Review of A Year of the Quiet Sun (1984) by Christopher Y — 29 Dec 2010

Story of poles trying to settle in former German land that is now part of Poland just at the end of the war. For some reason, this pair picked a building that is almost uninhabitable. Unlike a previous reviewer stated, this building, was not 'bombed out'. Why they picked this dump, I don't know, probably a plot device. Many towns in east Germany, now Poland, had no war damage.

So the mother has a serious leg injury that is infected so she stays in bed most of the movie. This is too bad, she's a better actress than the woman who portrays her daughter. The daughter, who is suppose to love painting but is only shown painting once, in an abandoned car. Why would someone paint in an abandoned car? She meets an American soldier because he's about to take a leak in thru the car window she's painting in before he realizes she's in there painting. Yes, that was the scene! Meanwhile, she bakes a couple cakes for money but thugs break in, molest her and steal their money. The American soldier, who seems to be able to take the jeep out for a spin at whim, is an American actor of dubious talent, unable to portray strength and has no charisma. Where did they find this guy? They actually have a couple dates if you can believe it. This is entirely implausible considering the circumstances. The movie continues with characters making choices that are not true to human nature in dire times.