Cold War

Pawel Pawlikowski is a director with an elegant touch. The award-winning film maker has once again created a world that is simultaneously naturalistic and surreal; sentimental and callous; stunningly beautiful and hideous.

Set in Poland/France/Germany in the 1950s, Cold War uses a doomed romance as a centrepiece to make observations about a fraught political and social post-war climate. But it’s by no means heavy-handed. The exquisite black and white cinematography and rich soundtrack that includes traditional folk, classical, and jazz music infuses the film with nostalgia and artistic depth.

Wiktor (Tamasz Kot) and Irena (Agata Kulesza) have been employed by the government to scout young singers and dancers for a touring troupe who will perform tradition folk music as a PR exercise. When the beautiful, confident Zula (Joanna Kulig) auditions, Wiktor is immediately smitten and so begins a tumultuous relationship that spans 15 years. All performances are excellent, but Kulig is outstanding in an emotionally demanding role.

★★★★

Reviewed by Rita Bratovich