THE PAINTED BIRD | FILM REVIEW
Dir: Vaclav Mahoul (18, 169 mins)
A gruelling, uncomfortable epic, brilliantly shot in monochrome, Vacla Mahoul’s film has caused mass walkouts thanks to its unflinching brutality, but it remains an incredibly powerful piece of filmmaking. Based on Jerzy Kozinski’s 1965 novel, which itself was based on survivors’ accounts of war atrocities in Eastern Europe, this follows a nameless Jewish boy played with incredible resilience by Petr Kotlar as he drifts through the second world war. Filmed over several years, Kotlar ages as his journey continues, and the audience feel the real weight of what he endures and witnesses.
The Painted Bird itself is a starling daubed with white paint which is subsequently ripped apart by its flock, mistaken for an enemy – an act which is fairly soft core compared to other excesses. There are several vignettes involving heavy-hitter actors: Udo Kier’s violent, abusive miller, Stellan Skarsgard’s stoic kindly German soldier, Julian Sands’ paedophile farmer, Harvey Keitel’s misguided priest and Barry Pepper’s American sniper. The violence is unfettered, from eye gougings to brutal rapes to an unforgiving Cossack assault on a village.
Writer/director Mahoul piles on his despair at humanity in heartbreakingly beautiful compositions as our innocent lead goes from victim to victimizer. It’s got plenty to say about mankind’s capacity for evil and the state of the world now, with extremism and barbarism still rampant throughout the globe. Nature itself is infected with the poison of conflict, prejudice and hatred. No real hope is given, the portrayal of humanity in the wake of war is grim and the Boy remains a blank on which to put our emotions. It’s made with the best of intentions but feels like it will be hard to endure more than once, especially in the current world climate. Admirable and unforgettable, but often hard to watch.
Available on DVD and BluRay now
words KEIRON SELF image credit EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT