Temptation

 ((POKUSZENIE))

By DEREK ELLEY

(POLISH) A Prostar Holding production for Telewizja Polska, with participation of Agencja Produkeji Filmowej. (International sales: Telewizja Polska, Warsaw.) Directed, written by Barbara Sass.
 

Veteran director Barbara Sass takes an old standby -- a nun torn between love and duty -- and gives it a fresh wimple with "Temptation," a talky but involving drama that boasts top-notch playing and an intelligent script. This winner of the Fipresci (international critics) prize at the karlovy Vary fest is a quality item from Poland that should find a pew in festival and discerning Euro tubes' skeds.

In her first major role, young actress Magdalena Cielecka shines as Anna, a Catholic nun imprisoned for "formenting sedition" (Commie-speak for telling her pupils to attend Mass rather than a revolutionary parade) who's set free after agreeing to collaborate with the authorities, It's the winter of 1953, the darkest period of Stalinism, and her assignment is to get incriminating info on a well-known dissident priest (Olgierd Lukaszewicz) being held in a remote, abandoned fort.

What the secret police don't know is that Anna had an unrequited love for the priest prior to taking the cloth. Supervised by the fort's icy commander, she becomes part of an elaborate game between the priest and the authorities, as well as being pulled hither and thither by her sexual feelings for the priest and inner doubts about her suitability as a servant of God. When the priest eventually confides in her, she's forced to make a decision.

Working with a small cast and making the most of the remoteness of the setting, Sass spins a tightly focused drama that's thick with Catholic mumbo-jumbo but still works on a simple human level. Initially cute and obedient, Cielecka shows considerable range as the story unravels, progressing through tears, rage and sexual frustration to a cool realization of the realities of personal betrayal.

As the calculating priest, the experienced Lukaszewicz makes a fine, low-key partner, and other roles are well cast and played. Tight editing keeps the drama moving, and Michal Lorenc's twofold score (solo piano underlining Anna's faith, and orchestral frissons accompanying her moments of emotional release) is expertly judged.

Camera (color) Wieslaw Zdort; editor Maria Orlowska; music, Michal Lorenc; art direction, Wladyslaw Bielski; costume design, Maria Wilun; sound, Wieslaw Znyk. Reviewed at Karlovy Vary Film Festival (competing), Czech Republic, July 10, 1996. Running time: 98 MIN.
 

With: Magdalena Cielecka, Olgierd Lukaszewicz, Krzysztof Pieczynski, Edward Zentara.