Thursday, September 8, 2011

In Darkness

Credits: A The new sony Pictures Classics (in U.S.) discharge of a Schmidtz Katze Filmkollektiv/Zebra Film Studio/the Film Works production using the support of Polish Film Institute, MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienfordefung, Medienboard Berlin Brandenburg, DFFF Deutscher Filmforderfonds, FFA Filmforderungsanstalt, HessenInvestFilm, Astral's Harold Greenberg Fund, Rogers Telefund, Mongrel Media. (Worldwide sales, Beta Cinema, Munich.) Created by Steffen Reuter, Patrick Knippel, Marc-Daniel Dichant, Leander Carell, Juliusz Machulski, Paul Stephens, Eric Jordan. Executive producers, Wojciech Danowski, David F. Shamoon, Carl Woebken, Christoph Fisser, Anna Maria Zundel. Directed by Agnieszka Holland. Script, David F. Shamoon, in line with the book "Within the Sewers of Lvov" by Robert Marshall.With: Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Furmann, Agnieszka Grochowska, Maria Schrader, Herbert Knaup, Kinga Preis, Krzysztof Skonieczny, Julia Kijowska, Marcin Bosak, Jerzy Walczak, Michal Zurawski.Thinking about the harrowing true-story roots of her latest World war 2 extreme survival story, Polish director Agnieszka Holland without doubt meant for "In Darkness" to become arduous. At nearly 2 1/2 hrs, the taxing drama stays the majority of it is time within the dank, rat-plagued sewers beneath Nazi-occupied Lvov, where several Jews depend on the local crook to give and safeguard them. Nobody needs Holocaust movies to become a simple sit, yet Poland's Oscar pick -- probably the most logistically demanding feature in the helmer whose "Europa Europa" demonstrated so gripping 22 years earlier -- lacks the fundamental characteristics to interact non-Euro crowds beyond arthouses. Considering its creepy undercover setting, "In Darkness" shares more that is similar to contempo horror films of computer does with Holocaust movies which have come before, but, not even close to accidental, that difference appears a carefully calculated facet of Holland's approach. The film comes up nearly as an response to Steven Spielberg's "Schindler's List": Both concern a war time profiteer who risked his existence in order to save several Jewish criminals, but that one is not even close to black-and-whitened in the villainy and gallantry -- a creative choice certain to lead to mixed responses. Whenever we meet Polish sewer inspector-switched-scavenger Poldek Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz), he resents the Spanish people as their occupation has switched Lvov right into a combat zone, and that he hates the Jews because centuries of anti-Semitism have trained him this is the appropriate attitude. The Nazis' persecution from the local Jewish population spells chance for Socha and the accomplice Szczepek (Krzysztof Skonieczny), who enter abandoned structures, looting whatever belongings possible. "In Darkness" is hardly the very first film to illustrate the inhuman conditions from the ghettos where Jewish people were removed of the possessions and instructed to live like creatures. The surprising factor about Holland's strategy, however, would be that the director resists representing her Jewish protagonists as purely supportive sufferers. Rather, the core group includes disadvantage males, cheats and tight-fisted business proprietors who constantly fight and argue among themselves. One guy, Yanek (Marcin Bosak), abandons his wife and daughter to be able to bring his mistress (Julia Kijowska) along within the sewers, simply to abandon her, too, after she will get pregnant. In the past speaking, this harsh approach is easily the most honest, in conjuction with the hpv warts-and-all characterizations in Robert Marshall's nonfiction book "Within the Sewers of Lvov" and transported through David F. Shamoon's script. Simultaneously, in dramatic terms, it seriously jeopardizes audience identification, creating lengthy uncomfortable stretches by which we resist the figures and need they were not so petty when bigger concerns -- like survival -- are at risk. One of the Gentiles, Socha certainly is not your typical hero. Given his attitude in early moments, half-needs him to betray his charges and collect the reward money offered for submiting runaway Jews. It isn't before film's final reel that people realize the storyline, that has been so centered on the fate of their Jewish figures for that first couple of hrs, is really concerning the transformation of 1 man's soul. For that film to operate, Holland needs audiences for connecting as deeply using the trapped Jews as Socha eventually does. Except for the group's leader, movie-star handsome Mundek Margulies (German-born, worldwide recognized Benno Furmann), the figures are flat as shadows. Holland is out of her method to include numerous sexual encounters within the film, as though to express that even just in the direst conditions, guy finds time for you to have sex. Not even close to gratuitous, the moments reveal important connections between figures still, it's odd for that helmer to spotlight these particulars and omit nearly something that describes the dull routine of existence subterranean. As though detest to confront the monotony that has to have defined their lives, Holland rather represents the exceptional moments, like the tense finale where a sudden lue-sky turns the sewers right into a dying trap. In keeping with its title, "In Darkness" devotes lengthy stretches to low-lit moments, a number of them so obscure that moviegoers complained they could not write out the look whatsoever. Fortunately, a wealthy seem mix situates auds within the sewers, which look so authentic, it is a surprise to understand that production designer Erwin Prib re-produced the majority of the labyrinthine system on stages.Camera (color, HD-to-35mm), Jolanta Dylewska editor, Michal Czarnecki music, Antoni Komasa-Lazarkiewicz production designer, Erwin Prib art company directors, Katarzyna Sobanska, Marcel Slawinski costume designers, Katarzyna Lewinska, Jagna Janicka seem (Dolby Digital), Robert Fletcher seem design supervisor, Daniel Pellerin visual effects, TVT.Film+ VFX second unit director, Kasia Adamik second unit camera, Piotr Niemyjski, Adam Bajerski casting, Weronika Migon, Heta Mantscheff, John Buchan, Jason Dark night. Examined at Telluride Film Festival, Sept. 4, 2011. (Also in Toronto Film Festival -- Special Presentation.) Running time: 143 MIN. Contact Peter Debruge at peter.debruge@variety.com

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