Illusion (Review) (Kinoteka Festival 2023)

The spectre of a missing person creates a different type of distress than death, because not knowing is a unique form of anguish. While there may be grief over the strong possibility that the missing person is dead, this grief is hard to process when the lack of certainty adds hope, thus preventing one from truly accepting the loss. Loss, grief, uncertainty and fragile hope characterise ‘Illusion’ (‘Iluzja’ in its native Polish). Director Marta Minorowicz, who co-writes with Piotr Borkowski, crafts a simple yet sensitive portrait of Hanna (Agata Buzek), whose daughter Karolina (Anna Paliga) disappeared an undisclosed amount of time previously. The illusion of the title appears in the opening scene, as Hanna, a schoolteacher, thinks she sees a young woman outside her classroom, only to find no one there when she goes to check. This early sequence expresses the crippling uncertainty that Hanna experiences, unable to deal with the disappearance of her daughter and becoming increasingly dubious about what is around her.

This ambiguity is placed within stark visuals that populate the film. Minorowicz uses the scenery to create an environment that is grim while, in its own way, beautiful. Director of Photography Pawel Chorzepa employs wide-angled, deep-focus shots that display brutalist as well as more rustic architecture. In one striking long take, piles of coal, loaded by mechanical arms into train trucks, stand against the sky like industrial mountains. This visual arrangement of tall objects in the background appears throughout the film, and while the mise-en-scene could suggest looming and menacing shapes, rather these geographical giants appear indifferent to whatever human drama goes on within them. And it is within this space that Hanna moves, often aimlessly despite her apparent desperation. Her relationships with others are strained at best, most obviously with her husband Piotr (Marcin Czarnik). Piotr’s suggestions that they move house are met by Hanna’s insistence on a place for Karolina at dinner. These domestic scenes also appear starkly, with a wintry landscape outside the homely dining table which indicates the penetration of frosty distance between the distraught parents.

This distance continues as Hanna’s commitment to keep looking develops into an obsession, turning to all manner of resources including a clairvoyant, who is described as the fifth so far. Yet when potential answers are provided, Hanna remains resistant, unable to give up even as she seems desperate for these answers. This desperation is perhaps most apparent when she bursts into a police office and demands the file about her daughter. Throughout, the viewer is encouraged to see Hanna compassionately, especially as the lead detective Janina (Malgorzata Hajewska) remains sympathetic towards her. We are also treated to Hanna’s own investigation, including encounters with Karolina’s friends as well as former neighbours. A frankly creepy encounter with a man sleeping rough comes when Hanna seems abandoned by Piotr, emphasising the desperate lengths she will go to, or has perhaps been left to.

Despite the subject matter, ‘Illusion’ is not a film of hysteria or histrionics. Piotr’s frustration is largely expressed through stillness, and there are various sustained shots of Hanna’s face. Little seeps through but the pain is all too apparent. When we do see an outburst, it is deeply upsetting as Hanna completely lets loose, bawling out her anguish before the film cuts to her dancing with abandon. In contrast to the cold tones of her home, the dancing takes place in a nightclub where she earlier encountered Magda (Sandra Drzymalska), and the warm tones of this environment indicate the loss of warmth and love in Hanna’s life. Small wonder she goes there to try and feel some semblance of connection to her daughter, especially as she is mistaken for her.

While the film’s portrayal of loss and grief is unflinching and powerful, it is also somewhat one note. Sequences of Hanna alone at home, walking around the town, on the beach and through the woods, all emphasise her loneliness. A peculiar sequence in a hotel room where she does little but channel hop and listen to classical music, before taking a shower in (again starkly beautiful) silhouette, expresses an increasing sense of hopelessness, but it does become rather repetitive. That said, the repetitiveness could well be the point because Hanna is unable to move on and the film is expressing her inertia and aimlessness. Viewers who have experienced similar losses may find these moments all the more moving and affecting, but others may find their patience tested.

The finale of the film moves into stranger territory and creates further ambiguity that is equally intriguing and frustrating. To an extent, this final act fuddles what type of film this is, with an almost paranormal dimension emerging beyond the earlier appearance of a clairvoyant. However, while the brain of ‘Illusion’ is sometimes confusing, it ultimately does deliver on its heart. The final moments resonate with an earlier moment, pointing to the genuine and indeed essential opportunities for healing. Hanna’s loss has left her alone, confused and trapped by her own mind, but there is a suggestion that maybe, just maybe, there is still a human connection to help her feel again.

Vincent’s Archive: Illusion (2022)