Oscar 2023 nominee EO is proof we need more animal perspectives in movies

None of the six donkeys starring in Jerzy Skolimowski’s Oscar-winning film EO will receive a statue at the 2023 Academy Awards, even if the film pulls off an unlikely upset in the Best International Feature Film category against its closest rival, Edward Bergers nothing new in the West. Animals are ineligible for Academy Awards, although many Academy-sponsored films feature animal actors like Terry (Toto in The Wizard of Oz) and Popcorn Deelites (Seabiscuit in sea ​​biscuit).

But centering EO on a donkey as a subject instead of an object, as a star instead of a supporting character, makes Skolimowski’s film a unique experience, even outside of the Oscars context. What ever does Winning the best international feature film will be nothing short of conventional in comparison EOa film that makes the best argument yet that movies need more animal perspectives.

Skolimowski, the eclectic veteran Polish filmmaker, painter and actor behind films like Essential Killing And 11 minutes (and a little playeroddly enough, in the 2012 MCU film The Avengers), filters EO through the eyes of its protagonist, a lovable, lonely, lost donkey strolling through the Polish and Italian countryside. As much as a camera may Show the audience the world like an animal, tries cameraman Michał Dymek. EO’s eyes are Dymek’s constant, an anchor he keeps returning to for reaction shots between depictions of humanity’s worst and best. The donkey that plays EO cannot act or react like a human performer would: it comes across as imperturbable, composed, and cool. But his blankness is an invitation to reflect on how he sees what we see.

Skolimowski’s contribution to cinema’s “sad donkey” niche ranks with films like 1966 Random Balthazaralongside the Oscar-nominated examples of 2022 triangle of sadness And The Banshees by Inisherin. It is also related to films about creatures other than donkeys, such as Kelly Reichardt’s First cow and Michael Sarnoskis Pig: Productions that respect their animal companions as characters, but still leave the narrative reins to the people.

EO is an enduring tragedy. Heartbreak is burned into the film’s logline: EO, a donkey who happily performs in front of the circus crowds with his henchman Kasandra (Sandra Drzymalska), is snatched from her care by the state. After a series of transmissions from one owner to another, he escapes and scurries throughout creation, ostensibly trying to find his way back to Kasandra. His misadventures along the way range from the heartfelt to the weird to the horrifying.

“The state” is run in this film by a pompous government official who, after ridding the circus’ menagerie of performers, pats himself on the back with a speech about “cleansing up irregularities.” Skolimowski sets out his thesis here: Those in positions of power are the least qualified to administer animal welfare, rather than people like Kasandra, whose love for EO is tender and unconditional. Admittedly, one of Kasandra’s circus colleagues does abuse EO, but he doesn’t treat people much differently. Throughout the film, there are countless ambassadors of human-animal bonding who have stronger credentials than he does.

The farmers who welcome EO into their barn; the children with special needs who visit the farm and shower it with affection and cuddles; the football fans who adopt him as their mascot after winning a match against their rivals; Richling Vito (Lorenzo Zurzolo), who whisks EO from a crime scene to his family’s mansion and chats to him like an old friend rather than a random donkey – these characters represent humanity in the best possible light as stewards of animal welfare.

On the other hand, there is the skinner, who kills foxes in cages; The lose the soccer team’s violent hooligan fans venting their frustrations on EO; and the hunters who sneak through the gloomy forests at night, lighting their way with green laser sights. Together they form the “People Suck” side of EO‘s journey.

But screening the film for this misanthropic message serves Skolimowski’s work poorly. EO doesn’t sugarcoat anything: humanity’s darkest tendencies are shown in unflinching detail, right down to murder. (Vito’s relationship with his passionate stepmother — played by Isabelle Huppert with her usual harsh intensity — doesn’t suggest much faith in human relationships either.) But there’s light in that darkness, a source of benevolence toward people, all reflected in the bottomless depth of EO’s gaze. He is aware of the kindnesses shown to him and the atrocities inflicted on him, even when he is not the focus of the frame, or in the frame at all. And he’s aware that he misses his caretaker and hopes to return to her, to the point where he leaves idyllic safety to find her, while ass POV flashes make it clear what he’s thinking.

It’s rare that the Oscars recognize a film like this EO, where an animal takes the spotlight and humans play the supporting cast. If the Academy had ignored those of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert Everything everywhere at once, EO would be undeniably the most unique candidate of the year. For all Everything everywhereDaniels’ idiosyncrasies, however, are invested in the human condition, explored from a human point of view.

EO invests in the animal perspective. Not even sea ​​biscuit can claim that. The observed experience is crucial; While every movie is a chance to see the world through someone else’s eyes, movies rarely offer the same opportunity for animals. And from the movies that Do, almost none of them reaching the kind of stage that the Academy Awards offer. The Academy could use more films EO – but especially cinema-goers could do it too.

EO Is Streaming on The Criterion Channeland can be rented or bought Amazon, vuduand other digital platforms.