Learn History!

I'm no historian. I did not feel that "Ida" portrayed the Polish people in a derogatory light. I did not come away with the impression that, as a nation, the Poles had been in cahoots with the Nazis.

Indeed the film suggests that old man Szymon protected Ida/Anna, her parents and her young cousin. In the emotionally fraught scene in the wood, his son, whilst digging for the remains of those he had killed, admitted that he had committed the murders. The film implies, I think, that the son's nerve broke - that he feared the discovery of those they were harbouring, and hence his family's destruction at the hands of The Nazis. The picture of Aunt Wanda cradling her baby's skull is difficult to dispel. But the picture of Szymon's son discovering that unburdening his guilt hadn't lightened his load was also very moving. I'm just thankful that life thus far hasn't burdened me with such a terrible dilemma!

The remarkable thing about your comment is the film is not about the Holocaust. It is not even about "the Poles". Presumably, the term "Poles" encompasses people of Poland who may come from various backgrounds, cultures and religions. In your mind it seems to be only Catholics.

The film is about one Jewish family's story and it is very even-handed in its story telling, even from the standpoint of Catholic Poles. (Spoilers ahead): The hospitalized father was one of the Poles who protected the jewish family, at great risk to his own family. He says nothing in the hospital about how they died (we later learn) only to protect his son who was the actual perpetrator. That perpetrator even shows contrition and sadness for his act by confessing and leading them to their graves. He should have also killed Ida, but spared her life because he felt he could "get away" with it.

While comments on YouTube are usually worse than insipid, this one was quite good (from the "Ida" trailer):

TajgerTrzynascie - 3 weeks ago

Some Polish comments about the purported anti-Polish nature of the film speak volumes about the backward mentality of some people in our country today, and I'd like to comment on behalf of the rest of us.

Firstly, understanding the film as a story about "values" or "Polish-Jewish" relations is a misinterpretation: "Ida"'s poignancy is in its intimacy, personality and humanity. The dramatic power is lost when read as a parable or statement about sociopolitical issues. Its tone precisely avoids the sort of sweeping statements about history some would attribute to it. Failing to see the film for what it truly is not only butchers it, but also misrepresents the statements it does make.

Second, and, I think, more importantly, frustration about the portrayal of Poles and Jews displayed below is symptomatic of the conflict the movie concerns itself with: a bizarrely undefended assertion of an absolute dichotomy between Polish and Jewish identity. If the tragedies of the characters must be considered in terms of their historical or societal import, why must this occur in a "Jewish nationalist" framework, and not a Polish one? The story is precisely not about the holocaust, but about mid-century Poland, and the questions it raises concern our country itself, not just Jews, Catholics or Communists. If there is an injustice perpetrated in the film, it is the two-fold victimization of Poles - Jewish and Catholic alike - by two forms of totalitarianism, the historically latter of which perpetuated the hateful and divisive practices of the former with regards to Catholic-Jewish relations in Poland.

Totalitarianism effaces the humanity of the individual and privileges the group. Criticisms of "Ida" on the basis of political statements attributed to it, with no regard for its value as a work of art or the humanity of its characters, just goes to show how much damage the last century has done to our national psyche.

Wybaczcie, ze po angielsku - wiekszosc dotychczasowych komentarzy jest anglojezyczna. 

This is a polish film .

It happens in every society. Most people understand there is another side and that one film can't tell the whole story. It only tells part, this wasn't based on a true story was it?


ΔΨΨΔ

I saw the movie last night and loved it. I did not get the impression that the Poles were colaborating with the Nazis. It was about one case of a stinking father and son collaborating to take advantage of a poor Jewish family whose house and land they wanted. No more, no less.

My 100 favorite movies http://www.imdb.com/list/Uvw_F2_GMx8/
What are your favorites?

In the building I lived as a child, we were all jewish. Many of them were polish and among those all of them said how anti-semite polish people are. How many jews are living in Polland today ? Not many I bet. No one wants to go back there.

I'm a Pole, who moved to the States 10 years ago- and I have no issues with this film- other than some minor editing and staging that made a few shots lengthy and awkward. A few points: 1. This is just a movie. 2. The point of it as a movie is to tell interesting stories of individuals as human beings. Not to make any broad statements about any nation or any group or forward any political agenda. It's not a documentary, it's not a history lesson. I also grew up with this tainted perspective that made me insist that Poles, Polish history and it's glorious tradition were all displayed through a lens that is kind and accurate as if the whole world watched, the whole world cared and made broad assumptions about the nation as a whole, be it a movie like this or some minor editorial in the NYT. I guess holding onto history and our uncompromising moral high-ground was something that really helped us through some tough times and allowed us to retain our identity. Polish media also add to this notion that whatever someone has written or filmed about Poland is of utmost importance. But the stark reality is that the world doesn't care either way and the movie industry doesn't have a duty to only depict attitudes that majority of people displayed. Similarly, it isn't "our movie" it's not a national treasure we all have a stake in, it's this filmmaker's vision. It's this girl story. If it's a minority tale, if it's the unusual and out of the ordinary, against the stream, the more interesting the movie becomes for presenting this however isolated tale. And the thing about making movies is everyone can make their own on or in response to just about anything. I really doubt however that anyone cares about "setting the record straight" outside of Poland, because a movie is a movie and history is history. Here's why Polish films were failing to connect with international audiences lately: too much history, too much pride about things that non-Poles can't relate to or understand and not enough good movie making. Stop living in the past, stop looking for validation in the history of once great empire and just move on. The world has for sure.

http://blog.lawyeronwheels.org Blog on disability, law and inspiration

but the jewish militias in palestine had strong cooperation with the nazis through german embassy in turkey, they had one enemy, britain and one goal sending euraopean jews to palestine, these militias formed later the israeli army and produced israeli prime ministers, and the holocaust is largely a myth.

i mostly will not be able to answer your reply, since marissa mayer hacked my email, no notification

As a Pole I don't understand your anger and post .
If you were to know history of at least level of middle school ,you would know that Yes there were Poles that killed Jews ,fom many reasons ,but I guess You are one of those that have idealized image of Poland

Anti-Polonism not this movie
Anti-Semitism not this movie

I could write a lot but I know your kind and I know it would be waste o my time