Venice Days review - KLEZMER by Piotr Chrzan
The contrast such a theatrical structure creates with the more cinematic visuals, for which cinematography SYLWESTER KAZMIERCZAK is responsible. The whole film recounts the story of a couple that takes place in the course of the same day and the whole thing is also takes place outdoors in the distinctive Polish landscape of its forests, which is where the Jews took refuge during German occupation. Hence, this dark backdrop to the story is enhanced by the way in which the landscape is caressed by the camera movements, and even a smoky feel that makes the place feel eternal, timeless but also sinister.
The drawback of the feature is that such a practice does become wearisome, and due to the theme and concept of the film, some of the more personal issues of the characters feel random or simply not interesting. This is also because it's hard to side with any of the characters, who are perhaps purposefully intended to remain at a distance from its viewers - a fact that does not play in KLEZMER's favour because there's so many of them.
The pace is also not perfect, simultanously unable to convey the quietness of the film, or make it seem exciting, and sometimes cutting into the tension of each of the induvidual scenes and distracting from some interesting interactions between the characters.
Despite this, one can sense that the film means well, and it remains quite interesting as well as venerable for highlighting a historical aspect that might, unsurprisingly, be little known about by the Polish audience as well as an international one.