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Format: VHS
Not Rated
Recording Mode: (unknown)
100 min. |
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Movie Description
In Andrzej Wajda's BIRCH WOOD, an adaptation of a short story by Jaroslaw Iwaszkiewicz, a pianist, Stanislaw (Olgierd Lukaszswicz), after years of being treated for tuberculosis in a Swiss sanatorium, comes to stay at the forest lodge of his brother, Boleslaw (Daniel Olbrychski). Although his remaining time is limited, the tubercular musician is a lively character, bursting with sexual vitality, and he wastes no time in pursuing Malina (Emilia Krakowska), a local farm girl. Boleslaw, strong as an ox, conversely radiates unhappiness, troubled by the recent death of his wife. He gradually becomes jealous of the joy of Stanislaw and Malina and develops an intense desire for the girl. Wajda departs from the themes of community solidarity and idiosyncratic heroism prevalent in many of his earlier films to offer a haunting depiction of the ancient duel of Eros and Thanatos in the idyllic Polish countryside. The palette of the beautifully photographed film is dominated by green, yellow, and violet, showing the influence on Wajda of THANATOS, a famed work by Polish painter Jacek Malczewski that the director borrowed from the National Museum of Warsaw to place in Boleslaw's lodge.
Synopsis
Two brothers reunite, one facing a terminal illness yet enjoying life, the other an embittered widower who resents his brother's indomitable happiness.
Industry Reviews
"...Footnotes to [Wajda's] fascinating career....A charming film..."
Canby
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