While barely 90 minutes long, Cold War is epic in scope and a modern testament to what cinema can be. Whether we are feasting our eyes on the decaying post-war landscape of Poland, the patinated streets of East Berlin, or the delicate magic of a historic Paris, Cold War offers its viewers meticulously staged black-and-white beauty, conceived by Polish wunderkind director Paweł Pawlikowski and his trusted cinematographer Łukasz Ża. Winner of a slew of prestigious awards, this is a film made for the silver screen, so we recommend leaving your iPhone on the table and getting your hands on the biggest screen you can muster for watching this. The plot is essentially about the obsessive attraction between musician Wiktor (Tomasz Kot) and the young singer Zula (Joanna Kulig), who is recruited as the newest member of the former’s state-sponsored folk music band. Cold War follows their impossible love for fourteen years and across many European countries on each side of the Iron Curtain. It is a statement on how far artists go for their art, especially when they become constrained not only by dictatorship but also love. A poetic, sexy, and gorgeous movie without a wasted moment. A work of art.
"Political freedom, long dreamed of, brings little release."
— Anthony Lane
"Poland has seen more than its share of war, and of the art and cinema of exile. Pawel Pawlikowski's latest feature, Cold War, is a spirited albeit flawed entry in this category."
— Ela Bittencourt
A man and a woman meet in the ruins of post-war Poland. With vastly different backgrounds and temperaments, they are fatally mismatched and yet drawn to each other.
Other
1 nomination
Oh…superb look at the troubles behind the Iron Curtain, where art and State clash and collude in a sad performance that crushes the soul. So good.
So beautiful. The cinematography was better than most films I’ve seen in years. The actors are beautiful. The music is beautiful. The story is beautiful. Very well done. Glad I watched it alone without distractions.