In Darkness is a film that puts you in the shoes of Holocaust victims, and, in doing so, makes a tragedy that history is slowly distancing us from, feel real and present. That said it is by no means flawless. Its inability to find a balance between historical realism and narrative necessity makes it at times feel monotonous, at times a little exploitative. But when it works, it brings home a horror all the more shocking for how very real it was.
In Darkness is an adaptation of In the Sewers of Lvov by Robert Marshall. It is an account of a group of Polish Jews, who, to evade the Nazi purges, hid in the sewers of Lvov for 14 months. They were aided in this by Polish ex-criminal and sewer inspector Leopold Socha (Robert Wieckiewicz), who brought them food. The film follows the story of this event, both the trials of the Jews and the development of Socha from opportunist into philanthropist.
The biggest flaw of In Darkness is that it’s not quite sure what it wants to be: story or history. Its attempts to be the former can sometimes feel a little exploitative, the main example being the film’s copious amounts of sewer sex. Now, I get this flowering of love in the darkness has some justifying thematic depth, but thing is, it also has a lot of bared bosoms and thrusting. As such, it feels like the filmmakers threw a lot of sex in to liven things up a bit, a bit of self-aware cynicism which slightly undermines the seriousness of the story.
Trying to be a history however proves as problematic as being entertainment. After an exhilarating opening, the film’s commitment to the historical detail causes a complete loss of momentum. See, because the focus shifts onto the film’s relationships, the sense of threat that powers the drama becomes something assumed rather than emphasised. As such, events start feeling a bit aimless. Still, I must admit this space of getting to know the characters, makes the film all the more powerful once the danger returns in force.
Also, the skill with which these characters are crafted is mindblowing, with a cast showing off a true mastery of expression. Julia Kijowska (Chaja) is the female standout: her descent into shell-shocked grief being both convincing and heartbreaking. For the men, Benno Furmann is excellent as action-Jew Mundek Margulies, but the real standouts are Wieckiewicz and Michal Zurawski as the Ukrainian Bortnik. Their best moment of the film comes in a scene in the aftermath of a purge of Lvov’s Jewish Ghetto. The two actors express with their eyes alone, a horror of a magnitude that they simply cannot process.
However, the best thing about In Darkness is how it’s shot. This is one of the most beautiful films I have ever seen. Every shot was so meticulously crafted and crisp, and often insanely detailed. This is a film that wastes nothing, every shot mined for the depth of its passion or horror. And because the majority of this film is shot underground, the filmmakers get a great chance to really play around with light, and so even manage to fit some creative flair in amongst everything else.
In conclusion, as the credits began to roll, and as the film released me from its grip, I for a moment saw the darkness of the theatre as the darkness of the sewers. Leaving the cinema and stepping back into the light, I stumbled like the Jews, blinded and disorientated by a glare I had forgotten. See, there is a big difference between knowing academically that something is a tragedy, and actually feeling the horror for yourself. In Darkness makes you feel that horror. That it does so, is not just a great achievement: it’s a validation of the importance of this art form.
Movie Rating: 4/5
Release Date UK: 16th March 2012
Directed By: Agnieszka Holland
Cast: Robert Wieckiewicz, Benno Fürmann , Agnieszka Grochowska, Maria Schrader
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