Oblawa

In the autumn of 1943, a small settlement of Polish partisans located deep into forest territory attempts to survive the gruesome hardships of everyday life, while fending off Nazi patrols and their informants. The man for the odd dirty jobs is eternally mumbling camp executioner Wydra (Marcin Dorocinski), who disposes of captured soldiers and troublesome compatriots with ruthless efficiency. When Henryk Kondolewicz (Maciej Stuhr), a local businessman with shady dealings with SS forces, is pointed out as a traitor, Wydra is sent to execute him. Meanwhile however the entire camp is caught unawares by Nazi forces, who arduously murder every man, woman and child...

Never since "Memento" have flashbacks played such a vital role in building a feature film. However, in Christopher Nolan's debut feature the whole cascading jumps to the past served a higher purpose, while Kryształowicz (similarly this is his first film) uses it as a ploy to muddle up a plot, which is drearily straightforward to the extent that most flashbacks don't serve any purpose whatsoever - failing to expand the characters, story or philosophical tidings. Rummaging through images of now and then, a barrage of scenes is utterly pointless, not uncovering any mysteries, just seemingly functioning as a random choice of a shot to edit in between other sequences. This approach manages to somehow draw out a 40-odd-minute plot into a languid 100 minute fresco.

Key protagonist Dorociński lazily mumbling through his lines does not help proceedings, for the first time ever whilst watching a Polish film I found myself contemplating the need for subtitles just to understand dialogues. Dorociński was the worst culprit, but unfortunately such laborious, uninterested delivery devoid of focus on enunciation is the bane of current Polish cinema, never however has it been such a problematic viewing issue. That said Dorociński delivers a very suggestive, high-quality performance, and his apathetic laggard stance seems to serve the character well - an honest patriot now resigned that his loss of humanity is a necessary sacrifice.

Addiotionally the imagery is sublime, while the meticulous perfection at which Kryształowicz creates scenes using the full force of nature to underline the dark intensity of the situation shows that he is a talent to be watched. The story became somewhat undone by the lack of content and the somewhat gruesome over-exaggeration near its end, that unexpectedly throws us into "Inglorious Basterds" territory and causes the movie to further lose focus on is basically a story of how within the logic of gruesome warfare, good/evil become deranged mirror images. The movie obviously distances itself for glorifying martyrdom, instead upsetting with presenting the 'good guys' as unhinged by war atrocities, a far cry away from the crystal heroes of Hollywood pomposity. This in itself is a welcome new approach, only possible with a detachment for idolatry, which often characterised the previous Polish film-making generation. This new voice, point of view, on the past in Polish cinema is in itself a very interesting phenomenon, somewhat worth analysing further and juxtaposing to the big-budget glory pictures still rampant amongst the older directors.

Yes... or shall I say No ... Well it happened again. But let's start from the very beginning here. When you live in a country that has been ruined in a 1st and 2nd world war you can imagine and somehow accept that for some period in time war-related movies will be main stream of all productions. However it's years now and don't get me wrong here - we shall all remember- but it's more than 90+ years now and we have enough. Most movies made in Poland has something with war and how WE - Polish country are poor because of that fact. Yes I know - it has devastating effect on economy etc. but why shall I watch it over and over again since I'm 30+years now. So you have background now. Lets go to the movie itself. Not only had I feeling that I've seen it before but this movie is terribly boring. Filmed in 3 different locations (woods, house and windmill) causes your eyes to close in the middle of it. Action ? Well.. there is only one action - in other words: "Shooting scene" is only once... Actors are good. You will see quite good polish actors - this is the only thing that keeps it in one piece. Just to summarize - it's again about war, it starts slowly, it is slow and boring, and finishes very slowly - so at the end of the movie you stand up and say What the heck ? Not worth watching - save 1.5hrs for another movie. It is low budget production about scouts rather than soldiers - at least this is my feeling 1 day after watching it. Yes - i gave it some time in my head to process - with no effect - as it is not 21st century breath taking movie.

I admired Marcin's performance in Rosa. Because of that I somehow managed to get this movie as well. It is a complete anti-climax. The director (incidentally another Marcin) is under the impression that to win an award, the movie has to be extremely real life. For the movie to be real life, it has to be gruesome.. I don't know where he got this idea from??????????

You have a good set of actors, who try their best, at least it seems, to put up a good performance. The script also seems decent. But the way the movie has been made: it spoils a lot of things. If you look at the trailer: it would seem to be an excellent movie. If only these guys had made the movie in a simple linear fashion, I feel, it would have been terrific. What they ended up making was a complex and somewhat erratic set of flash-backs and at one place, childishly grotesque. You do not need to be a rocket scientist to tell a good story.

I had many conversations with people who actually lived through this, WWII occupied Poland. Underground, forest military units, jobs to be done, real fights. Traitors and suspected traitors. Actions by the Nazis, and counteractions by the Underground. What HAD to be done. What those jobs, that living, those times did to people who, by an odd chance, came out still alive out of the war.

The film "Oblawa" ("Manhunt") shows this pretty much as I was told it was. The director dedicated his film to his father, soldier of the Underground Home Army. Probably the best tribute possible, the truth.

The film has enough of the plot to keep the viewer interested, so if only a plot/action is important to you, the film does OK. Do not expect fabulous swashbuckling, "them Nazis felling like flies". That is not how it was, the Nazis kept pretty much all of Europe firmly occupied for 5+ years, they were good at this, the movie shows a bit "how they managed to". Good craftsmen in that, the Nazis.

The film is not especially about "Polish martyrdom". You get occupied, you die often, the usual, no big deal (according to the movie).

The film is about what it meant, to live then, to fight. The horrible truth, that to survive, to fight succesfully, to protect what could be protected, you had to kill the human inside you, at least a part of it. That truth is not spoon-fed to the viewer, you just soak it in.

The movie main character, middle aged corporal Otter (nom de guerre - you are not supposed to use your real name in the Underground) is the core non-comm in the forest military unit of the Home Army. Other soldiers look up to him, for his military competence, steady nerve, fatherly support to younger unit members. There are multiple hints (readable to Polish viewers) that he went through Special Forces training in the UK and got parachuted back (a common thing back then). The film shows his competence in a very understated, anti-Rambo way. When he is present, the mission is done, no undue fireworks, minimalistic.

We see corporal Otter manage increasingly hard problems, seemingly effortlesly. That is the plot for you. He even does it all while making the best moral decisions possible, he is not some monster. You could not do it better or cleaner. People around him succumb to hate or other, more abhoring weaknesses. Not him. He gently steers other's away from bad paths, like some non-nonsense sober angel.

Still, towards the end of the film a growing conviction matures in the viewer. Corporal Otter, as a human, is already emotionally dead. Some around him, with all their weaknesses and flashes of even true evil, are still human. Not so him, with all his competence, efficiency, skillful emotional support to others. The war had him already killed.

The generation of the Polish Underground ex-soldiers, who survived the war, was often exactly like this. It is hard to show in a Hollywood standard friendly way. Those people were quiet. The "Oblawa" film tells probably that story in an as viewable way as possible.

Polish viewers will appreciate additionally the accuracy of the scenography detail. Those details also tell and supplement parts of the main story. Clothing, weapons, everyday utensils. The whole film - screenplay, cinematography, acting, props are as faithful to the reality we know of that time as I had ever seen.