Cicha ziemia

If anyone in this film was at all likeable; if it was less laboured in its making of points; if the central characters could talk to each other or were capable of recognisably human feelings; if, in short, it was possible to believe in or care about anything happening on the screen, 'Silent Land' might not seem so long. Unfortunately, none of these conditions is met. Worse, for extended periods nothing is happening on the screen - in the case of the weather, the same nothing, repeatedly. Almost all the surfaces the inept Polish holidaymakers lie on are hard; even the bed looks uncomfortable. Not an easy watch.

The support characters were more interesting than the main characters, (and the main characters were dull). This movie went on and on and on with the same thing, how many minutes did we have to watch the clouds or the main character walking down a path that went on and on and on. The directing lingered on the scene and the camera went as slow as possible to get anywhere, seriously one of the most boring movies I have ever watched. The story was plain stupid, the direction took ages to tell the story, the sex scenes were unnecessary, the location was dull, and the continuity was poor. A complete waste of time.

What a great movie! I had to think about it over and over again and led to good discussions with a friend. It artistically connects the inner and outer world of the protagonists, points at our ignorance towards the weak and shows our inability to talk and act. The sophisticated couple cares more about their routine and ticks off unpleasant things from their list. I highly recommend watching, great actors (with Jean-Marc Barr as diving instructor..) , at times funny (police men). I saw it at a film festival and would like to watch it again but cannot find it at a streaming service or in cinemas.

... and raises some interesting questions about responsibility and exploitation - but doesn't really do enough with them, in my view.

I was wondering what their home life was like, and what was going on with their renovation project in their absence, and then started to wonder whether/why that sounded more interesting than the "action" in their villa.

As a mood piece, it's OK, but as a story with an arc and a resolution it fails somewhat. Maybe I was supposed to think harder about what it all meant, and analyse the characters a bit more - but either I wasn't in the mood or the director didn't do enough to encourage me.

I didn't hate it though.

The relationship of a couple vacationing along the Mediterranean coast is put at risk by a pool boy, but not in the expected way. A terrible accident occurs, the police investigate, fear replaces happiness, and the characters unravel. The couple faces a choice of becoming hardened and embittered by their misfortunes or rising above them somehow.

What you don't experience positively, said Joseph Campbell, you will experience negatively. While swimming and diving in the nearby sea, wandering in the silent forest, taking comfort in each other's bodies, contemplating their situation beneath the drifting clouds, and visiting the local village at night, the couple tries to find something positive.

Silent Land is a puzzle to unravel. With infrequent conversations and slowly shifting scenery, it is in no hurry to be solved. It is more of a character study than a thriller. Ambient sounds of waves and wind dominate, as the director maintains that music dictates emotion and she does not want that. The acting and scene editing lack sophistication and nuance, but the faults are not fatal. It is interesting to witness the couple trying to get things back on track.

World premiere seen at the Toronto international film festival. A feature debut for the Aga Woszczynska. It is not streaming anywhere yet.