Watch Cold War

Cold War is a romantic drama film from 2018 directed by Paweł Pawlikowski. The movie is set in Poland and follows the story of two people, Wiktor and Zula, who fall in love with each other despite being from different social backgrounds. The film is shot entirely in black and white, which adds a dreamlike quality to the storytelling.

The movie begins in the ruins of postwar Poland in 1949. Wiktor (played by Tomasz Kot) is a conductor and pianist who works for the government-controlled music school. He is in the process of creating a folk music ensemble to promote Poland's cultural heritage when he meets Zula (played by Joanna Kulig), a young woman with a fiery spirit who auditions for the group.

Despite their initial differences, Wiktor and Zula fall in love and start a passionate affair. He sees in her a talent and beauty that is unmatched, and she sees in him a man who can give her a way out of her impoverished life. However, their happiness is short-lived as they are soon caught in the crossfires of the Cold War. The State decides to send their ensemble on a tour to the Soviet Union, turning their lives upside down.

The rest of the movie follows the couple's tumultuous relationship over the next decade as they navigate between fleeing Poland for the west and staying behind in their homeland, where they are regarded with suspicion by the government. They meet each other intermittently in various countries, but their relationship continues to be undermined by their differing desires and cheating.

While the film is a love story, it is also a sharp political satire that looks at the effect of post-war politics on the country's cultural and identity crisis. As the characters travel across Europe, they are confronted by different ideologies within the Communist bloc, and it becomes clear that their search for individuality is at odds with the state's attempts to mould the citizens into a homogeneous unit. The movie also features several musical interludes, which are an essential aspect of the film.

Joanna Kulig and Tomasz Kot deliver excellent performances as Zula and Wiktor. Their chemistry bubbles with intensity, and they are fully committed to conveying the nuances of their characters' emotions. The leads, however, are supported by Borys Szyc, who plays Kaczmarek, a Communist Party official that phrases the group's ensemble to serve the state's propaganda aims. Kaczmarek is a forceful figure who tries to exert his will upon Wiktor and Zula, and Szyc delivers a fantastic performance that is both convincing and terrifying.

The film's scenes are brilliantly shot and designed, with wide-angle shots and filmed in 4:3 ratio, a throwback to the times of classical Hollywood. The film evokes the ambiance, aesthetics, and allure of the '50s with its monochromatic cinematography, striking contrasts, and dramatic lighting.

The movie's sound design is also noteworthy, with a stunning score, crosscutting between the group's rehearsal of authentic local songs, and live performances. The sequences where Zula sings or dances become the highlights of the movie, and her rendition of "Dwa Serduszka" becomes the motif of the couple's love affair. The movie's musical force is further amplified by the digital restoration of original recordings from the time.

In conclusion, Cold War is an extraordinary film that combines a timeless love story with political satire and an incredibly designed aesthetic. It's a poetic and unforgettable story that transports the viewers to a different time and place with the evocative black and white cinematography, an excellent soundtrack that features several Eastern European songs from the period, and superb acting. It's a must-watch movie for those who love complex, multilayered, and thought-provoking stories. Definitely a masterpiece from Paweł Pawlikowski.

Cold War is a 2018 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 25 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.5 and a MetaScore of 90.