EO (2022)

By: Mike Ward on Sunday, January 01

NR Running Time: 86 mins

SHOULD I SEE IT?

YES

  • Arthouse, independent, international cinema fans unite: EO is here and hard to ignore.

  • Though an homage to Au Hazard Balthasar, this film is uniquely its own creation, told through the prism of a donkey’s perspective in a variety of settings, locations, and situations.

  • The resolve and quizzical nature of EO, and the presence these donkeys share on screen, leave us with one of the more memorable cinematic moments of 2022.

NO

  • For those sensitive to animals in peril, please be warned that despite the disclaimer which opens the film, there are moments here which may be tough to watch.

  • While a rather accessible film, those who have tastes that veer to the more mainstream may find EO a bit slow and uninteresting.

  • Though it has near unanimous praise, among the film’s few detractors are those who feel EO is pretentious and flirts with exploiting the donkeys who play the central figure.


OUR REVIEW

Contemplative, thoughtful, and unique, EO, Poland’s shortlisted selection for the 2022 Best International Feature Academy Award, is a film told through the perspective of a nomadic donkey and its varied experiences. Though some will draw understandable comparisons to the classic 1966 French film, Au Hasard Balthazar, writer/director Jerzy Skolimowski gives us a singular and moving story to carry in our hearts and minds.

At 84 years of age, Skolimowski’s 24th feature film (his first film was released in 1960) is spry and observant. As much as he can, he frames his film from the perspective of his titular donkey, using his mammalian lead to guide us through scenes and encounters which feel episodic in nature. Utilizing six different donkeys over the course of the film in the lead role, EO blends together memories, jarring changes in circumstances, and a variety of people who the donkey comes across and the impact he leaves with them.

While there is the potential for comedy and levity to accentuate what we witness on screen, the film retains an almost documentary-like feel, even when Skolimowski and writing partner and wife, Ewa Piaskowska, set up substories and situations for the donkey to react and respond to. 

There is a counterbalance between human and animal interaction, and EO sometimes lulls into the rhythmic nature of how the two creatures often intertwine. EO first finds love and happiness with his trainer and fellow circus performer/partner Kasandra (Sandra Drzymalska). When we first meet them, we are drowning in stark red lighting, emblematic of a frightening consideration EO may ultimately have to face, but, in this instance, an effect to try and keep the patrons entertained. 

When protests shut down the circus, EO begins being passed through a number of different hands. He also makes his way across Poland, which at times looks absolutely gorgeous and, in other moments, desolate and bare. Additionally, the characters who arrive and depart are fleeting and intentionally so, as EO would likely struggle to remember them as he shifts from situation to situation. This is the donkey’s story, not that of the actors/characters introduced in the narrative.

For those watching, we don’t eventually get musical numbers. EO doesn’t suddenly start talking. Though the film does anthropomorphize him with his looks, reactions, and intensely kind eyes and demeanor, we place our own instincts and observations onto EO. This is where the film sometimes crashes onto itself. Skolimowski and Piaskowska’s screenplay occasionally gets in the way of EO’s journey. This is especially true when one character suffers a shocking moment of violence, or in a cameo from the legendary Isabelle Huppert (the only scene that doesn’t quite involve EO specifically), which seems unnecessary as she scolds her seminarian stepson and breaks a bunch of plates in the process.

Something of an experimental film, EO features a dazzling array of shots and visuals from cinematographer Michal Dymek. While the blood red aesthetic returns again and again in a variety of capacities, Dymek is not only interested in framing the film through EO’s sensibilities, but also exploring the landscapes EO travels. He mixes close-ups with wide shots, tightly framed visuals with expansive drone footage, and creates a swirling, impressive structure for Skolimowski to tell his story. 

Though the film may not be accessible to everyone, moving at a deliberate pace with an unflinching, unwavering dread that EO may suffer harm, abuse or neglect with every new encounter, it is impossible to not make a connection to this tender-hearted donkey who constantly propels himself forward. Even if the film proves a touch manipulative, with a final sequence that will produce conflicting emotions among its audience, EO stands apart from the pack with an inventive look and feel and a main character you simply cannot forget. 

CAST & CREW

Starring: Sandra Drzymalska, Isabelle Huppert, Lorenzo Zurzolo, Mateusz Kosciukiewicz, Tomasz Organek, Lolita Chammah

Director: Jerzy Skolimowski
Written by: Ewa Piaskowska, Jerzy Skolimowski
Release Date: November 18, 2022
Sideshow/Janus Films