(Winner of the Best Director Prize to Pawel Pawlikowski at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival)
Set from 1949 to 1964 in Europe, the film revolves around two people who fall for each other as they embark on a tumultuous relationship as they deal with the growing social and political changes in their home country of Poland. It is a film that explore this relationship between these two people who have a love for music as they would later become collaborators yet they would often separate due to political forces beyond their control. The film’s screenplay has a straightforward narrative as much of its first act is set during 1949 Poland where a musician in Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) is traveling through the country to record a lot of the folk music with his colleague Irena (Agata Kulesza) where they would discover a singer in Zula (Joanna Kulig), who has disguised herself as a peasant to get an audition, who is on probation after assaulting her abusive father. Wiktor and Zula become attracted to another as it gets the attention of an official in Kaczmarek (Borys Szyc) who has them take part in pro-Stalinist performances that Wiktor doesn’t like.
The second act play into Wiktor and Zula’s separation with the former having made a career as a musician in Paris while Zula lives in Poland only going to other places due to permission from Kaczmarek as they spend part of the mid-1950s trying to get together in Yugoslavia and Paris despite being with other people. When Zula marries an Italian man as a way to get a visa and see Wiktor, their love affair resumes but things become complicated due to the other lovers they have while Wiktor tries to create a singing career for Zula. The script play into these two people who love each other yet it also showcases a world that is often complicated not just in Paris but also in Poland as it showcases two people who are often hampered by many things around them.
Pawel Pawlikowski’s direction is definitely stylish in its approach to the story as it is shot in black-and-white and in 1:33:1 aspect ratio on various locations in Poland as well as parts of Paris, Berlin, and Croatia with the latter playing the role of old Yugoslavia. Through the usage of the full-frame aspect ratio, Pawlikowski maintains this air of nostalgia into the images of Poland coming out of World War II during its post-war period as there are wide shots including scenes of some of the music presentation from the Polish theatre troupe that Zula is a part of as was Wiktor early in the film. Much of Pawlikowski’s direction does emphasize on intimacy and mood through medium shots and close-ups as well as these striking compositions of a certain location or the way he places his actors in that location. Pawlikowski does create these moments that include some lingering long shots as well as a few tracking shots as a way to capture the atmosphere of these scenes.
Pawlikowski also play up this sense of political and social tension as the film’s second act that sets largely in Paris play into not just Zula’s own sense of alienation as she prefers to be in Poland but also the fact that she had the chance to leave with Wiktor but ended up staying in Poland when they both were in Berlin the night Wiktor chose to leave Poland that ended the film’s first act. The film’s third act doesn’t play into this sense of longing but also some of the faults of the world that Wiktor had chosen to live in as it showcases the decisions he’s making as it is all based on love. Even as he and Zula are forced to make compromises to be together as it showcases the many complications and forces that puts two people in the middle of the Cold War. Overall, Pawlikowski crafts a ravishing and evocative film about two Polish people who maintain a tumultuous relationship amidst the backdrop of the Cold War.
Cinematographer Lukasz Zal does phenomenal work with the film’s black-and-white cinematography as it adds to film’s gorgeous look as well as how it uses shadows and light for the interior/exterior scenes at night along with some interior scenes in the day as it’s a highlight of the film. Editor Jaroslaw Kaminski does brilliant work with the editing as it is largely straightforward while creating these abrupt straight-to-black cuts as a way to play into transitions as it gives the film its episodic tone. Production designers Katarzyna Sobanska and Marcel Slawinski do amazing work with the look of some of the places in Poland that Zula and Wiktor go to as well as the latter’s Parisian apartment and the nightclub where plays in a jazz group.
Costume designer Waldemar Pokromski does fantastic work with the costumes from the peasant costumes in some of the stage shows that Zula is a part of as well as the more jazz-like clothing that she and Wiktor would sport when they’re in Paris. The sound work of Maciej Pawlowski and Miroslaw Makowski is superb as it play into the atmosphere of the locations as well as how jazz music sounds in a club or how a grand music presentation for the government is presented in a ballroom. The film’s music soundtrack largely consists of folk, orchestral, and jazz music as it all play into the world that Zula and Wiktor encounter.
The film’s casting by Estelle Chailloux and Magdalena Szwarcbart is incredible as it feature some notable small roles from Adam Woronowicz as a consul in Paris, Adam Ferency as a minister in Poland, Cedric Kahn as a film producer in Michel who gives Wiktor work in film scores but also takes an interest in Zula as a singer, Jeanne Balibar as a lover of Wiktor in Juliette who is a poet and writes the lyrics to the songs that Zula sings, and Agata Kulesza as Irena as a colleague of Michel who helps him find folk music and singers as she also choreographs the stage presentation. Borys Szyc is incredible as the political official Kaczmarek as a career-driven man who watches over Wiktor and Zula’s activities as he would take hold on the latter while being cautious yet friendly towards the former as he isn’t a total villain but a man of ambition.
Finally, there’s the duo of Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot in tremendous performance as Zula and Wiktor. Kot’s performance as the musician/musical director who finds singers and musicians to present for the government where he deals with the many changes that stifles his creativity where Kot provides this air of restraint as a man that just wants to make music but also fall in love as he deals with the chaos of the politics and social climate of the times. Kulig’s performance as Zula is filled with a lot of energy but also a melancholia of a woman that is just eager to be loved and feel included yet contends with the turmoil of the politics of Poland and the social circles in Paris as it adds to this alienation as she is forced to choose one instead of the other to maintain her love for Wiktor.
Zimna wojna is an outstanding film from Pawel Pawlikowski that features great performances from Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot. Along with its supporting cast, ravishing visuals, its look on the social and political changes in Europe following World War II, and a rich music soundtrack. The film is a fascinating and riveting love story that plays into two people who are dealing with a chaotic world around them and their desire to be with one another. In the end, Zimna wojna is a magnificent film from Pawel Pawlikowski.
Pawel Pawlikowski Films: (Last Resort (2000 film)) – My Summer of Love - (The Woman in the Fifth) – Ida (2013 film)
© thevoid99 2021
Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and written by Pawlikowski and Rebecca Lenkiwicz, Ida is the story of a young woman who is about to become a nun as she visits her aunt as they embark on a road trip to find out about her parents. Set in 1960s Poland, the film is an exploration of a young woman who deals with who she is and where she comes from just as she is about to take her vows. Starring Agata Trzebuchowska, Agata Kulesza, and Dawid Ogrodnik. Ida is a rapturous yet compelling film from Pawel Pawlikowski.
Set in 1960s Poland during its socialist period, the film is about a woman who is weeks away from taking her vows and become a nun as she is ordered by her mother superior to meet with her aunt whom she had never met. Upon meeting her Aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza), Anna (Agata Trzebuchowska) learns about her parents as well as her real name in Ida Lebenstein as the two take a road trip to find the bodies of Ida’s parents where Wanda wants to know about what happened to her sister and her husband. It’s not just a road film in some respects but also a film that has two women not only seeking some answers about themselves.
The film’s screenplay doesn’t just explore the major differences between Wanda and Anna/Ida but also what they both want in this journey. Wanda is a judge/former prosecutor for the government who is teetering on the edge as she is an alcoholic that hasn’t gotten over her sister’s death as she would also reveal to Ida into why she never took care of her. Upon their journey on the road, Anna not only tries to keep her faith intact but also encounter temptation for the very first time as she meets a young jazz musician Lis (Dawid Ogrodnik) whom she and Wanda picked up while on the road. Upon their discovery about Anna’s parents and what did happen to them, the journey does come to an end of sorts but there is also a continuation for Anna in her own personal journey. Especially as the third act becomes about the decision she would make about whether to take her vows or experience the things that people her age are doing.
Pawel Pawlikowski’s direction definitely takes a lot of cues from Ingmar Bergman not just visually but also in the way he explores faith. While the film is shot in a 1:37:1 full-frame aspect ratio, Pawlikowski does make the film seem like something that could be made in the 1960s while staying true to the period. While there’s moments in the film where there isn’t a lot of dialogue, it plays into these two women embarking on a journey as Pawlikowski uses a lot of wide shots to capture the look of the Polish countryside as well as display some religious imagery as it is a reminder of what Anna has to do. Even as Pawlikowski’s approach to the framing and compositions showcase a world that is quite lively despite the political climate of what was happening at the time as it would play into her own temptation.
The usage of close-ups and medium shots also play into some of the emotional aspect as it would come into play for the film’s third act after the road trip where Anna and Wanda each diverge into their own separate journeys. Especially as the former has to be deal with her own temptations and sins as well as make some decisions about what choice she should make. One of which has to involve not just her devotion to her faith and the vows she has to take but also what she wants as a young woman who hasn’t experienced the things the outside world offers. Overall, Pawlikowski creates a very eerie yet intoxicating film about a young woman exploring her roots and her struggle with her faith.
Cinematographers Lukasz Zal and Rysard Lenczewski do phenomenal work with the film‘s black-and-white photography as it is visually-striking for not just the way the snow looked but also into many of the film‘s locations as well as some of the interiors as the lighting schemes and shades add to the eerie tone of the film. Editor Jaroslaw Kaminski does nice work with the editing as it‘s mostly straightforward while not going for any kind of style as it only adds to the methodical tone of the drama. Production designers Marcel Slawinski and Katarzyna Sobanska-Strzalkowska do excellent work with the set pieces from the hotels and places the two women go to as well as Wanda‘s apartment that showcases the tumultuous world that she lives in.
Costume designers Ola Staszko and Agata Winska do wonderful work with the costumes from the stylish dresses that Wanda wears to the more plain look of Anna/Ida in her nun wardrobe. The visual effects work of Michal Herman and Radoslaw Rekita is nice for some of the minimal set dressing to play into the period setting of the film. Sound editor Claus Lynge does superb work with the intimacy of the sound from the way music sounds from another room as well as the intimacy in some of the quieter locations. The film’s music by Kristian Eidnes Andersen is fantastic for its low-key orchestral-based score as the soundtrack also include some jazz and classical pieces.
The casting by Alina Falana is amazing as the film features some notable small roles from Adam Szyszkowski as a farmer who owns the home that Anna’s parents lived in, Jerzy Trela as the farmer’s ailing father, and Joanna Kulig as the jazz singer who fronts the band that Lis is playing in. Dawid Ogrodnik is excellent as Lis as this jazz saxophonist who meets Wanda and Anna as he intrigues the latter while he also represents a more innocent form of temptation. Agata Kulesza is great as Anna’s aunt Wanda who is a woman still troubled by the death of her sister as she sinks her sorrows in alcohol while trying to come to terms with that loss and how much Anna reminds her of her sister. Finally, there’s Agata Trzebuchowska in an astounding debut film role as the titular character as a young woman who is about to become a nun as she embarks on a journey that forces her to realize who she is while facing a world that she knows little about as she tries to come to term with her identity and her faith.
Ida is a remarkable film from Pawel Pawlikowski that features an incredible breakthrough performance from Agata Trzebuchowska. While it’s not an easy film to watch as it has a few pacing issues, it is still a captivating film that does explore a young woman seeking to find out who she is and where she comes from while facing the outside world as she struggles to maintain her faith during a troubled time in 1960s Poland. In the end, Ida is a marvelous film from Pawel Pawlikowski.
Pawel Pawlikowski Films: (Last Resort (2000 film)) - My Summer of Love - (The Woman in the Fifth) - Cold War
© thevoid99 2014
Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 6/4/07 w/ Additional Edits.
Based on the novel by Helen Cross, My Summer of Love is the story about a rebellious young woman who begins an affair with a young rich woman who is staying at the British countryside during the summer. Directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and screenplay by Pawlikowski and Michael Wynne, the film explores the world of lesbian relationships as well as a young woman trying to find love while dealing with her born-again brother. Starring Nathalie Press, Emily Blunt, and Paddy Considine. My Summer of Love is a heartfelt yet unconventional love story.
In the English countryside, a young woman named Mona (Nathalie Press) is riding on her motorbike that has no motor as she lays down on a hill. Coming onto the road on a horse is another young woman named Tamsin (Emily Blunt) who looks at Mona where the two walk on the road with Tamsin on her horse. They engage into a conversation where Mona learns that Tasmin lives in a posh home up on the hill above her town. Mona comes home to learn that her former criminal brother Phil (Paddy Considine) is getting rid of all the alcohol in their pub home. Phil has just become a Born-again Christian much to Mona's displeasure. With a boyfriend named Ricky (Dean Andrews), Mona's life is going nowhere and her brother's newfound behavior only increases her alienation.
One day, Mona decides to go to the hill-top home of Tamsin where she finds her playing cello. Immediately, Tamsin and Mona strike up a friendship as Tamsin claims she's still mourning the death of her sister Sadie (Kathryn Summer) while feeling estranged by her parents. Tamsin introduces Mona to Nietzsche while Mona learns that Tamsin's father (Paul Anthony-Barber) is having an affair with his secretary. The friendship gets more intense as Mona shows Tamsin a small-like pond surrounded by rocks in the middle of a forest. The beauty impresses Tamsin as the two's relationship becomes more romantic. Even as Tamsin lets Mona wear her late sister’s clothes. Phil meanwhile, begins to see what is going on as Tamsin buys Mona a motor for her bike where the two discuss men including Mona's now ex-boyfriend Ricky.
After learning that Ricky has another life, Tamsin decides to cause trouble. Phil finally comes to Tamsin's home asking Mona to come to prayer meeting where a cross is to be erected on a hill. Tamsin decides to come much to Mona's reluctance as Phil's talks about God and his past life intrigues Tamsin. Though neither women believe that Phil is actually Born-again, they play a mystical game which lead them to the empty room of Sadie and find mushrooms. The relationship intensifies as Phil becomes more concerned as Tamsin attempts to seduce in which, Mona sees Phil's real behavior and only blurs things. Even as Mona becomes more desperate to be with Tamsin as she is forced to clash with her brother's behavior and reality.
The film is really about a lesbian relationship that becomes intense and troubles one's brother. The film is also about loneliness and manipulation through some kind of philosophies and such. The film starts off in the introduction of Mona and Tamsin and Mona's own alienation by her brother and the town around her. The second act is about the relationship between the two young women and its intensity. By the third act, it becomes more about Tamsin and her ability to play with people's mind, notably Phil. Then in the final moments of the film, an element of surprise occurs that really becomes a shocker in relation to the film's entire plot and such. When seen for the first time, it's a shock but loses its element of surprise somewhat after repeated viewing.
Despite that flaw in the film's story, director Pawel Pawlikowski does create some wonderful scenery and compositions. Mostly with a hand-held camera to give the film an energy and realism that isn't seen much in American films which has always been too technical at times. Pawlikowski just goes for emotions in capturing close-ups and scenes. There's also elements in some of the film's exterior settings that feature some wonderfully, naturalistic shots that is obviously inspired by the works of Terrence Malick. Even in those scenes, the film has a very moody, dreamlike feel that is reminiscent to the work of Sofia Coppola. The result is a unique film that is colorful and dreamy along with wonderful wide shots of scenery that is wonderfully shown by Pawlikowski.
Cinematographer Ryszard Lenczewski does some beautiful, colorful work to the film's dreamy look with its high-octane, brightened colors in some of the film’s exterior settings and such. Production designer John Stevenson and art director Netty Chapman do an excellent job in creating the exotic look of Tamsin's room. Costume designer Julian Day also shines with the film's costumes with street-clothes of Mona to the more exotic look that Tamsin has. Editor David Charap brings a nice style to the film's pacing while the cuts reveal the intensity of the film's emotion in the relationship between the two women. Sound editor Simon Gershon does amazing work in capturing some of the film's exterior atmosphere of the forest as well as the sounds of cars and motorbikes on hills.
The film's score and soundtrack is assembled by the duo of Goldfrapp in both Allison Goldfrapp and Will Gregory. The duo's score is moody and haunting to convey the film's dream like feel. The duo even contribute a song that opens the film that plays to its exotic, electronic feel. The rest of the soundtrack is a mix of tango cuts, Asian pop music, a classical performance of The Swan performed by Emily Blunt on cello, and a famous song by the legendary Edith Piaf, who is mentioned throughout the film.
The film's cast features small appearances from Paul Anthony-Barber, Kathryn Summers, Michelle Byrne as an acquaintance of Ricky, and Lynette Edwards as Tamsin's mother. Dean Andrews has a small, memorable role as Ricky, Mona's ex-boyfriend who doesn't treat her well and such. Paddy Considine gives a phenomenal performance as Phil, a Born-again Christian who tries to deal with his sister's newfound relationship and his own troubled past.
Nathalie Press is wonderful as the naive, street-smart Mona who is seeking some kind of companionship in her lonely town while dealing with the new life of her brother. Press, who looks a lot like a young Sissy Spacek is amazing to watch as she has great chemistry with co-star Emily Blunt. Blunt gives a fascinating yet complex performance as the worldly Tamsin. Blunt brings a sadness and ethereal tone her performance as she tries to play one minds while being a wonderful companion to Press. It's two great performances from the young actresses that is the highlight of the film.
While it's not perfect, My Summer of Love is still a wonderfully dreamy, intense film from Pawel Pawlikowski. Fans of gay/lesbian dramas will no doubt consider this film a gem while it has something to offer for mainstream audiences. Even as it showcases something that is unique as well as not playing by the rules. In the end, My Summer of Love is truly a gem worth watching.
Pawel Pawlikowski Films: (Last Resort (2000 film)) - (The Woman in the Fifth) - Ida - Cold War
© thevoid99 2013
