The main character of this movie is Death. Not the impersonated Death, as seen in Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" or in Foss's "All That Jazz", but rather the sorrowful consciousness of human frailty. The main character, a Polish musician (because, as you've already seen, Wajda is Polish) on the threshold of death, tries to find his inner peace in a cottage within the woods. Don't expect action or hype. This is mainly an artsy, European-style movie, whose image and birch forests are strongly reminding of Tarkovsky, especially "Ivan's Childhood". Among all them frantic movies, this movie is a strong, artistic memento mori.
3 Reviews
A strangely beautiful film from Andrzej Wajda.
Quirky-6 October 2002
Warning: Spoilers
**SPOILERS**
A film about love and death, Brzezina (The Birchwood), is not easy to watch at times. The sorrow of Daniel Olbrychski's character Boleslaw when he realises he cannot have the love of the pretty farm hand to himself is quite moving, as is the eventual sickness that engulfs him. Most of the performances are good, especially Olgierd Lukaszewicz as Stanislaw, but the major let down in the acting department was Danuta Wodynska as the farm hand, Katarzyna. Her role consisting mainly of giggling wildly and/or looking flirtlily at the brothers - she's merely a set decoration at times. Beautiful photography of the Polish countryside, coupled with Wajda's sometimes very imaginative camera work make this an enjoyable cinematic experience.
A film about love and death, Brzezina (The Birchwood), is not easy to watch at times. The sorrow of Daniel Olbrychski's character Boleslaw when he realises he cannot have the love of the pretty farm hand to himself is quite moving, as is the eventual sickness that engulfs him. Most of the performances are good, especially Olgierd Lukaszewicz as Stanislaw, but the major let down in the acting department was Danuta Wodynska as the farm hand, Katarzyna. Her role consisting mainly of giggling wildly and/or looking flirtlily at the brothers - she's merely a set decoration at times. Beautiful photography of the Polish countryside, coupled with Wajda's sometimes very imaginative camera work make this an enjoyable cinematic experience.
about few people
Kirpianuscus21 February 2018
Film of a state of soul. a man, his brother, his illniss, a piano, a woman. the death. all as a large circle . and the motif for ignore the story for admire images as poem. because it is the picture of a struggle. for define. for feel. for understand. for give sense and name to life. for be, out of rules, expectations, in the most simple way. it is a film who must see. because it escapes to a review. because, in essence, all is so familiar. the performance of Olgierd Lukasziewicz, the look of Daniel Olbrychsky, the imposible love story, the birch wood.as answers to profound desires. so, a remarkable film. about few people. and their manner to build the sense of freedom.
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