One review on 20 Jan 2024

Poland 2022

Running time: 88 mins

EO

Director : Jerzy Skolimowski 

Setting: Poland
Original language: Polish
Summary: The world as seen by a donkey as he is passed from human to human


Aspect Ratio: 1.43

Colour: Colour

Sound: Stereo

Camera: Digital

Tech Notes: aspect ration 1.43


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First Seen: Sat 20th Jan 2024
Catalogued: 26th Jan 2024

Synopsis

Eo is the donkey who we first meet in a circus with a trainer/dancer who uses him in her act and who loves her. The entire film is through the eyes of the donkey as the lead character so the is minimal dialogue. The circus is prevented from using animals an Eo is taken to a horse stud where he pulls a cart to help with the farm work. He observes the horses. He is sent away again after a minor accident where he knocks over a cabinet of trophies. This time he ends up at a sort of sanctuary or donkey farm in the hills. Cold and muddy and a bit run down. His handler from the circus tracks him down an visits him, when she leaves he breaks out and tries to follow but looses her and wanders in the woods and hills. Eventually he comes to a town and is picked up as a stray by the authorities and sent away to be used for meat. The driver of the lorry is murdered at a service station and in the confusion Eo is found tied to a lamppost and taken by a wealthy youg drunkard and gambler. He escapes again from the mothers large country house garden and briefly becomes the mascot of a football team after causing them to win a game by distracting a penalty shooter. However the loosing opposing fans find him and beat him up. He is rescued half dead and taken to an animal hospital where he recovers only to after another adventure during which he kicks and possily kills a man being driven with a herd of cattle to a slaughterhouse.

Reviews

by rogerco on Sat 20th Jan 2024 DVD proj @ home (Subtitled)

Weird

Summary

A different way of telling a story with an animal as the lead character

Full review

Very difficult to review as it is in a class of its own, quite unlike any other film. I guess I was entranced and involved so in that sense the film worked. Since the character couldn't speak we had to rely on shots of him watching events unfold - often closeups of his face and eyes, and roject our own feelings and judgements about the events onto the donkey.

At other times instead of the character telling us in voice over or dialogue about how he is feeling we see the filmmakers impressions of how the interior world of a donkey might be - these scenes were less satisfying visually although music was used very effectively to convey the emotions that the donkey might be feeling.

A brave attemot to tell a different sort of story in a different way, but difficult to judge if it succeeds.