Using a special technique, excellent acting, direction and storyline, the film The Peasants, the Polish entry for the Oscars, has been released at select locations in America. The Peasants gives the feel of movies like The Scarlet Letter that follows a similar theme. Fascinating to watch with its oil painting presentation, the movie becomes more of an art form.
It’s the late 1800’s and we are brought to Lipce a village in a farming area of Poland. There we meet Jagna the daughter of a traditional family who has not been married. We are then introduced to Boryna the wealthy owner of a farm who lost his wife to her passing. Boryna has a hardworking loyal son named Antek who runs the farm and has his eye open for the right woman to wed.
The village is teaming with workers that tend the fields, shopkeepers, a mayor and other citizens that are religious. They also are close knit so the news and gossip travels fast among the villagers. On this one occasion with Boryna wanting to move on as a widower in search for a new wife to fill his life, he notices the beauty of Jagna who is full of energy and well-liked by the community. However she has already had her eye on Anteck an exciting young man who is a favorite of all the ladies in the village.
Wielding the power of a land barron, and not knowing that his son has been wooing Jagna, he approaches Jagna’s mother and makes a proposal that involves acres of land as part of the dowry. When the mother of Jagna accepts the engagement, it puts Jagna and Anteck in a downward spiral of secret lust. Directors DK and Hugh Welchman bring the story to fever pitch as the actors play out the plot that includes the townspeople and the Mayor’s wife.
The cast is terrific with excellent performances all around. I especially liked Kamila Urzedowska depiction of Jagna who gets caught up in an unwanted marriage to a much older man. She really fires up the screen with her beauty, dancing and powerful delivery.
The process of filming live actor and painting their images with a technique called painting animation to bring to life the characters, period costumes, and landscapes as art give the film a whimsical feel. While the process has been used to produce other films, I really enjoyed The Peasants as it becomes more passionate as it spools out the torrid plot. The only downside is the subtitles that move along at a fast clip and were problematic for me.
The Peasants has been rated R by the MPAA for violence including rape, sexuality and full nudity. The film opens in theaters in Los Angeles and then rolls out in other locations within the United States. Check online for the release on streaming platforms. For adults who like drama with strong character interaction, this film certainly does the trick.
Additional Film Information:
Cast: Kamila Urzedowska, Robert Gulaczyk, Miroslaw Baka, Sonia Mietilica, Dorota Stanlinska, Sonia Bohosiewicz, Mateusz Rusin
Directed and co-written by: DK Welchman, Hugh Welchman
Genre: Drama, Animation, History
MPAA Rating: R for violence including rape, sexuality and full nudity.
Running Time: 1 hr. 54 min.
Opening Date: February 2, 2024
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Language: Polish with English Subtitles
Released in: Amazon Prime Video
