Fatherland Review: Pawel Pawlikowski’s Chilly European Ghost Story Leaves Audiences Haunted and Divided

Fatherland Review

With his recent movie Fatherland, Paweł Pawlikowski, the director, seems to have returned to a filmmaking technique for which he became known.

Based on the initial reviews, it doesn’t seem like an explosive movie, but rather something like a journey into darkness, full of regret and longing. If you’re a fan of films like Ida and Cold War, then Fatherland is your homecoming.

Europe as Memory, Not Geography

The film that Fatherland turns out to be can actually be described as one where atmosphere is given more importance than the storyline itself. In truth, as observed, the film moves around various landscapes within Europe, although these are not portrayed as bustling modern landscapes, instead showing history.

It’s clear that Pawlikowski does have a knack for storytelling from silence. It appears like he has perfected this technique in Fatherland by using a lot of pauses, little dialogue, and telling a story through empty spaces.

It is the portrait of a Europe full of flaws and imperfections.

An Emotionally Dialectic Style for Pawlikowski Fans

There will be plenty of things about the film that fans of Pawlikowski will be able to easily spot in Fatherland.

As with Ida, the film uses visual austerity to delve into questions of identity and inheritance, Fatherland instead chooses to use an emotional distance that makes for a very interesting film indeed.

The characters are close to revealing things, but never manage to do so. In choosing to use tension instead of release, Pawlikowski seems to use an emotionally distinct style that may alienate many.

At the same time, however, his films delight others in their distinctiveness.

A Movie Made of Absences and Its Implications

Fatherland is one such artistic creation that exemplifies what could be considered absence—absence of information, absence of the truth, and absence of history.

Fatherland does not have a coherent plot but rather appears to be a movie composed of emotional fragments, caused by the events that happen outside of the film.

The implication is that there is a dreamlike feel about the whole movie, while Europe portrayed in the film becomes a psychological territory.

Narrative Through Visuals Using The Sharp Edge Of Ice

From the aesthetic point of view, Fatherland is another example of Pawlikowski’s usual artistic approach, featuring carefully composed frames, subdued colors, and an ambience that is at times more defined by its lack of motion than its motion.

Everything is calculated. Everything that is said is not said aloud.

Where most movies tend to depend on their visuals to awe their viewers, this movie goes further by creating an intentionally constructed visual setting to captivate its audience.

This is both challenging and fulfilling filmmaking.

Regrets, Identity, and Weight of History

First of all, as seen from the title, there are many problems connected with heritage on an individual and state level.

I think that the movie concerns itself with the problem of how people carry the weight of history in a world of Europe where borders, history, and identity play an important role. People in the movie do not possess their experience but suffer from emotional inheritance that was never their choice.

Emotion against history is a problem that Pawlikowski raises continuously in his work.

Fatherland: A Movie That People Will Love or Hate

From the first reviews of Fatherland, we see that the audience might fall into two categories of people who either liked or disliked films of this director.

Some viewers find this movie too slow and messy. For others, it is a brilliant piece of film art full of emotions and right atmosphere.

The only thing that one can say for sure is that Fatherland is not about compromises.

Relevance in Contemporary Cinema

In a time of quick cuts, sequels, and never-ending bombardment of senses, Fatherland is special because it is none of these things.

Fatherland moves slowly. It takes its time. It allows the audience to be uncomfortable.

And that is why it matters in contemporary cinema.

To those who have been overloaded by their senses, it can provide a cleansing experience. To others, it could even be an insult. But either way, it simply cannot be overlooked.

Conclusion: A Quiet Film That Makes a Major Statement

The film Fatherland is not concerned with impressing its audience through sound and spectacle. Rather, it accumulates meaning throughout its duration, becoming increasingly more powerful in its impact.

If one has prior knowledge of Pawlikowski’s previous films, then the current production will likely be perceived as part of an extended dialogue regarding memory, identity, and the tragic legacy of European civilization.

However, for those who know nothing about the director’s work, it may be the introduction to an artist who gained recognition precisely because of his ability to let silence speak louder than words.

In any case, this film will not be forgotten once the credits roll at the end of the viewing.

By David Loran Jr

A successful Editor-in-Chief, journalist for over 6 years, writing about important topics that are going on within the U.S. and beyond.

Sources:

Variety: Sandra Hüller Soaks Up 5-Minute Standing Ovation for ‘Fatherland’ as Oscar Race Starts Early in Cannes

The Guardian: ‘Fatherland’ Review: Pawel Pawlikowski Fans Will Feel Cozily, Coldly at Home with His Latest Tour Through Europe’s Regrets

IndieWire: ‘Fatherland’ Review: Pawel Pawlikowski Fans Will Feel Cozily, Coldly at Home with His Latest Tour Through Europe’s Regrets

Featured Image Courtesy of Red Carpet Report on Mingle Media TV’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License

Inset Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Television’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License