#wandagruz
Hello Sweetie!
Sorry for the delay in posts, my laptop died and I had to revive it.
Some years back my dad showed me a paper cutting of this amazing black and white film.
Ida is a Polish film directed by Pawel Pawlikowski. It is set in Poland 1962 after the Second World War. The story revolves around two women, Ida Lebenstein and her aunt Wanda Gruz.
The overall atmosphere of the movie is intense. Pawlikowski manages to express the pain of a whole generation through two characters who are very different from each other.
The camera work is magnificent. The whole film is captured in a single frame. When I watched this film, I only watched it because it was black and white and I was ready to be disappointed but it had the opposite effect. Pawlikowski uses shadow and light to his advantage.
Ida is an orphan who grew up in a nunnery. She is quite, shy. She is saintly, a devout presence who rarely shows any strong emotional reaction when confronted with disturbing news. Agata Trzebuchowska plays the role of Ida. Even though she is a new actress, Trzebuchowska shows the innocence and vulnerability of her character.
Agata Kulesza plays the role of Wanda Gruz perfectly. The character is complex. Wanda is a bitter woman with a horrible past. She is an alcoholic and has multiple partners. Kulesza’s acting is hypnotic; she takes you along for the amazing 80 minute ride.
The movie is slow paced and sometimes there are scenes where the characters are just staring off into the space. It’s like an excellent wine which matures over time. Throughout the movie Ida and Wanda seeks truth about what actually happened to their family. They meet a charming man, Lis, on their journey to whom Ida is attracted.
After discovering the truth Wanda jumps out the window. Ida attends the funeral and meets Lis and they have a night out. Lis asks her to come with him but in the morning Ida goes back to take her vows. The ending is confusing and open for interpretation. I think that Wanda made an impact on Ida’s life.
After all you can’t sacrifice what you’ve never had.
