Change Your Image
rebe_afaro
Reviews
Pro urodov i lyudey (1998)
Interesting film
Set in the early twentieth century Of Freaks and Men makes an indisputable impact with its seemingly controversial intro including pornographic pictures. Following the impact that pornographers, Johan and Victor Ivanovich have on two family's the film raises awareness of the dark industry early in Russia's history. The themes that are explored include sexuality, psychological issues and the decline of lifestyle which may be seen as an allegory to Russia at at the time. These topics are not taboo for popular director Alexei Balabanovs who delves into a myriad of dark subject matters. The film is not made for everyone's taste and it does include sensitive scenes that may be alarming to some. Despite this the film is entertaining and manages to make this satire into something thought provoking and even humorous at times. There is a large amount of irony which goes into the development of the characters such as the Siamese twins and the blind mother Ekaterina. The twins are held as juxtapositions of each other and differ mainly in their actions and reactions with one of them being more corrupt while the other remains untainted for the most part until the very end despite having to experience all of his brother's courses. Liza the main target of the other family is of doubtful virtue to begin with and becomes even more corrupt once she is exposed to the two immoral pornographers. The film is arguably a portrayal of the human condition and the underlying unconscious desires that are there to begin with. Very reminiscent to Freud's psychoanalysis, the film was interesting to watch.
Monanieba (1984)
Good film to watch
This film was masterfully orchestrated with its use of allusion and cinematically pleasing to the viewer. The story begins with a woman baking a cake while a man who sits and eats the cake brings up, rather tearfully, the recent death of an important local mayor. Varlam Aravidze the source of focus in the film is a recently deceased dictator-like mayor that through his govern established the use of many Stalinistic ideals and utilized countless Machiavellian techniques to subdue the people of the town. The film then goes through a surreal like dream sequence in which the woman, a former victim of this cruel regime, baking the cakes thinks of these injustices and creates a world in which proper punishment, the exhumation of his corpse, is administered for the crimes he committed. Through this dream sequence the director skillfully oscillates between the past and the apparent dream present back to the real present. During which many allusions are made to the actual Stalin regime and the damages inflicted on the people of the time. Despite the time period being set during the stagnation era the after effects of the administration are still profound in this films portrayal of what ends up being a tragedy caused by the after effects of the administration. The quote "the time we live in has Varlam arrested" might have been a literal reference to this time period of stagnation in which Varlam's older Stalinistic practices were no longer widely condoned but as can be later be seen through of the film, cannot be simply ignored. The movie was definitely much more entertainment based than others that might have come before it that might have only served ideological purposes. The movie was very insightful in Soviet customs which can be seen through the funeral scene that might seem odd but familiar in the ritual aspect to foreigners. The time skips and changes in dream planes added a level of ironic enough realism that made the social commentary on the consequences of ignoring the past even more palpable to a viewer. Overall the film was great and worth watching the full 150 minutes of it.
Svoy sredi chuzhikh, chuzhoy sredi svoikh (1974)
More than just an action film
Set in the 1920's shortly after the end of the Russian civil war and released on 1974 during the Brezhnev era, at home Among Strangers, Stranger at Home is an action film that lives up to its genre and also manages to develop a more complex storyline than other action films that just focus their attention towards gruesome fight scenes. The scenes in which fighting did occur were much less graphic but still just as affective on eliciting the same level of excitement that is characteristic of an action film. During these scenes the movie is very reminiscent of American action films which depict western cowboy lifestyle.
The story itself deals with the character Shilov who is accused of treason after a precious shipment gets stolen under his watch and he gets framed for it. From the very start, the films images were particularly striking both cinematically and psychologically. The different settings of this intro which included a countryside (common for this point in time) and a small living area, all captured my attention immediately. The intro alone initiated a large list of questions with its seeming randomness. Such as why are they yelling and dancing? Or Why did they just push that carriage down the hill? What is strategically communicated through this intro despite the lack of dialogues is the character's deep bond with each other and their emerging friendship.
There are many other scenes later on in the movie that may seem random but serve a purpose to further convey these ideas of forged bonds. One such scene is when the train robbers are all jubilant after having stolen the gold. Through the different uses of genius cinematographically placed supporting scenes this film ended up being more than just a plain action movie. The character development was phenomenal and the action scenes ended up being one of its main attributes.
Mne dvadtsat let (1965)
Enjoyable film
Produced during the thaw in the year of 1963 shortly after the Stalinist period, I am Twenty is a product of its time. The film follows the life and days of a recently discharged soldier Sergei, who goes back to his old neighborhood to find that things have changed since he was last there. Gathered around a table his friends and he talk about their aspirations and the ways things have been going for them after the reintroduction of things such as consumerism. Reality is harsh and the film does not waste time to address the difficulties in their lives. Including the struggle which is finding a job and being sole providers for new households. The cinematography itself is ingenious and goes a long way to portray these issues. The scene in which Sergei's friend is arguing with his partner over the phone while the camera stays fixated on a demolition juxtaposes these two ideas and conveys the message of the matters that this new era has to deal with. The scenes of Sergei running down the stairs at the start of the film and him following the Anya, his love interest, around also demonstrates the expertise that the cameramen have. The whole production was certainly much more progressive than what would have been accepted during the Stalinist period. Following the everyday lives of regular young soviet citizens, the film depicts a completely different reality then what had become known during earlier years. Including western elements such as the scene with the characters dancing to American music, the film is surely like no other before it. It is clearly distinguishing in it's story and the way it conveys the philosophies. It was enjoyable to watch this film and the way it took on more contemporary methodologies to introduce its characters.
Sorok pervyy (1956)
Haunting ending
The Forty First is a film about two star-crossed lovers who meet a tragic end as a consequence of the time period in which they belong. Set in the years during the Russian Civil War, the film follows Maryutka a red army soldier whose group captures Vadim, a cadet for the white army whom she eventually develops feelings for after connecting with him on a deeper level. The opening credit scenes with its roaring waters and its gloomy music catches the attention of the viewer immediately with its foreshadowing of the tempestuous times to come. The film is more adapted to what films are today so it is easy to become engrossed in it. There are very notable differences in the style of directing within this movie as opposed to the films that were produced during the Stalinist time period. For example, the characters all seem much more individualistic and express their opinions more openly. Of course considering the nature of the film, it being for propaganda purposes, there are still pro revolutionary ideals presented through the unwavering determination that Yevsyukov has to continue for the sake of the revolutionary cause and of course the ending scene in which Maryutka gives the ultimate proof of where her loyalties lie. There is a good use of the space around the characters which turns out to be a great cinematic tool. There are shots of both the arid dessert and the tempestuous sea. It manages to capture both its beauty, as Maryutka noted when comparing it the sea to Vadim's eyes, and its power of destruction when it killed two men and stranded them on the island. The whole storm scene was strategically captured through different angles and distances, further exemplifying the success of this story as a film. Despite the ending which was both astonishing and expected, this film was enjoyable to watch. With all of its elements it ends up being a haunting tale.
Okraina (1933)
Entertaining film
The first of Barnet's films to be a talkie, Outkast is a landmark for his career. The movie takes place at the brink of World War I, in the midst of a troublesome time for the pre-revolutionary nation. There are even scenes of a strike at the start of the movie that alludes to some of the class struggles that were common during that point of time. A student of Kuleshov, a famous director known for his experimentalist movement during early Russian cinema, Barnet truly follows in his mentors footsteps in more ways than one. The film follows the stories of different characters who all hold different dynamics in their relationships with each other, including two brothers in war, longtime friends who become inherent rivals and two young lovers that come from opposing sides of the war spectrum. Their stories are well developed through the use of film angles and cutting the scenes in different segments that eventually lead to a chronological order that tie the character's together. The film has heavy comedic and depressing elements that make the characters stories that much more palpable.There are even some flashbacks that are used to emphasize the emotions that the character is having, like the violent snap of the war as someone reads a letter announcing the death of a loved one. There are a couple of examples of communist ideology, such as when the shoe maker stands up for the German prisoner who is also a shoemaker. The film was able to hold my attention to the very end. It was definitely an interesting watch.
Neobychainye priklyucheniya mistera Vesta v strane bolshevikov (1924)
Funny film
The Extraordinary Adventure of Mr. West is a satirical film that places its emphasis on the ignorance of Americans towards soviet culture during the time. It would help to brush up on some history to better understand the context of the movie before watching it. The general idea in America at the time was that the Bolsheviks were uncivilized, with no sense of culture. The stereotypes within the film are comedic as they are intended to be. One of the stereotypes of Americans is Jeddy, a cowboy who acts as Mr. West's bodyguard. The rest are the images that depict Bolsheviks as unruly beings. The thieves that Mr. West encounters in the film play on this fear of his to get the best of him and extort him monetarily. After he gets rescued by the Bolshevik police he is better able to explore Soviet Russia and begins to view it in a positive light which allows him to realize that they are not bad people as he once presumed. It ends with a nationalistic finale which was common for the time in which ideology was also pushed for in movies. The film had some undeniable redeeming cinematic qualities as well. This film is very apropos in technique for the time period, specifically before 1928. Kuleshov's experimentalist ideas such as soviet montage were not yet under attack by what would come to be the new powers in cinematic Russia. The film maintains it dignity with its editing style that conveys a complex story in many continuous fragments. One example of this was the fight scene that broke out with Jeddy when he first recognized Ellie, the American girl that was staying in Russia. Others that come to mind are the fast paced part where the thieves scheme starts to unfold. The film was enjoyable to watch and even had me laughing at times.
Stachka (1925)
Good film!
This film was strategically created to produce a large amount of viewer's reaction. We start off by seeing the unrest amongst the crowd of laborers after the happenings. Set before the time of revolution in Russia, the characters are made exactly to portray the average manual worker. Even now, in the sense of familiarity and empathy their position can be seen as understandable by modern laborers. After what seems like a clear injustice to the workers, and even to the viewers, they decided to go on strike to fight against the oppression and low wages set by the upper-class. There are strong images that effectively convey the struggles that the people had to face even before the strike. Just like in other of Eisenstein's films there is a sense of collectivism whenever the workers make their decision to strike because of a single worker. Similar to Eisenstein's famous film the movie is cut into different parts. Each part leads towards the grisly ending that concludes the movie and the characters' fate. It is here the differences between Eisenstein's work and others of his time are especially notable. It is through his approach on battle scenes that his work is truly unique. This can be seen both throughout the movie in the part with the dead cat and with the various uses of symbolism and metaphor seen in the supposed bloody massacre and the slaughter of the cow. Considering that this was Eisenstein's first full length feature film what he was capable of conveying through his vision is very impressive.
Jim Shvante (marili svanets) (1930)
Interesting film
The start of the film gives truly gives an authentic glimpse at a war-torn time in the Soviet Union's history. Many of the techniques used in the film provided for a great production overall. The use of the camera is especially notable. The way that the camera follows the rock down the tower gives the whole starting scene a more dramatic introduction. For the rest of the film shots of the landscape are also noteworthy in their beauty. Not to mention the faces of the villagers who seem rugged with exhaustion. The fact that there were children out working on the fields alongside their mothers is representative of the times. Seeing how the townspeople were able to create so many things out of the wool was inspiring. It was amazing to see what people left to their own undeveloped devices could come up with. Their multiple uses of the abundant stone were resourceful and innovative to say the least. The town practically sustained itself in every sense without the need for technology or outsourcing. It was definitely interesting to see the amount of determination that each town member had. It was definitely insightful considering the religion aspect of it all. The film was very informative and enjoyable to watch because of the way it was set up with its occasional short burst of comedic relief and its ahead of its time editing technique. It is a great film to watch if you would like to get transported into a different world from ours entirely.
Sumerki zhenskoy dushi (1913)
This film is about a young innocent woman that loses herself to darkness when an unexpected event changes her life forever.
Bauer does an exceptional job of conveying his characters emotions without the use of words. Twilight of Woman's Soul especially had an absence of words. Despite this I was still able to follow the key events and understand what was happening in the main character's, Vera, mind. After the rape and murder she seems confused and understandably traumatized which can be seen by the hallucination she has when hugging her suitor. Through the expressions and props the movie also did a job of showing the disparities of the two classes which was one of the most common themes during the time. In this film the camera person actually follows the subject instead of trying to fit them into the frame. Of course the time period is notable because of the slow pace she had to walk to accommodate for the older, much less advanced equipment The use of tinting the films is also present here as in other early silent films which can be representative of a shift to a different worlds. This is a clever film manipulation that highlights a main event. The recurring themes that Bauer presents in many of his works are present here. Much like in Bauer Dying Swan there is a shift between initial innocence to corruption. As the movie progresses there is an overall darkness that can be open to interpretation to its relevance to the time period. The loss of innocence is almost palpable and very well interpreted, which is more than can be said for some of the modern movies that exist now. Overall Bauer does an amazing job of getting his film to convey actual emotions and story.