'The Peasants' Review: A Heart-Breaking Painting Crafted in Rich Color [TIFF 2023]
The second feature from husband-wife team DK and Hugh Welchman, this is a mature animated feature full of oil paintings charms the viewer with beautiful landscapes and painfully honest characters. Through incredible art and voice-work, this is an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish.
For lovers of classic paintings and those who proudly yell “Animation is cinema!”, this Polish film was created just for you. Based on a book published in the early 1900s by the same name, The Peasants follows four seasons within a Polish village. Each frame is hand-painted, which creates a beautiful, gallery-like dimension to the work, allowing the viewer to feel they are witnessing a historical fable come to life. This is a tragic story, and the emotions radiating from the illustrated characters are so alive and so painful.
The film was written and directed by DK Welchman (formerly known as Dorota Kobiela) and husband Hugh Welchman, their second feature length film after Loving Vincent. Like the preceding film, The Peasants uses a painted animation technique. The final production was created over five years involving more than a hundred painters in several studios. Initially, the actors were filmed performing the project, and the stills captured a foundation for the artists involved. What took several years and thousands of hours is entirely worth it, as the final visuals are unparalleled. Special mention must go to the dancing scenes, which are so striking the viewer may begin to lose themselves in the fictional world in front of them.
The narrative follows main character Jagna, played by Kamila Urzedowska, the most beautiful young woman in her village, as she is married off to a wealthy widower while hosting a burning love for his son. The village is crawling with interesting characters, many with strong, distinctive personalities. The father and son dynamic is precarious, played expertly by Mirosław Baka (father Boryna) and Robert Gulaczyk (son Antek), and the household conflicts that arise from bride Jagna joining the family are intense and jarring. As a viewer, it may feel strange to commend acting from an animated character, but the actors’ souls push through that extra layer of separation, enhancing the overall effect.
This is a very reactive movie and will leave a viewer physically shocked numerous times throughout the runtime. Overwhelming feelings of scandal, guilt, and sorrow are plentiful. Like an art exhibit, the emotions may be powerful and uncomfortable, but you come away from it appreciating what you have gained. There are also many moments of comedy, creating a well-rounded experience. However, this film may not be for the faint of heart or the sensitive viewer, as some scenes are quite troubling, often with main character Jagna victimized by her fellow villagers.
The Peasants is an emotionally engaging historical drama featuring the lust between two forbidden lovers. A viewer watches Jagna’s personality morph from an innocent, inexperienced young woman to a power-hungry wife, controlled by the people around her. She has no freedom to explore her own wants, and changes hands from her mother’s grip to her older husband’s. This is a haunting feminist narrative, and touches on the concept that, in a patriarchy, women may be the ones so vehemently tearing each other down. Vilifying the sexual woman is an age-old story, but watching it play out never fails to bring a visceral reaction from any viewer.
The Peasants calls attention to the difference between our modern society and historical customs, but also reminds us of timeless emotions and passions. This pain of Jagna is, unfortunately, still seen today, albeit in different forms. This is a beautiful film that deserves to be watched and appreciated, and to have a viewer that will give themselves over and let the emotions devastate them.