Cold War: A Doomed Romance

The final movie for my Oscars watch was the black and white Polish film, Cold War. Now, I'm always a sucker for anything shot in black and white, so let's get this out of the way: this movie is swooningly gorgeous. I was watching it because writer-director Pawel Pawlikowski was nominated for Best Director, but my main takeaway is that cinematographer Lukasz Zal fully earned his nomination for Best Cinematography. Though of course, he will have to battle it out with Alfonso Cuaron for my other beloved black and white contender, Roma.

Cold War is the story of music director, Wiktor (Tomasz Kot), and the young singer, Zula (Joanna Kulig) that he selects to be a part of a troupe that celebrates Slavic folk music. If you're worried that a black and white foreign film set in post-World War II Europe is going to be long and unbearable, do not fret. This movie is only an hour and a half long, yet packs quite the wallop in terms of emotional drama. It is essentially one long romance, about a couple that face numerous obstacles owing to the time and place they have chosen to fall in love. The specter of communism always lurks in the background, there's their petty jealousies and whims, and no matter what they do, their timing is always a little bit off.

It's a tragic love story, with soul-stirring music, and arresting acting by the two leads. Kot and Kulig have faces that were made for black and white cinema; I simply could not take my eyes off them. And the set design throughout this movie is phenomenal. The short run time means that this movie makes several time jumps, so each scene takes place in a very specific and often elaborate setting as the lovers are reunited. Each time, the background contains something new and wondrous to marvel at - I personally was bemused to see that Yugoslavia looked a lot like the Middle East. Perhaps my favorite scene takes place in a crowded ballroom where the leads are all standing against a mirror, and yet I had no idea that was the case until someone approached them and I could see his reflection.

Cold War swept me away with its visuals and performances. It made me long to go back and watch some Cary Grant or Fred and Ginger movies and delight in the power of black and white cinema. It's not to everyone's taste but taking away color renders all the other elements of filmmaking with much more precision and makes you appreciate the artistry even more. With such fine actors and settings, who needs color? All you need is lights, camera, and action.