Early on in Agnieszka Holland’s creation, ‘Emerald Frontier’, I had a moment where I questioned whether or not I could endure the film in its entirety. The movie exhibits an intensity that can unnerve many viewers. Imagine being asked to suggest films at a social gathering, and recommending a two-and-a-half-hour monochromatic drama revolving around the European refugee crisis, watch as everyone instantly turns their attention back to their casual conversations. I personally delayed viewing it, and apparently, this is what I should be doing for a living.
Nevertheless, if you have the resilience to weather it, the film proves a rewarding experience — vividly raw yet curiously optimistic in its portrayal of humanity’s inherent goodness in the face of sheer adversity. ‘Emerald Frontier’ embarks with the narrative of a family forced to flee Syria, enticed towards Belarus by counterfeit propaganda propounding facile entry to the European Union. This is just a scheme orchestrated by Putin’s associate, Alexander Lukashenko, aimed at upsetting EU stability by unleashing a deluge of migrants and generate pandemonium akin to the Brexit voting. The pilgrims from Syria encounter an Afghanistan woman, traversing this journey alone, in middle-age. The dreadful realities of this crossing become painfully apparent to them, echoing our own alarm.
The ongoing flood of refugees prompts the Polish government to seclude the wooded expanse by the Belarusian border. This untamed wilderness, off-limits to media and humanitarian aid, becomes a disputed territory. Mishandled by border patrollers, the refugees are continually shuttled between nations, treated like unwanted guests. Both governments transform these desperate, starving, and uprooted people into political utilities, flicking them around like ‘human missiles’ amidst a proxy battle. This depraved tactic of intentional dehumanization deeply impacts the guards, pushing them towards vile conduct under the influence of alcohol. A particularly shocking act involves one of these guards callously tossing a pregnant woman over a razor-wire fence.
Initially, the lush forest setting is full-color, but as the narrative unfolds, Holland creates the remainder of the movie using sparse, crisp black and white frame. The film shies from dramatizing the atrocities, refraining from using slow motion and emotional music. Instead, the harsh reality is presented bluntly which makes the cruelty endured seem chillingly casual. Narrated in sections, ‘Emerald Frontier’ features an ensemble cast, each given momentary spotlight, akin to the approach seen in impactful political films from the early 2000s like ‘Traffic’ by Steven Soderbergh or Alejandro González Iñárritu’s ‘Babel.’
An hour into this film, the character of Julia comes into the picture, a psychologist portrayed convincingly by Maja Ostaszewska. Julia, an affluent and bereaved widow, doesn’t commonly engage in activism. However, she is subtly driven to action by what she sees unfolding around her. The film presents Julia’s transformation subtly and wisely, showing an elegant woman collaborating with radicals with untamed enthusiasm. ‘Emerald Frontier’ gradually transitions to a style resembling a rescue movie, as Julia and her newfound comrades devise a plan to save the stranded migrants, resulting in a thrilling segment of the movie.
It could seem unusual to find such serious content entertaining. Yet, the concluding sections of the film bring an uplifting feeling – delightfully satisfying while maintaining the gravity of the central theme. Now 75 years old, veteran filmmaker Holland demonstrates her adeptness at unearthing unexpected elements in bleak narratives. Her box-office hit ‘Europa Europa’ is a WWII drama that humorously narrates the journey of a young Jewish boy hiding among the Hitler Youth and having to conceal his circumcision.
With ‘Emerald Frontier,’ Holland repeated her success. She won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival the previous year, despite fierce condemnation from Poland’s conservative government, who compared the film to Nazi propaganda. Even the President Andrzej Duda expressed his disdain, stating ‘only pigs sit in cinemas.’ Yet, ‘Emerald Frontier’ surpassed the earnings of ‘The Little Mermaid’ in Poland, suggesting a large audience enjoyed the film.
Whether ‘Emerald Frontier’ will repeat this success at the U.S. box office remains uncertain, but the last act does have mass appeal, with its emphasis on classical storytelling virtues fused with inclusive optimism, elements that have become scarce in recent times. The film shows how, despite the world seeming incredibly grim, there are still people willing to stand up and act for the common good.
Despite this, Holland incorporates a smart epilogue that subtly pokes at Poland’s incongruous refugee policies. It showcases how, in stark contrast to their mistreatment of asylum-seeking migrants from Islamic states a few years prior, Poland welcomed thousands of refugees from Ukraine. One can’t help but ponder what might have been different between these two cases.
‘Emerald Frontier’ hits the screens on Friday, July 26 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre. This film beautifully captures the bleak and grim realities of the refugee crisis while also highlighting the resilience and inherent goodness of human beings.