Essential Killing (2010)

Very well executed

A Brilliant Conflict

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

You've rarely seen a movie like Jerzy Skolimowski's "Essential Killing". Vincent Gallo (of "Buffalo '66") plays an escaped POW from Afghanistan who roams the European countryside in midwinter hoping to be able to survive in this unfamiliar setting. The absence of dialogue - except for a few lines - gives the film an especially surreal feel. There's no particular political message. The message is: when you're on your own, you'd better have your wits about you.This is the first Skolimowski movie that I've seen. I'm impressed. I hope to be able to see more of his movies. In the mean time, I recommend this one.Also starring Emmanuelle Seigner (Roman Polanski's wife).

*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS*SPOILERS This has to be one of the most pretentious and dullest movies I have ever seen. Director Jerzy Skolimowski once made a great drama "Moonlighting". Unfortunately most of his work are arty movies that are hardly watchable. This one is no exception.This movie was obviously made to cash-in on the negative attitude towards America , after the world found out about Guantanamo and possible secret CIA prisons for terrorists in Poland . It's a story about Afghanistan terrorist who gets caught by USA army. His transported to prison in Poland , yet there's an accident and he manages to escape. Will he manage to survive ? "Essential killing" is quite nicely photographed and short (not even 1 h 30 minutes). The acting isn't bad . Vincent Gallo plays the main hero (anti-hero ?) and Emmanuelle Seigner makes a brief appearance near the end of the movie. Other actors are unknown , possibly even amateurs.The biggest problem with "EK" is it's a terribly shallow movie that has only one thing to say – killing is wrong. Well , at least that's the only thing that I understood after watching it. And quite probably there is some message that American soldiers are evil . I wouldn't mind a movie against violence and killing , but "EK" is completely devoted of any emotion. It's as cold as snow that appears in it.We don't get to know anything about our hero – his probably a fighter and has a wife in Afghanistan . That's the only thing that flashbacks told me about him. The movie seems to be full of symbols . What's with the white horse ? It's supposed to symbolize death . Our hero at the beginning of the movie looks like Jesus , while his wife(?) reminds of Maria . Or maybe that was unintended ? Was the ant eating supposed to be a symbol ? I don't know and I don't care.If you want to wasted your time on something simplistic , boring and pretentious watch "Essential killing". I give it 1/10.

I do not have a problem with movies in which the main character doesn't say a word, of course, if we are talking about silent movies or let's call them art movies. But this movie is neither. The story starts out well but then the main character ends up at an unknown continent and we all go there with him. He strays the woods looking for escape and so do you.Because it seems that the end will never come for the main character nor for you.The movie gets three stars from me for a nice start and for the actors effort.

You hardly get a good, lasting impression from low budget movies nowadays, so this title, in my view, stands out as a really original and, for that matter, quite an important one. The Polish film makers have really outdone themselves. Of course, at the beginning of the picture I was not confident about it, but after a while it gets decently impressive minute by minute. The movie itself is about war's effect on the humanity and life of one person. How it changes his life forever. But the presentation of this idea is absolutely unique for it's 'fresh vantage point'.I mean there are many movies about war and it's effects and consequences, so you cannot refuse to not praise the filmmakers for the success of the originality of this picture, due to the different point of view towards the subject. Everything in this film was unquestionably fine for me up until the ending. I felt that this ending was unfair. The result COULD have been different. But then, I guess, the ideas in this movie would, in a way, loose their meaning. This point IS argumentative. Concequentaly, the whole plot is decent and the ending... Well, I supposed, It depends on the person watching. The acting by Vincent Gallo is quite impressive. His performance is entertaining enough to keep the audience watching. And everything else is without flaws too. The soundtracks are decent, quite impressive actually for a low budget film. The camera-work is quite picturesque. Practically flawless. Seeing this movie will not disappoint and will leave a memorable impression.