“Body”: A Berlin Film Festival Reflection on Grief, Science, and the Unseen Worlds
Malgorzata Szumowska, a director renowned for her unflinching gaze into the human psyche, unveiled her latest cinematic offering, “Body,” at the esteemed Berlin Film Festival. This intriguing film masterfully weaves together a tapestry of diverse lives, ranging from the vibrancy of youth to the weariness of old age, and explores the extremes of physical presence – from the emaciated to the robust, the living to the disembodied, and even the seemingly resurrected. Veteran actor Janusz Gajos, celebrated for his nuanced performance in Kieślowski’s “Three Colors: White,” anchors the narrative as an enigmatic prosecutor whose rigorously scientific life is abruptly veered into territories unknown and profoundly mysterious.
While “Body” marks a notable departure in tone, leaning towards a lighter touch and a vein of dark humor compared to Szumowska’s previous, weightier works such as “Elles” and “In the Name Of,” it nonetheless grapples with maintaining a consistently compelling narrative flow. This artistic choice, or perhaps a narrative challenge, suggests that the film’s primary home will likely be found within the curated selections of international film festivals and the discerning niches of European art house cinemas. It’s a film that demands contemplation rather than a straightforward emotional response, inviting audiences to ponder its complex themes long after the credits roll.
A Warsaw Under a Veil of Grey
The film plunges us deep into a somber, perpetually rain-soaked Warsaw, painting a stark backdrop for its unfolding mysteries. Here, we meet an unnamed prosecutor, brought to life through Janusz Gajos’s understated yet powerful portrayal. His days are consumed by the meticulous, almost ritualistic documentation of gruesome crime scenes, each a testament to human frailty and the finality of death. A staunch pragmatist and fervent believer in the quantifiable truths of science, he firmly dismisses any notion of the supernatural. Yet, his convictions are violently shaken when a murder victim, discovered tragically hanging from a tree, inexplicably and horrifyingly stirs back to life. This chilling incident serves as an ominous prelude, a crack in the veneer of his rational world, hinting at the bizarre, unexplainable events soon to engulf him. The city itself feels like a silent, melancholic character, mirroring the prosecutor’s internal struggle with the grim realities he encounters.
Familial Discord in a Dimly Lit Home
The bleakness outside mirrors the internal landscape of the prosecutor’s dimly lit apartment, a space he shares with his twenty-something daughter, Olga (Justyna Suwala). Olga is battling a severe eating disorder, a physical manifestation of her deep emotional wounds and a palpable resentment towards her father. The shadow of her mother’s death many years prior looms large, having left Olga profoundy isolated. Her father, consumed by his work and emotionally distant by nature, tragically struggles to provide the compassion, understanding, and robust support system his fractured daughter so desperately needs. Their interactions are often terse, burdened by unspoken grief and a gaping chasm of unfulfilled emotional connection, creating a palpable tension that permeates their home.
The Arrival of the Unconventional Healer
Adding a pivotal, supernatural dimension to the narrative is the character of Anna (Maja Ostaszewska), a therapist with an extraordinary dual capacity. She specializes in the delicate and challenging field of eating disorders, guiding her patients through their struggles. However, her unique gift extends far beyond conventional psychology: Anna also functions as a medium, possessing the ability to commune with the deceased. When not engaged in her therapeutic sessions, she dedicates herself to bridging the gap between worlds, meticulously relaying messages, warnings, and unaddressed sentiments from those who have passed on to their living relatives. Her unconventional services introduce not only comfort and closure for some but also an unsettling layer of spiritual intervention into the lives of the characters, particularly as her path converges with the prosecutor and Olga.
A Blend of Gallows Humor and Haunting Subtlety
Szumowska, collaborating with co-writer and cinematographer Michal Englert, masterfully injects a distinctive brand of dark humor into the narrative. This often manifests in unexpected ways, slyly connecting Olga’s therapy sessions with Anna to the increasingly bizarre and disquieting phenomena occurring within the prosecutor’s seemingly ordinary home. Subtle yet effective atmospheric cues – the persistent creaking of unseen floorboards, the rhythmic drip of a leaky faucet, sudden, unexplained power fluctuations – are woven throughout the film. These seemingly innocuous occurrences carry a heavier, more melancholic significance, subtly hinting at a spectral connection to his deceased wife, whose presence, or absence, continues to haunt the family’s shared space, blurring the lines between reality and the supernatural. The humor often arises from the characters’ attempts to rationalize or cope with events that defy logical explanation.
The Body as a Canvas: Physicality and Transcendence
Szumowska’s protracted fascination with corporeal existence and the vulnerabilities, particularly of women’s bodies, which was prominently showcased in her film “Elles,” is re-examined in “Body” with a fresh lens, imbued with more layers of humor and thematic variety. The director skillfully juxtaposes the strikingly emaciated figures gathered in Anna’s group therapy sessions, individuals grappling with their very physical being, against the fragmented bodies of the numerous crime victims the prosecutor encounters. This stark visual contrast prompts reflection on the diverse states of the human form from life to death and beyond. Yet, the film also celebrates the body, notably in a memorable scene featuring the prosecutor’s middle-aged lover (Ewa Dalkowska). Her joyous, uninhibited performance of a striptease serves as a vibrant counterpoint, highlighting two joyful, full-figured individuals embracing their physicality, offering a hopeful perspective on self-acceptance and the celebration of life that transcends suffering. Through these deliberate comparisons, Szumowska explores the profound interplay between our physical embodiment and our spiritual or emotional states.
Narrative Shifts and a Poetic Resolution
While “Body” commences with a compelling setup, establishing its intriguing premise and atmospheric tension, the initial impactful contrasting elements regrettably diminish somewhat as the plot unfurls. The various violent crimes that populate the prosecutor’s professional life, initially presented as integral to the narrative, gradually recede into the background, often remaining unresolved or, perhaps intentionally, forgotten. They serve less as critical plot points and more as mere atmospheric decoration or a thematic backdrop against which the true heart of the film unfolds: the profoundly strained and dysfunctional father-daughter relationship between the prosecutor and Olga. The film’s narrative often meanders, prioritizing character study and thematic exploration over traditional plot progression. It is not until the film’s evocative and somewhat surreal conclusion, set resonantly to the timeless tune of Gerry & The Pacemakers, that the three central protagonists—the prosecutor, Olga, and Anna—finally find a semblance of profound unity. Gathering together for a séance, they participate in an act of communal faith and emotional release, culminating in a resolution that, while unconventional, leans towards a surprisingly optimistic and tender vision of healing and connection, suggesting that understanding might lie in unexpected spiritual avenues.
Commanding Performances and Exquisite Visual Storytelling
The film undeniably benefits from the exceptionally strong performances delivered by its three lead actors, each inhabiting their complex roles with striking authenticity. Justyna Suwala, in particular, delivers a truly memorable and poignant portrayal of Olga, capturing the raw vulnerability and quiet despair of her character with remarkable depth. Her performance anchors the film’s emotional core, making her struggles palpable. Complementing the compelling acting is Michal Englert’s masterful cinematography. His widescreen compositions are not merely visually arresting but actively contribute to the film’s unique aesthetic and haunting ambience. Englert skillfully employs bleak cool tones, stark lighting, and vast, often empty spaces that amplify the pervasive sense of loneliness and isolation experienced by the characters. More than just pretty pictures, his lens effectively translates the film’s thematic undertones, subtly suggesting that true salvation, comfort, or even understanding, might ultimately be found not within the rigid confines of the physical and scientific world, but rather in the transcendent, ephemeral experiences that lie profoundly beyond it. The visual language effectively elevates the film from a simple drama into a more profound mediation on existence, grief, and the elusive nature of closure.