Silence as a Cinematic Expression in the Work of Paweł Pawlikowski

Abstract

Silence seems to be one of the most important expressions of a film work, although it is often overlooked in scientific research. The article is an attempt to analyze the achievements of Oscar winner Paweł Pawlikowski in terms of the use of silence in films. Two awarded films by the director were analyzed: Ida and Cold War. In the audiovisual / film message, we can consider it on many coexisting levels of the structure of a film work, both sound and image, as discussed in this article. The results of the research show that silence is not a direct synonym of absence or emptiness, it is rather a specific form of the appearance of meanings and emotions impossible to exist by other means of expression.