Worth: $14.50
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Cast:
Jan Hrynkiewicz, Pawel Tomaszewski, Ewa Skibinska
Intro:
… an important and brave film …
A low budget gay romance, Elephant is beautiful and does have resonance, however it’s slow and it takes a while for the narrative to really kick in. Patient viewers will find rewards in the tale about gay love in a small, conservative, gossip-prone village in Poland.
Horse-loving Bartek (Jan Hrynkiewicz) lives with his clingy, alcohol-laced mother (Ewa Skibinska) on a farm surrounded by gorgeous countryside – mountainous skyline included. Despite the wide-open space, it’s a claustrophobic life for Bartek until the worldly Dawid (Pawel Tomaszewski) returns to the village.
Dawid is back after an absence of fifteen years to bury his father. An attraction between the younger Bartek and somewhat older Dawid develops quickly, but Dawid isn’t planning to stick around in this narrow-minded village for too long. He’d already made his escape years ago.
The dialogue between Bartek and Dawid is observant and interesting, but elsewhere it’s a little sparse. The drama is also subdued – even during dramatic moments, such as when the village homophobes are on the attack. But there is also subtle joy and optimism in Elephant.
Written and directed by Krakow-based Kamil Krawczycki, Elephant is based on the filmmaker’s own small town youth experiences and was shot on location near Warsaw in an area known as the ‘Polish Highlands’. Part of Krawczycki’s mission with this film is to give the Polish LGBTIQ community “a bit of hope”.
The anti-gay sentiment in Poland comes through via a slice on TV news: “The parliament will be voting for a citizen bill – ‘Stop LGBT’ – it covers a prohibition of same-sex relationships…” As such, Elephant is an important and brave film for Poland right now – even filming on location amidst the undercurrent of homophobia makes a statement.
Although Elephant has much going for it, the overall effect is dampened by the slow pace and lack of dramatic punch. Yet it is life-affirming and certainly has something to offer.
