Director Pawel Pawlikowski’s Ida is one of the most
poignant films of the year and is sure to represent Poland as a top contender for Best
Foreign Film.
The film traces the early ‘60s story of Ida, a young
novice (Agata Trzebuchowska), who
is a few weeks away from taking her vows to become a nun.
As a kindly gesture, perhaps to
make sure Ida is ready, the Mother Superior (Halina Skoczynska) of the
orphanage/convent in which Ida was raised sends her to meet her Aunt Wanda (Agata Kulesza), who is her
only remaining relative.
Wanda is an alcoholic judge, who, initially,
rejects Ida after telling her she is really Jewish, but, then, relents and takes her
on an excursion to find out where her parents and brother are buried.
The journey is full of gut-retching sadness
and beautiful heroism as both women confront who they truly are.
Cinematographers Ryszard Lenczewski and Lukasz Zal
have created amazing images in stark black & white and Editor Jaroslaw
Kaminski has woven them into a haunting depiction of Pawlikowski’s and Rebecca
Lenkiewicz’s script.
This is a film well worth seeing
to understand not only Post-War Poland, but all the countries ravaged by
Nazism.
I give Ida a 4+ out of 5.
No comments:
Post a Comment