Piter FM- Directed by Oksana Bychkova

Piter FM, a 2006 film directed by Oksana Bychkova, was a film that I really was not that interested in. The main character Masha works at Piter FM, the local radio station in Saint Petersburg. Her mysterious counterpart Maxim comes into the picture when Masha loses her cellphone, he being the one to pick it up. The two go on playing phone tag for the entirety of the movie, eventually falling in love with one another. It is near the end of the film that Masha leaves her fiancé Kostya and attempts to meet Maxim, only to have their only connection (Masha's cellphone) fall into the river. It is by a mere stroke of luck that Maxim calls Piter FM in an attempt to relay a message to Masha, a message that Masha recieves herself. She replys simply "Is that you, Maxim?" and the film ends. Although it was a light-hearted comedy, a throwback to the beginning of the class with Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!, I honestly must say that I was not a big fan of the film for several reasons.

One such reason was the sheer predictability of the film's progression. With the introduction of both Masha and Maxim, it was obvious that they would end up together. The film makes Kostya look like a controlling fiancé and Maxim look like the supportive friend. It is through watching many American romantic comedies that one can ascertain that a lot of times, the girl ends up with the close friend after some trials and tribulations.

However, the one thing that actually made this movie somewhat entertaining to watch was the way in which it personified Saint Petersburg. The film made the city seem like a suburbian version of a large city; the way in which there was action all around, yet with nature still pervading in the majority of the scenes. The one thing that this film made me think is how much I want to go to Saint Petersburg, to vacation, if not live. I felt a strong connnection to the way in which Piter FM exemplified the complexities of Saint Petersburg and also the ways in which the city is a great place to live.

The Return- Directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev

The Return, a 2003 film directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev was a film that was instantly captivating in its simplicity and elegance. It is the story of two young boys, Ivan (who also goes by the nickname Vanya) and his older brother Andrei whose father comes home after a twelve year absence. Upon his return, the two boys wish to go on a trip with him to get acquainted, but little do they know that this trip will be more than they expected. The very relationship between the brothers is tested as they endure the treatment of their father, much of which is negative. The progression of the film is measured in days of the week, the trio eventually reaching their remote islandic destination after a few days of traveling. It is on this island that they encounter the most life changing experience of them all: their father dies after attempting to save Ivan from the tower he climbed.

The film is blatantly influenced by renown Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, the emphasis of Tarkovsky's films being based on the elements. Each of the four elements can be found in this film; examples of each being easy to find. An example that includes earth and wind is when Vanya asks Andrei to take a picture of him as they are driving; the green trees and blustery wind being the main points of the scene. Another example of two elements being combined is the shot where the fish is roasting on the fire; this demonstrates both the element of water and the element of fire. Zvyagintsev goes as far as to make an obvious reference to a Tarkovsky film, Mirror, with his shot of dripping water as Ivan and Andrei walk out of the scene. The usage of these Tarkovsky-esque traits makes the film much more enjoyable to watch and gives the viewer a better understanding as to the significance of the scenes.

Altogether, I think The Return is the best film we have seen so far in the class and has the deepest meaning behind it. The tale of Vanya and Andrei is one of growth and expansion, not only in the familial sense, but growing as men. The many mishaps the brothers and their father endure, including the death of their father, make the boys stronger and more prepared to face the world as they come back to civilization. However, this growth is not without consequence; Ivan becomes stricken with guilt over their father's death. This is shown through his sheer desperation as his corpse sinks into the water. In any case, I enjoyed The Return and would recommend it to anyone who wanted to watch an amazing film, and maybe grow a little bit themselves.

Brother- Directed by Aleksei Balabanov

Brother, a 1997 film directed by Aleksei Balabanov, was a film that took a stance on the dark time of the 1990's: the situation after the fall of the Soviet Union and the institution of the Russian Federation. The 90's were a chaotic decade for Russians, the infrastructure of the government had been torn from the earth and started again from scratch; the Russians adopting the Western ideology of capitalism. This was not without its faults though, new Russian Federation leader Boris Yeltsin would come under fire for his allowance of "cowboy capitalism," a type of capitalism that allowed for corruption to run rampant. It is during this very situation that Brother takes place; the main character Danila is a ex-soldier who is strapped for work. His mother recommends that he go find his brother in Saint Petersburg so he can help him find a job. Danila does so, but he discovers that his brother is a hit man for a mob boss named Krugly. After meeting a few people such as the capricious Kat and the nice homeless man Hoffman in addition to mishaps concerning Krugly and his men, Krugly orders that both Danila and Viktor be killed. Danila figures out that his brother is in trouble (although Viktor was in fact the one that betrayed his location [which was actually Danila's love interest Sveta's location]) and goes to save him. Upon killing Krugly and his men, Danila tells his brother to return to their mother, and that he himself is leaving town.

Brother displayed the condition of the Russian Federation during the current time, corruption ran rampant, the family structure was degrading and organized crime was becoming the norm. I believe that Danila's character however demonstrates the morality that some Russians still maintained. He refused to kill the radio director and when the two hit men were going to disobey him, Danila shot them to prevent it; this is an example of his strong moral sense. I believe that the characters of Kat and Hoffman symbolize the rebellious nature of the Russian youth and the failing economy respectively. Altogether, Brother was a stereotypical gangster film, yet at the same time, exhibited the darker side to the new Russian Federation, therefore giving it a deeper meaning which made it more entertaining to watch.

Little Vera- Directed by Vasily Pichul

Little Vera, a 1988 film directed by Vasily Pichul, was a film that was set in the turbulent era of perestroika. It is the story of Vera, a rebellious Soviet teenager who meets a love interest named Sergei. From their first meeting, it is evident that Sergei does not like Vera's parents, her alcoholic father Kolya and her mother, due to his rude behavior during dinner. This animosity between the parents only escalates further as Kolya pushes Sergei's buttons, finally driving him to lock Kolya in the bathroom during one of his drunken tirades. The boiling point between Sergei and Kolya was finally reached when Kolya stabbed Sergei in the side with a knife, dealing him a nearly fatal wound.

The character of Sergei was one that I did not respect in the least; he was a womanizer, disrespectful of Vera and her parents, in addition to being a bad influence on Vera herself. I found it hard to believe that Vera's parents would deal with Sergei living with them, especially when he was so rude and boisterous. As unfortunate as it sounds, I was not exactly upset when he was stabbed. However, I think his character gave the film a whole new dimension because of these traits; the film being about Vera and her chaotic life.

Another thing worth mentioning would be the idea that Little Vera itself may represent the era of which the film was created: perestroika. The strained relationship between Vera, Sergei and Vera's parents may in fact symbolize the condition the Soviet Union was in at the time. This is of course only speculation, but it is still worth mentioning because the similarities are too numerous not too. Altogether, I liked Little Vera for its avant-garde, risque characters and plot line; the many aspects of the film fitting together very well for a Soviet movie made in the late 80's.

Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears- Directed by Vladimir Menshov

Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears, a 1979 film directed by Vladimir Menshov, greatly surprised me upon viewing it. The first half and hour or so made me think that the film was going to be a cliché Sex In the City-esque type of production, but upon watching farther, I realized that Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears is in fact a witty and interesting movie. The two main characters, Katya and Lyudmila are the two single Muscovite women who by a strange series of events, are tasked with housesitting a luxurious Moscow apartment. During their stay there, Lyudmila convinces Katya to pretend to be the wealthy apartment owner's daughters. After doing so, Lyudmila throws a party and invites over numerous prestigious men to wine and dine. As the night progresses, one of the men, Rudolf, and Katya end up having relations which result in Katya becoming pregnant. Upon discovering their true identities, Rudolf wants nothing to do with Katya, leaving her pregnant and alone. She carries the baby to full term and gives birth to her daughter, Alexandra as a single mother.

Cut to twenty years later, during the Brehznev Stagnation. Katya is now a successful factory director, raising her daughter as she has for her entire life. After a sequence of events, she meets a man, Gosha with whom she falls in love. The two begin a relationship and soon after, the father of Katya's child, Rudolf, comes back into her life. He wants to see his daughter and in turn, messes things up with Gosha and Katya. Regardless, the two reconcile and the film ends with Katya professing her love (in a matter of words) for Gosha.

This is a tried and true method for romance films, but Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears made this idea into an interesting story. The dichotomy between Katya and Gosha when it came to finances was especially interesting; Gosha believed that a man should always make more than a woman, and when he eventually finds out that Katya makes more money than him, he leaves her. Katya is completely taken aback by this and does almost everything in her power to get Gosha back. This seems contradictory to her nature however; she was a singe mother for all of her life and got by just fine. Now that a man has entered the picture, she seems to be completely subservient to him.

Altogether, Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears was a movie that I do not regret watching in the least and one I hope to convince others to watch as well.

Ballad of a Soldier- Directed by Grigori Chukhrai

Ballad of a Soldier, a 1959 film directed by Grigori Chukhrai, is a film that dealt with a painful subject: World War II. The film deals with a plight that many people on either side of the conflict: leaving family behind. Such is the problem Alyosha, the protagonist of the film is facing. By a random stroke of luck, he is able to gain a leave from duty to visit home. Along the way, he encounters many interesting people, including the young woman Shura, with whom he eventually falls in love with. It is because of Alyosha's misadventures that his time to visit his mother is cut down from a day, to a mere moment; a moment that he treasures deeply.

This film demonstrates the more emotional side of war, rather than the fighting aspects. One of the scenes that exemplify this is when Alyosha's mother cries out that she won't let him go back to the war; he almost looks as if he's about to cry, but is able to maintain his composure before he leaves. This scene kind of personifies the emotions felt at the time, not only of the Russian soldiers, but any soldier who was forced to leave his family behind. This film is a very good example of how the times were changing in Soviet Russia, and how the Khruschev Thaw affected both the film industry and the Soviet Union altogether; the entire USSR undergoing a time of leniency that bettered the country until the Era of Stagnation came to pass.

The Mirror- Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky

The Mirror, a 1974 film directed by renown director Andrei Tarkovsky, was a film that required a certain level of concentration to watch. Upon viewing the first half an hour or so, I was thoroughly confused as to the very point of the film. However, as it went on, I was able to discern some interesting facts as to the nature of the film. For example, it seemed that whenever Marusya was in a scene, there was a recurring motif of dripping water. As to the significance of this, I cannot say, but it appeared too frequently not to mention. A question I had about the film was the reasoning behind it switching between grey scale and color. The only reasoning I can come up with is that whenever it went into black and white, it was a "mirror" reflection of Marusya's life, but even that could be (and most likely is incorrect.) Another strange aspect of the film that I think is worth mentioning is the fact that whenever a container of liquid was shown, it was swaying back and forth, even though there was no external force moving the container. Once again as to the reasoning of this, I have no idea. Altogether, Tarkovsky's The Mirror was a confusing, yet very perplexing film that I look forward to having explained to me tomorrow in class.