Ida

Saw Ida (thanks, Timp!) It was a black and white Polish film. Rather austere, the film follows the titular character Ida who is a novice nun. Before she takes her vows, she must visit her only relative, a female judge of some kind, named Wanda. Ida expresses a desire to see her family's grave and Wanda reveals that she and Ida's family are jewish, so that's going to be tricky. This kicks off a quest for the two women to find their past and put that past to bed.

Whereas Ida is always sitting silently, observing the world through giant, mouse-like eyes, Wanda is aggressive and troubled, proudly talking about her days as a prosecution lawyer, and about how many people she sent to death. "Red Wanda, that's me." Lacking faith in a just god, she seeks vengeance and closure. She is doing this for justified but selfish reasons. Ida meanwhile is removed from the situation and wants to help the clearly troubled Wanda but does not know how to. She also has her own troubles involving her upcoming vow. Exposed to the secular world for the first time ever, she finds it full of moral ambiguities and cute saxophone players.

The film is subtly shot and subtly acted. The characters both hold their emotions close to their chests and often us poor audience-members can only tell what they're feeling by what they're not doing. Example: when Ida and Wanda finally find the grave, Wanda moves stiffly and does not make any display of emotion. I feel like I haven't quite got the feel of the the film yet. There's probably much more to be said about the Polish holocaust and about victimhood being used as a weapon, but I'm much more interested in the oblique, obscure characters. This is not an easy film but it's interesting and sincere.