Film review: ‘EO’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’

The surreal, dreamlike Polish animal adventure EO, which comes from veteran director Jerzy Skolimoski, is one of the most intriguing and affecting films of the year.

While a donkey played a small supporting role in Banshees Of Inisherin, in this film, our four-legged friend takes his rightful place as the lead.  Here, former circus performer Eo escapes the farm to which he has been repatriated under animal rights laws and attempts to return to his former trainer and co-star Kasandra (Sandra Drzymalska).  Eo undertakes a strange Candide-like odyssey through Poland, crossing vast imposing forests, desolate plains and eerie, night-time streets, along the way encountering various humans and becoming innocently embroiled in their personal dramas.

This is not the first film to feature an animal as the central character but few films have done so as movingly and with as much cinematic invention as Eo. There’s a constant sense of trepidation as we fear for this vulnerable creature unmoored in the brutal human world.  One scene of (obviously simulated) animal cruelty will prove shocking, even horrifying for many viewers.

Skolimoski was apparently inspired to make the film having been deeply moved by Robert Bresson’s classic 1966 tragedy Au Hasard Balthazar which also featured a donkey. The film also recalls the impressionistic style of Terrence Malick with powerful scenes of nature, hallucinogenic imagery, point of view shots and dramatic (sometimes overly-dramatic) music.  Like Malick, Skolimoski juxtaposes visions of morally pure nature against corrupt ugly industrialisation in a way that is a little obvious at times still seers itself into our memory.

As Eo runs into various humans, Skolimski often starts to focus on their story before abruptly leaving these mini dramas (some of which are quite confronting and violent) unresolved.  This feels a little odd at first but is presumably a device to say that human lives aren’t the only important creatures on the planet.  Some other scenes will also prove a little perplexing for audiences, including one involving a robot dog but these are usually intriguingly odd rather than major missteps.

Eo is experimental and with minimal dialogue it at times feels strangely detached but few could fail to feel deep empathy for its hero and the other non-humans he encounters.

Nick’s rating: ****1/2

Genre: Drama/ Adventure/ Animal rights.

Classification: MA15+.

Director(s): Jerzy Skolimowski.

Release date: 6th April 2023..

Running time: 86 mins.

Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.

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