32. EO; movie review

 

EO

Cert TBA

86 mins

BBFC advice: TBA

Who knew we would be so invested in the hero of a movie who is literally a donkey?

EO goes from ghastly owner to ghastly owner (with one notable exception) and his treatment is a sad reflection on modern society.

Jerzy Skolimowski’s movie begins with him performing in a circus with his affectionate trainer (Sandra Drzymalska).

Soon he is taken away because it is perceived that animals are mistreated in the big top and they are banned from keeping them.

However, it pretty soon becomes clear that kindness is not abounding elsewhere.

Indeed, his next owner's abuse is much worse than any in the circus, so EO escapes and begins a series of dramas across Poland and Italy.

Skolimowski highlights many of society's ills through the donkey's travels - he meets the worst of humanity alongside a rare kind heart.

Meanwhile, there are plenty of surprises and he even encounters a countess (Isabelle Huppert).

It says much for Skolimowski's skill as a director that we were as engaged in the fate of EO as we would have been with any movie hero/heroine.

Could he defeat the odds and find his way to a donkey sanctuary and live out his days in peace?

We were on tenterhooks to find out and so will others if they give this unlikely drama a chance.

Reasons to watch: A rare movie with a real-life animal hero

Reasons to avoid: Weird tangents

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 7/10

Did you know? The world's donkeys are facing a population crisis because of the huge demand for their skins in China, where they are used to make health foods and traditional medicine.  Donkey meat is also a popular food, but a huge drop in the number of Chinese donkeys and the fact they are slow to reproduce has forced suppliers to look elsewhere.

The final word. Jerzy Skolimowski: "Directors use intellectual arguments and emotional language to provoke actors to deliver the desired effect. With my donkey, the only way to persuade him to do anything was with tenderness: words whispered in his ear and a few friendly caresses. Raising your voice, showing impatience or nervousness would have been the fastest path to disaster." 

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