Varying in intensity as scenes demand, Ben Corrigan's original score is unquestionably a top highlight of these ninety minutes as it lends to the dour mood. From soft complement, to aching rumination and gloomy drama, the music is rich and flavorful, firmly establishing the searing emotional tenor of the feature through the early mild tone and gentle pacing. Intimations of something more wicked slowly filter in from the edges of a narrative that tightly focuses on the difficult relationship of newly widowed Eliska and young daughter Anetka as they move to the outskirts of her late husband's hometown. Even saying that, however, makes 'Polednice,' or 'The noonday witch,' sound like a straightforward genre piece when it is not, for even treading deep into the last third the story moves little. No, this is not so uncommon for folk horror, and moreover for films that take on a discrete psychological angle as this does, but it's safe to say that this is a much quieter sort of flick, and if you're looking for a more conventional viewing experience, this won't be for you.
However, even setting aside the darker airs about this movie, I'm sad to say it's not especially satisfying. In fact, when all is said and done, it's regrettably disappointing. There is a progression in the relationship between Eliska and Anetka, echoed in the overall tone, and it crescendos into a climax before the plot resolves. But even if Michal Samir's screenplay weren't loosely based on a grim folktale, and even if we view the picture as a straight drama with its foremost themes of grief and the parent-child relationship, the fact is that nothing happens at the climax to precipitate the subsequent resolution. Something supernatural is suggested, and/or something psychological, and the mother and daughter are headed in a distinct direction - then, suddenly, they're not. The narrative structure collapses right at the most critical juncture, with no payoff of the plot, and no emotional catharsis. I can't think of anything else I've ever watched, not even art films or the most heavily restrained of dramas, that went from exposition to rising action, to effectively half of a climax, then moved to the ending. Imagine watching the cars of a roller coaster climb a tall incline, but instead of seeing the vehicle crest the hill and rapidly drop, we see it just starting to hit the very top, then suddenly reappear frozen at the bottom of the subsequent valley, bypassing half that peak and the drop. That is how 'The noonday witch' is constructed. And it feel like a significant let-down.
It turns out that Corrigan's score is more of a top highlight than it first seemed. By all means, this is expertly crafted in other regards. Anna Geislerová, young Karolína Lipowská, and their co-stars all give excellent performances. The filming locations are beautiful, the production design and art direction boast splendid detail, Alexander Surkala's cinematography is lovely, and the production values are of the highest quality. The audio is pristine, and the sound effects are superb. But, genuinely: what happened to the story? It's there, and then in a flash, it's not. We've all watched something in which the presentation took a little shortcut, moving from a climax that we don't see resolved, to a denouement and ending that clearly connotes what the resolution was. That's not what happens here, either; it's the cinematic equivalent of flipping a switch. Or to put it another way, imagine skipping stages of grief and healing. Alas - here we are.
I'm glad for those who get more out of this title than I do. I sat with mixed expectations, fully prepared for what I anticipated to be a muted but gratifying slow-burn, and I step away put off by a plot that, juggling a few different balls, dropped them all right when it mattered most. I understand what screenwriter Samir and filmmaker Jiri Sádek were doing here with the thematic material, including the connection to the indicated folklore, and the oft-referenced celestial event; I simply don't think it worked. Check out 'The noonday witch' if you want, and may you find it more admirable. Unfortunately, I won't be giving it another thought.
