‘Cold War’ is a story about a troubled romance. It is loosely based on Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski’s parents. The backdrop of the story is post-World War II Poland. The stormy relationship between the two leads spans over 15 years from 1949 to 1964. Pawlikowski is an artsy director that implements stunning black and white images from his go-to cinematographer Lukasz Zal and a magnificent soundtrack peppered with classical, folk and blues music. Like many ill-fated love affairs, this one has its moments of exhilarating joy and despair. The lovers are caught up in the powerful forces of communism beyond their control. ‘Cold War’ is one of the best foreign language films of 2018 and a must-see for cinephiles.
The story opens in 1949 as Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), a composer and Irena (Agata Kulesza), a producing collaborator record local Polish folk music songs. The songs are usually about love and help the peasants deal with the trauma they’ve witnessed through war. Wiktor and Irena hold auditions for local talent to star in a choral ensemble that will travel across Europe. During the auditions, one blonde-haired beauty stands out for Wiktor. Zula (Joanna Kulig) has an earthy voice when she performs a Russian song titled “Thank you, heart.” Wiktor falls for her and eventually she reciprocates. They have a torrid affair while traveling around the Iron Curtain with the musical ensemble. Eventually the Soviet government takes interest in their performances and a Communist Party member Kaczmarek (Borys Szyc) coaxes them to include Soviet propaganda songs in the show.
This goes against Wiktor’s belief that music should be an art form and not a political tool. On the other hand, Zula seems more loyal to the cause. Since she does genuinely love Wiktor, she agrees with his plan to escape during a performance in East Berlin. She never meets him at the rendezvous spot so he crosses the border alone. This begins the fascinating highs and lows of their romance that never seems to die. Wiktor has a new life as a musician and composer in Paris. When Zula arrives to do a performance with the ensemble, it reignites their love affair. She never seems quite comfortable in Paris alongside the bourgeois. She cuts a record singing jazzy tunes but her heart is still in singing the songs of her homeland. Eventually she leaves Wiktor in Paris and returns to Poland.
Kulig is a rare find and is destined to blossom into an international star. She is the reason to see ‘Cold War.’ She brings a seductive vibe to the role that explains why a man would fall head over heels in love with her. That’s how love works. We don’t pick who we want to fall in love with, it just magically happens sometimes. You know it’s not going to work out in the end but you still get involved with the person anyway. Love works in mysterious ways. That’s the beauty of this film. Wiktor and Zula are mismatched lovers but their attraction to each other is overwhelming. The sad part of the film is that they are never quite able to have a conventional relationship. The powers that be are too strong to let that happen. It’s a heartbreaking love that will always be there but due to the realities of life can never keep them together.
There is something mesmerizing about watching a film shot in black and white. Like the other critically-acclaimed film ‘Roma,’ Pawlikowski’s ‘Cold War’ is a visually stunning film. ‘Cold War’ will seduce you. In its sparse running time of 89 minutes, it will stay with you during the closing credits. Kulig delivers a captivating and breakout performance. ‘Cold War’ is a strong contender for the Best Foreign Language Academy Award this year alongside ‘Roma.’
