Man of Iron

shookone3.0

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Anastasia ✄4.5

Man of Iron sends you on an odyssey throughout a couple of years in communist Poland, where the difference between past and present is minimal and the weight of oppression breaks.Dreams of a better Poland are getting crushed by the harsh reality that is captured so brutally and brilliantly in Wajda's work of art. Political activism for the sake of a better future for your country is such a general topic that I think a lot of people would be able to relate to, but while Wajda makes this movie so polished and smartly structured that you do feel things towards the characters and the situation, such authentic cinematic decisions are used that make this feel personal as a Polish story too. It's a very humane and important dialogue between an ensemble of characters and the viewer on freedom of speech, the effect that communism had/has on Eastern Europe, activism, and political oppression that you're getting lost in this world of crushed dreams, cold winters, and broken people that are still fighting. So immersive and real, and made with such care for the topic and world politics that it genuinely blows my mind how few people have seen this. The structure that ping-pongs you from one person's story to another is effective and powerful, providing you different POVs while still sticking to its main point by connecting it all with the reporter we follow, who has such a subtly complex nature that it's a pleasure to see all those interactions coming on screen. The camera work and the ending are also brilliant, and all work in such harmony that this feels both fresh and timeless at the same time. I understood that it's a straightforward continuation from Man of Marble, and I do feel like I fucked up by not watching it earlier, but now at least I have an excuse to do a double feature and watch this movie again, where I believe this will get its 5-star rating from me. Triple wow for this masterpiece. One of the best things I've seen throughout this binge.Underseen masterpieces

Paul Elliott4.5

Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 34th Cannes Film Festival and banned by its native government in 1981, this Polish movie by Andrzej Wajda is the sequel to Man of Marble and continues the narrative as well as elucidating on the ambiguous ending of the earlier movie. It's an angry and expressive political drama served with striking images and remarkable performances, and its difficult not to get absorbed in the wishful thinking of the ability of people to change things. The cinematography by Edward Kłosiński conveys the grim reality of existence behind the Iron Curtain, helping to substantiate that Man Of Iron is not just an important historical document, but also a tremendous movie.