Demon (2015)
Starring Itay Tiran, Agnieszka Żulewska, Maja Barelkowska
Directed by Marcin Wrona
Following the U.S. premiere of late Polish director Marcin Wrona’s Demon, many folks in the Fantastic Fest crowd (myself included) were left scratching their heads – and for good reason. Wrona’s tale of an inconvenient possession at a Polish wedding establishes a desolate and haunting tone early on, only to subvert traditional horror tropes about halfway through with swift doses of absurdity and humor that take the story in an unexpected direction. The degree to which the Polish film succeeds or not in its genre subversion tactics will indeed be a subject of debate, albeit with strong cases for both arguments.
The story follows Piotr (Tiran), an architect living in London who moves to a small Polish town to marry the beautiful Zaneta (Żulewska) on their newly inherited family estate. On the day preceding the wedding, Piotr stumbles upon skeletal remains on the property but ultimately decides to keep the news from Zaneta so not to cause a stir in the midst of the nuptial celebrations. However, as the big day arrives, guests fill the property, and the vodka begins to flow (and boy, does it flow in this film), it becomes clear that Piotr’s encounter with the remains has stirred a disquieted spirit that has decided to set up shop in his body, a take on the Jewish dybbuk folklore that tells of displaced souls possessing the living. The spirit is indeed revealed to belong to a young Jewish woman named Hana, and Piotr’s gradual transformation causes quite a stir at the reception, to say the least.
The solid performances showcased in Demon are undeniable, particularly that of Tiran as the unlucky bridegroom. In real time, we witness Tiran’s confidently masculine mannerisms fade into the meek and heartbroken softness of the tragic Hana. Piotr’s on-screen disintegration as the spirit overtakes him is conveyed with equally creepy and heartbreaking nuance by Tiran, an impressive feat considering that he carries much of the film. Equally entertaining is Zaneta’s hard-headed traditional father, a delightfully frustrating Andrzej Grabowski. The scenes featuring Grabowski and his team of bumbling relatives and family friends trying to uncover the truth behind Piotr’s illness while attempting to keep the guests ignorant are surprising highlights of the film.
That being said, the film’s use of situational comedy — including the colorful cast of guests who become wildly inebriated and a running gag involving a priest who just cannot seem to leave the party no matter how hard he tries — is its most straightforward characteristic. Elsewhere, Demon relies heavily on atmosphere and ambiguity, which for some will grow quite frustrating as the film begins to ask more questions than it seeks to answer. What becomes of Hana and Piotr? What is the significance of the mysterious opening and closing scenes? What was in that car in the final moments? As a whole, the film aims to make greater statements on history, culture, and love; but Wrona’s decision to skirt these narrative questions will no doubt exasperate filmgoers expecting a more neatly packaged resolution.
With such a decision, Wrona’s intent is certainly admirable; the film explores the idea of coming to terms with (or resolute denial of) the sins of the past effectively and delicately, notably as it applies to Poland’s history during the Holocaust. However, given all of its greater artistic intentions, the infusion of the more absurd elements of the film only feel half-realized at times; things do start getting weird in a way that merits initial intrigue and discussion, but not quite weird enough to elevate the story to its loftier aspirations and statements. Wrona’s decision to pull back in this matter and instead rest on ambiguity in the final act may arguably register more as a creative disservice to Peotr’s story, even for those who enjoy a good think-piece.
In the wake of Wrona’s very tragic passing (news of which broke in the final days of the Toronto International Film Festival), the recent screenings of Demon were most definitely filled with an air of mourning for the promising talent and the career that met its end all too soon. Despite its potentially divisive nature, Demon is certainly still an atmospheric, masterfully acted, and visually captivating work, a credit to Wrona’s vision and irrefutable directorial talent and the stunning cinematography of Pawel Flis. As a film that was undeniably crafted with passion and care, Demon‘s overarching poignancy is deeply appropriate, and Wrona could not have asked for a more graceful final bow.
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