Buffalo Rising Online

Jun 23rd 2008, 11:13am By Todd Schoepflin

Fugitive Pieces centers on the character of Jakob Beer, a child orphaned in Poland during World War II. Struck with panic and trauma, he seems doomed to suffer the rest of his life with the horror he witnessed as a child. The viewer is drawn into three places during the movie: Poland, Greece, and Canada. Jakob is brought to a Greek island by Athos, a kind man who finds him in Poland while doing work as an archaeologist. Athos takes Jakob in and treats him like a son. They eventually move to Canada when Athos is offered a job there.

The adult Jakob is a writer who keeps a diary with no thoughts held back. The words in his diary reflect his pain. He writes: “Everything is wrong,” a phrase that summarizes his miserable mindset. He describes his lover Alex as having “shameless vitality,” words not intended as a compliment. They break up soon after she reads his diary. The story becomes one of Jakob trapped by his past, unable to escape it and not capable of living happily in the present.

Most of the movie is not uplifting. I say this not as a criticism; it’s simply how I characterize the mood of the film. The movie does take a sweet turn when Jakob finds his true love, Michaela. He shares with her amazing words from a poem: “You’re many years late, how happy I am to see you.” The viewer who has been pulled into Jakob’s life of loss and grief will appreciate what he means by those words.

The film is adapted from a novel by Anne Michaels. I haven’t read the novel, but from what I gather about it online, it appears as though the film renders a more optimistic outlook than the book. A few reviewers have criticized the film for the happy direction it takes. The notion is that Jakob would be incapable of sudden emotional transformation by virtue of meeting Michaela. I happen to disagree, but I believe it’s a debatable point. If any readers have seen this movie, I am curious for your perspective and whether you think that his newfound comfort and solace is unrealistic.

Overall, I found Fugitive Pieces to be powerful. I felt challenged by the film and have been thinking about one of the larger issues it raises. To some extent, we are all products of our past. Many people spend their lives struggling to break from their past and trying to remake themselves. I wonder what separates those who are inextricably tied to their past compared with those who are not? This is a question that has stayed with me since viewing the film. Any thoughts?

Fugitive Pieces(R)
Directed by Jeremy Podeswa
Dipson Theatre
3500 Main Street
Buffalo, 14226

This article begins a regular feature in which Todd will describe a movie and offer his analysis--with encouragement for readers to participate in the discussion by posting their comments.

He takes special interest in movies shown at the North Park Theater and Dipson's Theatre, given the independent spirit of movies shown at these locations.