Crows
Reviewed by Gordon Kearns
This review contains key plot elements (Spoilers)
Wrony (aka Crows) 1994 gives us a stunning depiction of childhood. The movie follows a nine year-old child through one day in a gritty, open, and non-judgmental way that reminds of Ratcatcher, A Real Young Girl, and Petits Freres ... and maybe Ponette a little. The story is profoundly simpler than any of them, however; and in its simplicity it reaches deeper inside the child than any of them. Wrona (Crow) is a street-tough, often crude-mouthed nine year-old girl who lives in a small apartment with her mother. Whether or not the mother truly loves the child we never know. What we do know is that the mother is too pre-occupied, or tired, or disinterested ... or whatever to allow herself any overt expression of interest in the girl. No hugs, no kisses, no touches, no words; only impatient rejection of the girl's small attempts to elicit such little response. When the mother is home, the girl is more often than not locked out so the mother can sleep ... or "entertain" male visitors. Outside the apartment Wrona rejects adults' perfunctory tenderness. A teacher rebukes Wrona for not dressing-out for PE, and makes the girl come to class in her underwear because she said she forgot her leotards. When Wrona bitterly accepts the order and comes to class in her underwear, her classmates deride her. When the teacher tries to comfort her, she cusses the woman out and runs off. Wrona isn't a lonely child so much as a child all alone. She can effectively brush away boorish boys who offer her cake if she drops her pants; and she knows to flee the shadowy man who tries to get to her. But "alone" catches up with her. So one morning she kidnaps a three year-old, and the two run off to a day of pretend family. Wrona wants to be a proper loving mother for the child, but she also needs the child's companionship and acceptance. And she often reacts to the child's stubborness and petty needs with childish abuse. But through it all there's a love that evolves between the two that Wrona has never experienced before. In the end, Wrona leaves the girl at her doorstep - to her loving, crying, tender, hugging parents ... as Wrona watches from the shadows. The girls wave a private "Goodbye." The movie ends with Wrona sitting on the floor, quietly and simply pleading for her mother to hold her. Which, of course, she doesn't.
The performances of the two lead girls, Karolina Ostronzna as nine year-old Wrona ("Crow") and Kasia Szczepanik ("The baby)" are outstanding. Director Dorota Kedzierzawska brought us a poignant picture of real children, and her obviously sensitive work with the two girls brought out beautiful real-life portrayals.
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