| 88; 4.5 stars; A | dir. Ildikó Enyedi | Hungarian | 116 min | M18 with cuts |
Endre, the CFO of an abattoir, discovers he shares the same recurring dream with Mária, the new quality inspector. In the dream they are a pair of deer grazing in a wintry forest.
Ildikó Enyedi’s Golden Bear winner captures an all-too-familiar sensibility of introversion, set against the backdrop of a dreamy romance. Her protagonists are quiet, somewhat estranged individuals – Endre (Géza Morcsányi) has an aloof demeanour, while Mária (Alexandra Borbély) borders on the socially autistic. Their shared estrangement, however, does little to cultivate a closer bond until a forced meeting with a psychologist reveals their hidden, ethereal connection.
Achingly tender and thematically poetic, the film ventures into the metaphysical realm by way of its creative premise, distinguishing between earthly and otherworldly realities. The abattoir, with its brutal and real-life slaughtering, is neatly (and almost ironically) juxtaposed with the pair’s herbivorous personas, evoking an even greater sense of empathy as both attempt to discover a newfound intimacy.
Enyedi’s supporting characters effectively reinforce this empathy, often presenting conundrums for Endre and Mária to overcome. Sanyi, a butcher, frightens Mária with his cocky attitude, and Jenő, Endre’s co-worker, unwittingly complicates his friend’s dual relationships – with work, and Mária. The abattoir’s staff in general do not take kindly to Mária’s low-EQ, anti-social behaviour, and shun her for it.
Titled as such, ‘On Body and Soul’ constructs a heartfelt thesis on the nature of this duality, expounding, perhaps, their inseparability. One of the scenes, featuring Laura Marling’s haunting vocals in ‘What He Wrote’, is at once viscerally graphic and heartbreakingly vulnerable, and will leave most close to tears. It shows the damage a body may sustain in pursuit of a mystical soul. An incredible film.