Pawel's companion piece to IDA seemlessly evokes the era

Rating: Null/10 (16 January 2019)

Director Pawel Pawlikowski's follow up to his sublime IDA is another tale of Post WWII Poland. It's also rendered in B&W (by IDA cinematographer Lukasz Zal) and the (co) Lead character is another enigmatic woman.
The movie begins with a Soviet/Polish apparatchik project to put on a propaganda show highlighting the peasant songs of old Poland. Once the troupe's artistic director Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) lays eyes on vivacious contestant Zula (Joanna Kulig) he is hooked. A heated love affair ignites almost immediately. Over the course of over a decade, we follow Wiktor and Zula's tempestuous relationship which continues despite extended separations. Using their connections and wiles, the pair also drift back and forth over the Iron Curtain border. But, as the line goes - no matter where you go, there you are. Their current location matters less than their volatile chemistry. Amour fou knows know boundaries.
Normally, a short summary doesn't cover close to the full breadth of the story, but, COLD WAR is almost that schematic. Like IDA (82 minutes), Pawlikowski's latest is compactly efficient (89 minutes). There are, of course, many details a synopsis can't convey, but, this isn't a movie so much about plotting as about conveying a feeling. The symbolism about how their fiery history shadows the Soviet era of Poland goes unspoken, but, looms over their coupling. There are moments here that are breathlessly cinematic. Depending on one's own personal catalog of cinema, there are scenes here that evoke memories of Bergman, Antonioni, Resnais and Pawlikowski's fellow countryman, Andrzej Wajda (who passed only two years ago). COLD WAR doesn't just embrace 50s & 60s European cinema - it's in its DNA. Pawlikowski isn't simply making a pastiche, it's in his soul. And, that soul permeates the entire experience. (the movie is inspired by the filmmaker's parents)
Kulig and Kot are superb, even with the fairly sparse plotting. Again, it's more the feeling they convey more than mere dialogue. Zal's digital camerawork blends seamlessly with his Director's vision, and similarly evokes the work of his euro predecessors behind the camera such as Nykvist, Vierny, DiVenanzo etc.. The one drawback here is the movie's brevity. While it worked fully with IDA, here the abbreviated runtime seems incomplete (with IDA there was only one main character and the time span is much shorter). While one applauds Pawlikowski's instinct to not underline and highlight each and every beat, there are some sequences (particularly the musical scenes) where it would have been richer to let them play out. It's a small, but, significant flaw in an otherwise excellent production and certainly doesn't lessen the artistry on ample and loving display here.