Jolanta Wilczur and that’s my father.”

If you have two and a half hours for relaxation, Netflix’s “Forgotten Love” (2023) is worth watching. This Netflix’s original movie, directed by Michal Gazda, is an adaptation of the popular Polish novel, “Zanchor” (1937) by Tadeusz Dolega-Mostowicz. It was previously adapted into two movies, “Zanchor” (1937) and “The Quack” (1982). The era is probably the beginning of the 20th century. The film follows the story of Dr. Rafal Wilczur, a renowned brain surgeon, who was separated from his daughter and reunited after 15 years. At the outset, the film introduces the strong bond between father and daughter. Will they recognize each other? It is a heart-jerking drama of finding after losing everything. Even if the mind forgets, as they said, the heart cannot forget.

Spoilers alert: The following is a retelling of the story.

THE STORY

Dr. Rafal was the best brain surgeon in his hospital and was soon to be promoted as “Chief Surgeon”. He was not just the best doctor but a good man. He saved the life of a poor boy but the boy was sent out from the hospital because the poor parents could not afford the bill. He wanted to shoulder the hospital bills and searched for the boy. He found the boy in a poor community in the city being treated by a quack doctor. Once again, he rescued the boy from his mother. He convinced the hospital director to put up a ward for poor children. He was announced as the “Chief Surgeon” and overseer of the special ward. The nobles appreciate his brilliant idea.

However, when he returned home, his wife Beata and their daughter Marysia were gone. She left him for another man named Jan Oksza. He visited the place where his wife used to live with her aunt. Before the incident, he was able to contact his friend Dr. Jerzy Dobraniecki who arrived at the place with a pistol. Probably, the place was a dangerous place similar to Tondo in Manila. Jerzy saw Rafal beaten up by the gang but froze. Rafal was presumed dead by suicide by the authorities. His body was not found.

After 15 years, Marysia became an orphan and traveled to the town where she found a job as a waitress and as a singer in a pub owned by a Jewish merchant, where she gave her piano. In the pub, Count Leszek Czynski was smitten by the beautiful Marysia. She despised him for making a bet on her. He apologized. Soon enough, they became closer to one another.

Meanwhile, Rafal, now named Antoni Kosiba, still looking for his wife and daughter. The problem, he couldn’t remember anything. He has amnesia due to a severe head injury inflicted by the gang who robbed him. One day, he met Zoska. Although he cannot remember himself as a doctor he knew how to treat the injured companion of Zoska. When Zoska learned that he traveled at random, she invited him to her house to work in a mill. Later on, they were romantically involved.

In that small town, Rafal (now, Antonio) met her daughter Marysia and they both don’t recognize each other. However, they felt an affinity between them. They met through the accident of Michael, Marysia’s childhood friend who brought her to the town. When Rafal wanted to help with his broken leg, she warned him that quackery was illegal and even threatened to sue him. However, after the operation of Michael, the doctor said that he would not be able to walk again. It was at this time that Marysia allowed Rafal to operate on him and he was cured. Meanwhile, Rafal treated some sick villagers.

Marysia and Leszek became closer and closer, particularly when they took care of Michael. Soon enough, they became lovers and when they were about to get married, they had an accident. Leszek suffered some broken bones but Marysia was gravely injured. The Countess instructed the doctors not to treat Marysia. Due to the persistence of Zoska, Rafal performed medical procedures on Marysia and saved her life. Marysia, at once, realized that Rafal is not not just a quack doctor but someone who knew what he is doing.

Leszek was sent to Switzerland for medical treatment and was told by his mother that Marysia did not survive the accident. However, his father Count Stanislaw told him the truth. Leszek cut off his relations with her mother and searched for Marysia. The countess paid Marysia to stay away from her son but Marysia refused the handsome offer. Then, the countess threatened her to expose Rafal for doing quackery which is a grave offense, and put him in prison for years. In order to protect Rafal, Marysia left the town and promised not to see Leszek anymore.

The last thirty minutes of the movie are intense. When Rafal found out Marysia’s sacrificed for him, he voluntarily surrendered to the police to unburden Marysia. Leszek found Marysia and learned that her father was Rafal who was facing a court hearing on quackery. In the trial, those who were treated by Rafal testified about his medical competence. These testimonial pieces of evidence were to point out that maybe Antonio was not a quack doctor, which is punishable by law, but actually a doctor himself who lost his memories. Dr. Jerzy Dobraniecki did not positively identify “Antonio Kosiba” as Dr. Rafal Wilczur, but he offered medical assistance to help him heal his amnesia. Marysia and Leszek arrived at the courtroom and identified herself as Maria Jolanta Wilczur and identified Antonio as her father, Rafal Wilczur. Stas, the boy saved by Rafal, enjoined the positive identification of Marysia telling the court that he was the doctor who saved his life. Dr. Jerzy said that Dr. Rafal was dead to which Rafal countered, "I'm alive." Now, Rafal remembered everything.

The movie ended with a double wedding of Marysia and Leszek, and Rafal and Zoscka. It’s a happily-ever-after story.