Legions (2019)

During World War I, Polish Legions were created to fight for freedom and independence. Groups of displaced men and women were brought together with the hopes that one day they would be able to fight back, to make a stand against the evil powers of the world. Joseph (Sebastian Fabijanski) is a deserter, and he’s been taken to a place where he will train to become a warrior. Growing up in these horrific times is anything but simple, but Joseph is determined to find a way and to help to save his homeland.

What you’re going to get throughout the course of Legions is gorgeous landscapes and incredible sets. Legions transports viewers to the early twentieth century and drops them right in the middle of beautiful Poland (even though the political landscape at the time was horrific). When other aspects of the film went awry and struggled to pique my interest, it was the aesthetic of the film that kept me around. As viewers traverse the beautiful landscape alongside Joseph, they get a better understanding of what it is that he would have experienced in those times–and while the aesthetic alone is enough to warrant a viewing, what it does is more important than that. It works to strengthen the narrative and generate an understanding among viewers, making it the most powerful aspect of Legions.

Beyond this aspect of Legions the film is a struggle. There are moments throughout when I’m able to connect with Joseph, but the reality is that he’s a difficult character to fall in love with. That comes as a result of the dialogue. The dialogue is far too simple, almost innocent really–and while that can be a way to intrigue viewers, the fact of the matter is that this dialogue feels out of place in a film about war.

The score struggles to create intensity like should exist throughout Legions in its entirety. The reality is that, from the opening seconds, Legions should be incredibly intense as the atrocities of WWI play out before viewers. We should be able to feel how daunting these situations are for the individuals thrown into them–but the score works in a backward fashion. It’s not that the music isn’t trying to be intense, the fact of the matter is that it’s not unique, and with it struggling to separate itself from other musical ventures, it’s incapable of doing its job. In the more expectedly intense moments of Legions the score acts as a distractor, a way to lighten the mood–and it steals the thunder of nearly every big moment in the film. Both the score and the dialogue create a disconnect that is challenging to bridge.

While the disconnect effectively exists throughout the entirety of Legions, the landscapes, both beautiful and desolate, help to bridge that gap to a degree. Legions doesn’t represent what war-related films should be. It’s often incapable of generating real emotion, and it often struggles to build a connection between the characters and viewers. With that glaring hole staring viewers in the face, I’m not surprised if viewers struggle to appreciate the film. Again, much of Legions struggles to reach viewers, but the landscape does just enough to keep the film afloat.

Directed by Dariusz Gajewski.

Written by Dariusz Gajewski, Michał Godzic, & Tomasz Łysiak.

Starring Sebastian Fabijanski, Bartosz Gelner, Wiktoria Wolanska, Miroslaw Baka, etc.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10