Wesele (2021) Poster

(2021)

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8/10
'Wesele' confirms Wojciech Smarzowski as Poland's best director
wickedmikehampton5 May 2022
'Wesele', a.k.a. 'The Wedding Day' is the marriage of modern xenophobia with World War 2 genocide. Director (and writer) Wojciech Smarzowski continuously weaves those time zones together but never with exhaustion and always with clarity. That dexterity alone makes him one of the smartest movie makers. He now competes with Italy's Paolo Sorrentino for my favourite European director.

Smarzowski's filmography shows him to be a human of conscience. I highly recommend that you follow this with his 'Wolyn' a.k.a. 'Hatred' (made relevant by the current Ukraine/Russo War on Poland's border). And, if your heart doesn't burst, you could turn that into a triple billing with director Thomas Vinterberg's 'Celebration'(1998). Although the latter's topic is familial, there's style and editing kinship with 'Wesele'.

Considering the rise of racism in Europe. 'Wesele' is both warning and a modern parable. Can we change? Can we lose the worst parts of us? Of course we can.
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10/10
Extremely powerful
galinaeden13 October 2022
Having seen numerous films that touch upon the Holicaust, I found this film powerful and harrowing. The juxtaposition of wartime crimes with modern xenophobia and corruption was brilliant, heightened by the grandfathers' memories entering the wedding scenes. I sat chilled to the bone through the rounding up of the Jews and their subsequent murder by fire. The director is not only talented but very brave, given Poland's recent laws against "false" (i.e. Critical) history of the role of yhe Poles in the Holocaust (and in killing returning Jews after the war). Highly recommended - tough viewing, but a must-see nonetheless.
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9/10
Tragic past hauntingly revisits present in The Wedding Day.
magicspin5 February 2022
The Wedding Day/Wesele - quite an astonishing work from provocative Polish writer/director Wojciech Smarzowski - powerfully melding tender, raw roots & memories, seemingly forgotten, only to have them tear back into brutal awareness through repeated re-livings - re-experiencing a past in need of, even demanding acknowledgement. A movie that will long remain with me.
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