Available exclusively on FILMO from April 21, The Painted Bird created excitement at the Venice International Film Festival in 2019. Find out all about this sublime, strong and essential war drama, with Stellan Skarsgård and Harvey Keitel.
WHAT DOES IT TALK ABOUT ?
After the death of his mother, a young boy accidentally burns down his house and finds himself condemned to wander in order to find a home to welcome him. Each of the houses in which he will stay will be the scene of particular violence, while the dangers of the Second World War, which is raging not far from there, will gradually approach…
A TOP-FLIGHT ADAPTATION
Before creating emotions – it’s the least we can say – during its presentation in the official selection at the Venice Film Festival 2019, The Painted Bird filled many libraries. Written by Jerzy Kosinski and published in 1965, L’Oiseau motley has therefore given a new skin almost 65 years later thanks to the Czech director Václav Marhoul. This is not the first time that a work by Jerzy Kosinski has been adapted for the cinema, since we were able to discover another of his classics, Welcome Mister Chance, with Peters Sellers and Shirley MacLaine, on the big screen in 1979.
Taking on a real challenge by adapting The Painted Bird marrying war drama with initiatory narrative, the filmmaker offers us a breathtaking cinematic experience, often evoking the classic Requiem for a massacre for its subject and the way it is treated. Through the sublime black and white of its sometimes raw, often shocking images, the film is lulled by a rare poetry, and this despite the violence of its words obviously echoing the tragic news in Ukraine.
Centered on the odyssey of this little boy surrounded by increasingly lively and omnipresent violence, the feature film is carried by the talent of young Petr Kotlár (Joska). He also counts on faces well known to moviegoers, such as Stellan Skarsgård or Harvey Keitel.
Over the course of 3 hours rich in a dazzling staging and symbolic and prodigious images, the film succeeds in imposing itself and imprinting itself in our memories in an indelible way. It is not for nothing that he received, among other things, the UNICEF Prize at the Venice Film Festival 2019 and no less than 7 Czech Lions (including Best Film and Best Director).
The Painted Bird: a true cinematic experience, available now only on FILMO. Take advantage of 2 months free (then €6.99/month without commitment) of the FILMO subscription with the code ALLOFILMO.