EDGES OF THE LORD
US/Poland, 2001, 102 minutes, Colour.
Hayley Joel Osment, Willem Dafoe, Liam Hess.
Directed by Yurek Bogayevicz.
Edges of the Lord is a little-seen film, produced by Miramax, a collaboration between the United States and a great number of Polish film and television companies. It tells a familiar story: the young Jewish boy who was given up by his parents during World War II to a Catholic family so that he could be saved while they went to the concentration camps. The film opens with the sequences but then moves to the Polish countryside, life under Nazi occupation being ordinary although the citizens are continually repressed, frightened, having to conceal their animals because the occupying soldiers wanted them for food, as well as renegade people robbing Jews escaping from the trains going to the concentration camps.
Hayley Joel Osment is the young boy who goes to the Catholic family. Made after The Sixth Sense, it predates Pay it Forward and AI: Artificial Intelligence. He is still the earnest, wide-eyed young boy. Willem Dafoe appears as the local parish priest, a hardy type, smoking cigarettes, confronting people, yet humiliated by the Nazis, doing his best to help people in his rough and ready way. The film also focuses on the children in the family, two young brothers, the older of whom is antagonistic towards the alleged cousin from Krakow, while the fey younger brother becomes a good friend of the new cousin, but also gets involved in the religion lessons, identifying with Jesus, especially to his hanging on a tree like the crucifixion and, ultimately, going to the concentration camps.
The film focuses on what life was like in a Polish town, on what life had to be for the children, the games that they played, the antagonisms, the sexual initiation games. The film becomes darker when the farmer is killed by a neighbour who wants to get the money for his concealed pig and for the son of this neighbour who, with a friend, perpetrates robberies on fleeing Jews and is shot by the son of the sympathetic farmer. In final graphic images, it shows the young Jewish boy being praised by the German soldiers as he goes through the motions of robbing Jews.
While the film may seem uneven, veering from the world of the children to the world of the adults, and telling a somewhat familiar story, it is still an interesting memoir of events happening almost sixty years earlier.
1. The impact of the film, for what audience, Polish, American? Its not having a great commercial release?
2. The Polish countryside, its beauty, under the occupation? The 1940s? The trains going to the concentration camp? The musical score?
3. The authenticity of the plot, the characters? The many stories told on such themes? The Jewish response to the child having to act as a Catholic? The Catholic response? The perspective in the 1940s, later decades with inter-faith dialogue? The final comment about the boy thanking the people for the kindness who were able to let him be the person who he was?
4. The title of the film, as explained by the priest? The focus on mass and communion, on the body and blood of Jesus? The priest and his cutting the hosts, the circular hosts for first communion, the edges not being used or consecrated? Romek playing with the edges, making the pieces represent his family? Their evocation of the Jewish star? His receiving this edge, given him by the priest, in place of a consecrated host?
5. The war situation in Poland, the occupation, the Jewish parents in Krakow, the arrangements with the farmer, giving him the money, their farewell to their son, placing him in the sack? The danger from the soldiers, the chase and the shooting and the boy witnessing this? The escape from Krakow?
6. Life in the village, his being introduced as the cousin from Krakow, people accepting this even if they knew who he really was? Life at the farm, in the house, the town? The significance of the pig in the cellar and its being concealed from the Germans? Romek being introduced to the family, the care of the mother, the genial father? The older boy and his initial antagonism? The younger boy and his friendship?
7. Romek, his age, the experience of having to leave Krakow, leave his family, being seen as a city boy? His place in the household, the fights with the older brother, the younger brother being kind, offering him the place in the bed? The meals, work, play? The introduction to the group, to the young girl? Going to church, the friendship with the priest, the first communion group and the classes out in the open, the games identifying with the apostles? The village concealing Romek's identity? His growth, reliance on the family, his longing for his parents, the photo and the discussions with the mother? The story of the trains, his eventually going to the train and his being shocked?
8. Religious themes, Catholicism in Poland, the celebration of the mass? The contrary behaviour of many of the Catholics, the dishonesty, the sexuality, bestiality, rape, murder? The priest doing his best to be pastor, the explanation of communion, his cutting his hand and showing them the blood? His celebration of masses, his way of talking to the people, the altar boys? Funerals? Confession? People being able to talk with him, giving advice? The final mass and the giving of the first communion?
9. The character of the priest, rugged, tough, smoking? His sternness at mass with the elderly couple? His being given one minute to catch the pigs, otherwise the elderly couple were to be shot? The shootings, his sense of failure? The younger boy and his mimicry of the situation
10. The portrait of the family, the parents, the father and his kindness, taking the pig away, the pathos of his death and the return of the body? The mother, her care? Concern about her younger son, wanting Romek to take care of him, the son being sick and her ousting Romek from the house? The older boy, stern, his girlfriend? The jealousy of Romek, trying to impress his father, studies, work? The younger boy and his friendship, play? Fascinated with the Jesus story, the apostles game? Having the crown of thorns on his head? Wanting to be crucified, on the tree, being mocked? His brother and the girl taking him down? His illness, his strange behaviour, going to the trains, watching his brother, his seeing the attack on the girl, going to get them to save her? The finale, the trains, his being with his brother and Romek, denying that he was their brother, being taken away in the train? The older boy's sullenness, change? His saving Romek in the water, Romek and the girl and the rape? The previous games - with the girl being the woman taken in adultery_? At the trains, his being taken by the Germans, Romek saving him?
11. The other children, the girl, her being older, with the older brother as her boyfriend, her fascination with Romek, taking him into the barn, the friendship, on the swing, hanging on the branches? The first communion group? The boys and the attack on her, the rape, her washing herself afterwards? The children at the swimming hole, the two malevolent boys throwing Romek into the pool, the older brother rescuing him? The taunts of the children towards the wilder two boys? About the sheep, the trains, their robberies, cruelty? The older brother shooting the boy as vengeance for his father?
12. The neighbours, the suspicions, the drinking, the neighbour killing the boys' father for the pig? The mother and her anguish, especially at the funeral of the boy?
13. The trains, their passing by, slowing down, the Jews jumping from the train, thinking they were safe, getting the family together, attacked by the boys, humiliated, giving over their money, violence?
14. The soldiers coming, commending Romek for his taking money from the Jews, urging him to do it and his following their orders? His having the gun, trying to save the older brother, and the irony of the Germans praising him and thinking the brother was Jewish?
15. The finale, the first communion, Romek's place in the village, his not being given the consecrated host by the priest? The finale with his reminiscence, his gratitude to the people who had saved him, allowed him to continue being Jewish?
