What a moving and delicate film this is! The intensity of the acting seems to counterbalance the cold forbidding vastness of the Russian winter landscape. All the performances are outstanding, and surely that by Misha Philipchuk as the 6 year old Sanya must be one of the very finest ever by a child actor?
Minor spoilers warning! The film takes you deep into many emotions. Hope at the original meeting of Katja and Toljan, fear in Sanya's early experience of Toljan, pain when his character becomes clear to Katja, pity when people who are already poor are robbed, pleasure when Sanya sees the Black Sea for the first time and many other emotional shifts.
Only one thing extra I would have liked. Much of the film's fascination was in seeing how a boy at the impressionable age of 6 would learn from both the positive and negative influences that surrounded him. We were given a fascinating glimpse of the middle aged man he became, but it was not enough to determine his character. I would have liked to have seen a little more of what sort of man he had become.
One comment to those seeing the film with English subtitles - a few of the subtitles are unreadable (white against a snowy background). This doesn't detract from viewing as the film is easy to follow. Overall, a really worthwhile film giving fascinating insights into Russian life 50 years ago.
Minor spoilers warning! The film takes you deep into many emotions. Hope at the original meeting of Katja and Toljan, fear in Sanya's early experience of Toljan, pain when his character becomes clear to Katja, pity when people who are already poor are robbed, pleasure when Sanya sees the Black Sea for the first time and many other emotional shifts.
Only one thing extra I would have liked. Much of the film's fascination was in seeing how a boy at the impressionable age of 6 would learn from both the positive and negative influences that surrounded him. We were given a fascinating glimpse of the middle aged man he became, but it was not enough to determine his character. I would have liked to have seen a little more of what sort of man he had become.
One comment to those seeing the film with English subtitles - a few of the subtitles are unreadable (white against a snowy background). This doesn't detract from viewing as the film is easy to follow. Overall, a really worthwhile film giving fascinating insights into Russian life 50 years ago.