The critics from many directions have been writing very favorable reviews of the Polish film, Ida (2013), directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. The trailer seemed to allude to the extraordinary and deep journey the main character, Ida, will undertake. You see, she is a novice nun, soon to be making her vows. But before she does that, Mother Superior reveals that the young woman’s name is really not Anna but Ida; that she was not an orphan like she was told; and that indeed she has one relative – an aunt, Wanda Gruz. Mother Superior thinks it is prudent to meet Wanda before Ida takes her vows.
The scene which is meant to induce a conflict in Ida’s spiritual life is a moment when Wanda reveals to her that she is Jewish, and that her real name is Ida Lebenstein. Her parents are Haim and Róża, and they were killed during the war. Their remains are yet to be found.
Wanda is a complete opposite from Ida – a “free” woman, one might even say an “erotic” woman in her own way. She is an alcoholic and a self-proclaimed “slut.” All of this is in contrast to Ida’s religious purity.
Their meeting is cold and unemotional. I accepted such an encounter. After all, these are two strangers meeting. And given Wanda’s unstable and cynical mental state, it would seem only appropriate to not have any release of emotion. But, unfortunately, this is the trajectory that film takes throughout every scene.
The central issue, I assumed, is whether Ida will be changed now that she knows that she is Jewish. And now that she knows that Polish Catholics killed her parents, will that change not only her status as a Catholic but also as a novice, who is about to devote her entire life to be a bride of Christ. But the continuous problem is that Ida shows no emotion whatsoever. One can even understand that she is a bit confused and dumbfounded by this new discovery but even her love of Jesus is non-existent. I do not know what her interior life consists of and that made the experience of the film difficult for me. I don’t think I am spoiling anything by telling you that she returns to convent after she informs a statue of Jesus that she is not ready, and after she has a small experience of smoking, drinking, and sex. But why? I did not object that she chose Jesus but did she really? And again, why? Is she completely indifferent to her history?
The director chose a rather deep and heavy subject matter but he did not choose to tackle it deeply. The force that drives the film is aesthetical, which would not be such an issue for me, particularly that it is in B/W. But the rectangular aspect ratio of the screen, the all too natural darkness got in the way, and the general and all too common exercises in po-mo filmmaking were distractions. There were few moments, which were gratifying, namely a few scenes that reminded me of Polanski’s Knife in the Water (1962) . But it ends there.
Much can said with silence. The fact that there is not a lot of dialogue in this film should not be a deterrent for the movie goer. I think of Bergman’s The Silence (1963), where the silent screams can be heard so much that you get the feeling you are experiencing the dread of not only Anna and Ester but also of all humanity. Or Malick’s The Tree of Life (2011), where small moments reveal the consciousness of all characters involved. But, in Ida, I was left with only a few B/W images, which did not have much continuity. Again, I point this out particularly since we are dealing with such large and important subject matter.
I can certainly admire the effort a making of the film takes. The singing and the jazz and the evocation of the 1960s counterculture in the midst of Communist Poland had a quiet authenticity. But I think there were so many missed opportunities – questions of identity were extremely important and an emotionless relationship to either Jesus, or Jews who perished is not the way to approach this. Unfortunately, the film had no depth of understanding of either Catholic faith or Judaism or the Holocaust. To be honest with you, if I were either a Catholic or a Jew, I would find this film confused with itself. I would be indifferent to not only the suffering of Jews but also Ida’s decision to return to the convent. And to be indifferent is probably the worst experience a movie goer can have.
{Below is the trailer}
The Magic Lantern 