Ida ( a Polish film with English subtitles)  4.0*** out of 4***

 

     The story takes place in the early 1960s in Poland and initially focuses on an 18 year old novice Anna, who has never ventured from her convent and is ordered by her Mother Superior to visit her aunt Wanda before she can take her vows. Anna has never  met Wanda, her only living relative. Immediately upon their meeting Wanda informs Anna that her real name is Ida Lebenstein and that her Jewish parents were murdered during WW II, and  then observes with some irony that she will be a Jewish nun. Wanda is Ida's opposite, a smoking, drinking, middle-aged woman who sleeps around. They set out on a road trip to the rural Polish home of their family to try to solve the mystery of their deaths. Ida's visit with Wanda and their trip and discoveries have a powerful effect on both woman with somewhat surprising consequences ..

The absolutely stunning black-and-white cinematography, framed in an almost square format and filmed with a static camera, constantly takes your breath away. Not always a fan of black and white, its use here is unique and exquisite…the result is a beautiful film. Watching the film is like turning the pages of a coffee table book containing wonderful photographs of a long-forgotten era.  The image composition is also  exceptional. In many cases, the subject is off center, or even in a corner of the image, which surprisingly creates a better more compelling image. The choice to film almost the entire movie with a static, non-moving camera,  creates a wonderful effect. Instead of the camera following the action, we see persons moving in and out of the camera frame.  

The quiet, almost contemplative style of filming suits the story perfectly.  The story highlights the still sensitive subject of Polish anti-Semitism, but above all it is the story of two personalities. The first, the nun-to-be Ida, has never really thought about her own fate, being brought up in the rigid hierarchy of the Catholic church . The other, the exemplary communist state prosecutor Wanda, despises the life she leads. The reason for her cynicism becomes clear during the film.  

This film is the complete opposite of the loud, dynamic, nervous style of film making that so many film makers employ nowadays. It's a calm, quiet, and slow film - and above all an extremely beautiful one.

 IT HAS BEEN NOMINATED FOR OSCAR”S BEST FOREIGN FILM AND I BELIEVE IT WILL WIN !!!!

Clark

PS: No longer in the theaters so you’ll have to find it on DVD or Netflix or other streaming channels… but it’s worth the search !!!