arthurhaselrig
There is absolutely no reason I should have ever heard of this movie. I was born in the UK in the late 1990s, we get very little exposure to foreign language cinema here, and 'Motyle' is a small, rare Polish movie made in the early 1970s. The chances of me ever knowing about its existence are phenomenally small. However, I could not be happier that I found it. I stumbled across it one day on YouTube and watched it out of curiosity. I don't speak Polish but I got some help from a few translated plot summaries and reviews. But even if you don't speak the language, it's surprisingly easy to discern much of what is going on. That's one of the things I love about this kind of movie - it transcends language barriers and you don't need to understand what is being said to be able to enjoy it.'Motyle' moved me in a way very few movies have. In my life, I have seen many movies that have affected me emotionally, but usually the effects are short lived and if you watch them again, they don't affect you in the same way. However, I am writing these words several weeks after first watching 'Motyle' and even just thinking about it, I feel like crying. Something about it just left me completely devastated, and I would never have thought that a movie, let alone one in a language I don't speak, could have that kind of impact on me. I am still not entirely sure why it affected me in the way it did, but I believe it has something to do with the themes of childhood innocence and pain.Childhood innocence is something very precious to me. I believe that one of the best things a person can do with their life is give a child a happy childhood, one in which they are loved, praised and encouraged and free to be joyful, spontaneous, imaginative and carefree. Yet so often, children are tragically denied this innocence and are neglected, abused and forced to live in a state of fear, stress or loneliness, creating scars that run deep and often never heal. While 'Motyle' is primarily a movie about young love and its disappointments, it also deals with the pain and loneliness that results from not being loved in childhood. Monika was certainly wrong to deceive Edek the way she did, but it's impossible not to feel sympathy for her. She was a child without the love of a parent. Sad, alone and yearning to be noticed, she tried to fill in the vacuum created by the absence of a parental figure by attracting attention to herself in whatever way she could, and in doing so, she ended up hurting someone else. It's utterly heartbreaking, and it really demonstrates how the effects of an unhappy childhood can spread far beyond their origins and cause real pain in the lives of others.There are other aspects of this movie that add to its emotional impact. The subject of unrequited love is something I am all too familiar with, and I can definitely empathize with Edek's shock and dismay upon realizing that Monika's words and actions were all just a game. Also, common to many movies in the 'coming-of-age' genre, there is the tragic loss of a character's formerly innocent, idealized view of reality. Through a sweet tale of young love, 'Motyle' manages to convey a very real sense of disillusionment over the realization that the world is far more complicated, painful, upsetting and confusing than we first imagine as children. Movies like this seem very rare nowadays.In addition to the story, 'Motyle' benefits greatly from some excellent cinematography as well as the beautiful landscape in which it is set. There are many scenes in which we see Edek and Monika running through fields and playing games together, and they are wonderful to watch, the children looking very much like butterflies among the backdrop of trees, lakes and flowery meadows.The most touching scene for me is a flashback Edek has near the end of the movie. In this emotional moment, we see a vision of Monika running through the trees with her arms playfully outstretched as she runs. I cannot watch this part without feeling a lump forming in my throat and tears welling up in my eyes. It's an image of such innocence, such beauty and such joy and it will stay with me as long as I live.Thank you, Janusz Nasfeter, for making such a beautiful movie.
andy_n_johansen
Basically a story about some polish kids on summer vacation in the countryside. The story mainly follows Edek, an 11 year old buy who starts hanging out with the intriguing and flirting next door girl Monika, and how their friendship/relationship evolves. Edek is a simple boy, while Monika is the total opposite, boasting a different sophisticated lifestyle.The film is beautifully shot with nice scenes in the nature featuring Edek and Monika, accompanied by nice music and moments that might make you compare the movie a bit to the Swedish director Roy Anderssons debut movie "A Swedish love story" which was released in 1970. A well-made portrait of what it might feel like to have your first real crush on another person, and the confusion that also follows.The plot has a few twists but is kept relatively simple as the target group for the movie is the same age group as the kids in the movie, kids in their pre-teens. But an entertaining movie as well for adults.
