'The Peasants' Review: 'Loving Vincent' Filmmakers Craft An Even More Impressive Animated Drama | TIFF 2023
In 2017, directors D.K. Welchman and Hugh Welchman released Loving Vincent , a collection of 65,000 film stills hand-painted with oil paint to resemble the work of Vincent van Gogh . Loving Vincent was a wonderful testament to an incredible artist who brought his work to life in a magical and stunning way that has never been seen in an Oscar-nominated film. Six years later, the Welchmans returned for The Villagers , another ambitious project filmed in live action and then painted with 40,000 oil paints. Although the subject matter is much darker than the paintings of one of the world's most famous artists, the result is just as extraordinary.
What is the series "Peasants" about?
DC and Hugh Welchman on the 20th Century by Vladislav Reymont . They are targeting the early 20th century novel The Farmers, a sequel to Loving Vincent . The townsfolk focus on Jagna ( Kamila Uzedowska ), a beautiful young woman who is considered slutty by her neighbors in her small Polish village of Lipci, although there is no reason to be so. However, Yagna has an affair with Ante ( Robert Gulacik ), a married farmer. Soon after rehearsals, Borina ( Miroslav Baca ) goes in search of his new wife, Antek's father, a recent widower and the richest man in the city, and sets his sights on Yagna.
Naturally, this causes a major rift in both relationships as Yagna is upset with the father's choice of a new wife as Yagna is not interested in marrying Borina. Worse, Borina's children are afraid that their father will lose his land to this woman, perhaps with questionable morals. What follows is the story of a man defined by society's self-worth and a tangled love triangle that changes and twists in horribly sad ways. For example, when Borina discovers his son and wife making love on the grass, he literally sets it on fire, not thinking of killing the two people closest to him. This is just the beginning of the troubles that will befall Yagna on his journey.
Reviving this Polish novel, D.K. and Hugh Welchman try to recreate the styles of various Polish artists. This is especially effective in various party and dance scenes where colors and people mingle to create a wave of movement and beauty. Or, when a group of partygoers comes to town, the images go from frightening to charming in an instant—another example of the changes that wouldn't be possible without the art of animation. It's also a great way to survive extreme moments. Regarding Yagna and Antek's romance, when Borina takes Yagna as his wife, we can feel their desire through the missing art, leaving the film in cold blue-gray tones. But as Yagna's journey becomes more and more dangerous and harrowing, the artistry of these shots masks the deep pain and darkness that makes this story too unbearable to watch.
"Farmers" - a great success in animation
This approach to Raymond's novel makes Les Paysans seem like a more adventurous challenge than Les Amours de Vincent . It's one thing to recreate incredibly famous works of art while telling the story of Van Gogh, but it's certainly more difficult to take great Polish artists and turn an unknown (at least to Western audiences) novel into a showcase for Polish artists. The enthralling Peasants isn't as flashy as Vincent the Lover because the animation here often feels almost eerily natural, as if telling the story live would be great. But ultimately style is more important than substance, and the Welsh have once again taken on the monumental task of bringing this story to life.
Although all the paintings are done in oils, “The Peasants” is more about those performances that break works of art. Uzhedovskaya stands out, bearing the brunt of the city’s anger and pain while trying to keep her head between Lipce’s haters. This is Uzhedovskaya’s first leading role, but her performance reveals a commanding character beyond her years. Hopefully we'll see more of him and his dominant presence in the future.
Gulacik and Baca are also excellent as the two terrifying men in Yagna's life. As we follow this story over the course of a year, our opinion of these two men changes and changes, but their devotion to Yagna is always clear. Especially in the case of Antek Gulacik, we see him change from a loving man to a man who would rather save face than do the right thing; a freedom that Yagna simply does not have as a woman during this period. Again, through the picture we can feel all the anger, rage, love and frustration that comes from these performances, and it's a testament to the cast and the Welsh that they were able to keep that in the film. , despite the illustration at the top of each frame.
The Farmers is a remarkable achievement for DK and, even six years after The Loves of Vincent , feels like another step forward in the capabilities of animation. As a live-action film, The Villagers would have been a monumental achievement, but by taking the time to animate these images and add additional texture to the story, the Welchmans created one of the most successful animated films, the most impressive of the year. outside
Rating: B+
The big picture
- The Farmers is a remarkable and ambitious animated film that combines live action with 40,000 hand-painted paintings to bring a little-known Polish novel to life.
- The animation captures the essence of Polish artistic styles, creating stunning party scenes and powerful emotional moments that would be impossible in live action.
- The performances of the actors, especially Kamila Uzhedovskaya, shine through the work of art, adding depth and complexity to the characters. The film is a testament to the Welsh's ability to push the boundaries of animation.
The Peasants had its world premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.
