7.6/10
44,872
195 user 278 critic

Zimna wojna (2018)

Trailer
1:50 | Trailer
In the 1950s, a music director falls in love with a singer and tries to persuade her to flee communist Poland for France.

Director:

Pawel Pawlikowski

Writers:

Pawel Pawlikowski (story), Pawel Pawlikowski (screenplay) | 2 more credits »
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Popularity
3,776 ( 474)
Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 45 wins & 110 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Joanna Kulig ... Zula
Tomasz Kot ... Wiktor
Borys Szyc ... Kaczmarek
Agata Kulesza ... Irena
Cédric Kahn ... Michel
Jeanne Balibar ... Juliette
Adam Woronowicz ... Consul
Adam Ferency ... Minister
Drazen Sivak Drazen Sivak ... Sleuth 1
Slavko Sobin ... Sleuth 2
Aloïse Sauvage ... Waitress
Adam Szyszkowski ... Guard
Anna Zagórska Anna Zagórska ... Ania
Tomasz Markiewicz Tomasz Markiewicz ... Leader of ZMP
Izabela Andrzejak Izabela Andrzejak ... Mazurek
Learn more

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Storyline

A passionate love story between two people of different backgrounds and temperaments, who are fatefully mismatched and yet condemned to each other. Set against the background of the Cold War in the 1950s in Poland, Berlin, Yugoslavia and Paris, the film depicts an impossible love story in impossible times.

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Taglines:

Love has no borders.


Certificate:

14A | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

View content advisory »
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The turbulent relationship between the main characters was inspired by the director's real-life parents, who did break up and get together a couple of times, and who moved from one country to another. See more »

Quotes

Zula: He mistook me for my mother and a knife showed him the difference.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: Oscars 2019 Recap (2019) See more »

Soundtracks

Hej, kiedy ja se paslam
Performed by Katarzyna Majerczyk
See more »

User Reviews

 
Unparalleled Cinematography
11 September 2019 | by truemythmediaSee all my reviews

Well, first off, the cinematography was not underrated. It is incredibly beautiful in a way that American Filmmakers have almost seemed to forget. We live in an era of cinema where color and computer graphics are our main tools for communicating at the theater. We want bigger (IMAX), louder/immersive (Atmos), and flashy/bright/color epileptic seizure inducing displays of digital fireworks.

Don't get me wrong. I love a movie that blends those things effectively, but there is a simple beauty to a black and white, 4x3 frame. The main thing I see in this sort of film is light. With no color to distract you, the emphasis of the film revolves around areas of light and dark.

The diffuse soft light of the cold air in winter and a stand of trees gains a mystical quality sometimes as the snow which clings to the dark trunks of trees seems to disappear into the distant fog. The hard light of a night club is seen for what it is, small sliver of light in a darkness that people long to disappear into and can't seem but help to be consumed by.

"Cold War" uses this light effectively as neither the star of the show nor a simple utilitarian instrument. It communicates an emotion that can't be portrayed through acting or production design alone.

The story is a classic one. A couple, torn apart by the love that binds them together and the forces of the world which conspire to keep them apart. Honestly, it's the main weakness of the film. I don't begrudge it that hard though. It was made by a Polish director and this is his own country's history and I'm sure there is a reason that that the war torn romance is a classic of literature and cinema. People identify with it.

In "Cold War," Zula is a young woman trying out for a Polish Heritage singing and dancing troupe. Wiktor is the director and, upon her first audition, he is intrigued by her. As they work together the troupe gains popularity till the state expresses interest in sponsoring the show. Wiktor doesn't like the control that the state is exerting over his art so he plots with Zula to escape Communist rule through Berlin.

They agree, but Zula gets cold feet and doesn't meet him at the rendezvous, opting instead to stay in Poland. The rest of the film revolves around a romance that only finds expression in passing as her career eventually takes her out of Poland and the the two of them reconnect and struggle with life abroad.

"Cold War" isn't a film for everyone. It's a little slow and reserved. The passion of their love is very muted, seeming more like passing interest at times than a fiery love affair and that makes it hard to connect with the characters at times.

Slow Cinema is seeing a bit of a resurgence right now, though, so it wouldn't be a bad idea to check out a highly acclaimed movie which exemplifies this style without falling into the trap of a 3 hour runtime as many slow cinema films do.

At a tight hour and a half, there are few people who can't afford to see something a little outside of their comfort zone. I certainly enjoyed it and more so even as I think about the film and the themes it presents once I left the theater.


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Details

Country:

Poland | UK | France

Release Date:

8 June 2018 (Poland) See more »

Also Known As:

La guerre froide See more »

Filming Locations:

Lódz, Lódzkie, Poland See more »

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Box Office

Budget:

EUR4,300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$54,353, 23 December 2018

Gross USA:

$4,580,048

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$20,343,051
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White (ACES)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1
See full technical specs »

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