SBS on Demand is streaming some quality films these days. I chose Ida for the next in our pod connections, mainly because it had a roundly positive critical consensus behind it. And I don't mind the director, Pawel Pawlikowski, either. So, without spoilers, here follows a few words about it.
Ida runs about 80 minutes and it gets as much in as possible while still being slightly ponderous and vague. This isn't necessarily a bad thing. Pawlikowski has a lot to say about guilt, secrets and choice but his canvas is so sparse, his style so pared back that it's a wonder anything gets through. But it does, just. The title character is a young nun, about to do her vows in early 1960s Poland. Before this, she must visit her only surviving relative, her aunt Wanda. It's here she learns a secret about her past, which I'll leave for the viewer to discover.
One final thing to note - this film suffers from a kind of pretentiousness that afflicts many films of an 'arthouse' bent. That being the purposeful 'inability' to frame the subjects. There were a couple of occasions where a character's lower face was obscured or someone was half out of frame. This may be a budget issue but I reckon it's more likely a creative choice. While I don't mind this too much, it can get a bit annoying. It almost hints at apathy.
So, Ida. Worth a look, doesn't overstay its welcome and has a bit to say about post-war Polish society. But it says it in a whisper.
See also:
Another Pawlikowski film on a similar theme, Cold War (2018) and, sticking with Polish directors, one of the best, Krzysztof Kieslowski's Three Colours: White (1994).
Listen to "Ida" on Spreaker.
Comments
Post a Comment