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.

Ivan the Terrible: Part One- Directed by Sergei Eisenstein

Ivan the Terrible- Part One, a 1944 film directed by renown Russian director Sergei Eisenstein, is a film that was created near the end of World War II, or as it was known in Russia, the Great Fatherlands War. During this time, less emphasis was placed on the socialist aspects of the Soviet Union and more was placed on merely defending their homeland from invading Nazi Germany. This allowed Eisenstein to escape the restrictive barriers placed upon him by the Soviets, and create a film that could still be considered Socialist Realism, but was not blatantly so.

Looking at Eisenstein as a director, the differences in both Battleship Potemkin and Ivan the Terrible- Part One personally did not allow me to discern his directing style; Ivan the Terrible-Part One being of a different caliber than Battleship Potemkin. It did not utilize the same style of montage as has become so well known with Eisenstein's films. I believe this is due to the fact that this film made use of sound whereas Battleship Potemkin did not. In order to better convey the plot of the film, Eisenstein most likely made the montage aspects of Battleship more exaggerated, and since sound was available in Ivan, he did not need to do so. When comparing the two, I actually enjoyed Battleship Potemkin more than Ivan the Terrible- Part One, because of Battleship's avid use of montage and the emotional scene on the Odessa Steps amongst other things.

Burnt By The Sun- Directed by Nikita Mikhalkov

Burnt by the Sun, a 1994 film directed by Nikita Mikhalkov, depicts the horrors of the Stalin-ruled 1930's Russia. The main character, Sergei Petrovich Kotov, a General in the Red Army, comes under suspect by his wife's former fiancé Dmitri (Mitya,) now an agent for the NKVD (the Soviet Secret Police.) Taking place in only one day, Burnt by the Sun demonstrates the dark era that the Soviet people lived in during the 1930's, by demonstrating the innocence of Kotov, contrasted with Mitya's devious plot to finger him for crimes Kotov did not commit. Regardless of Kotov's innocence, he is taken away and is subsequently executed along with his wife, merely because of Mitya's position with the secret police.

The title of the film, Burnt by the Sun is significant as well; the song Kotov's daughter Nadya sings throughout the film is of the same name. Looking at this in a symbolic sense, the concept of being "burnt by the sun" can be utilized if one looks at the idea like the following: Stalin is the sun; his bright, glowing influence over the Russian populous taking over the entire country, leaving no space dark. Those who get near Stalin, those closest to him were likely to get taken by the NKVD (or in the metaphorical view) burnt by the sun. It was not just those who were close to him however, it was anyone and everyone who was in danger; the Generalissimo disposed of anyone he deemed a threat, thusly "burning" thousands of people.

Regardless of the film's dark disposition, I liked it due to it's realistic portrayal of the era and the type of individual who would have existed during the 1930's. My favorite part of the movie is at the very end when the film explains the fate of the REAL Kotov and the rest of his family in addition to the final quote. The quote gives the viewer a sense of the personal nature of the film to the director and those involved, as well as the Russian people themselves: "This film is dedicated to all those who were burnt by the sun of the Revolution." This made me realize the sheer magnitude of Stalin's reign of terror and have a new found respect for all those who lived during the 1930's in the Soviet Union.

Circus- Directed by Grigory Aleksandrov

Circus, a melodramatic musical comedy film released in 1936, was a film that I went into with the assumption that I would not like it. I was wrong; the film was quite entertaining to watch and exemplified the ideals of Soviet Realism quite evidently. The main character Marion Dixon, an American circus performer forced to leave her home country due to a scandal involving the birth of an interracial baby, comes to the Soviet Union to perform in their circus. Through some interesting circumstances, she falls in love with one of the performers, Martynov and decides to stay in Soviet Russia. However, this is not without conflict; a man she meets upon her exodus from America decides to use her dark secret (no pun intended) to blackmail her. At the end of the film, Marion's secret is revealed by the blackmailer, and the existence of her mixed race child is made public. The catch? The Soviet people are accepting of Marion and her dark-skinned son, accepting them as their own and making them feel like they belong, making the blackmailer's plan null and void. It is this very moment that makes one notice the bright influential light of Soviet Realism shining through. Using Marion as an example of assimilation, the director shows the viewers that the Soviet Union is accepting of all kinds and will welcome anyone who wishes to join their cause. I really liked how Aleksandrov used this to make the Soviet ideals shine through; it gave the film a deeper meaning beyond the comical aspects of the film. Looking at the two Soviet Realist films seen so far in class, I would have to say that Circus portrays the Soviet message in a more subtle way that Chapaev did due to the message only being received at the end. Altogether, I liked Circus a lot and regard it as one of the best films seen in class to date.

Chapaev- A Film by the Vasilev Brothers

The film Chapaev by the Vasilev Brothers was quite a different film than the ones watched in class so far. It is a creation of the era of Soviet Realism, the time of which creativity was stifled by the oppressive Soviet government. The only works that were permitted to be produced were ones that were pro-Soviet. Chapaev is an example of this; the main character General Vasilly Ivanovich Chapaev being a real individual in history. However, due to the restrictions placed upon the directors of the film, they were forced to tool Chapaev's story to fit their needs. After the film was finished and had been seen by the Russian populous, it became quite famous. The Russian people found Chapaev to give the image of the valiant "Reds," fighting against the cowardly "Whites." This image gave the Soviet people something to look forward to in their time of darkness; gave them hope as to what the Soviet Union would one day become. The film also benefited from advances in cinematic technology; the ability for sound to be recorded in synchronization with the video. Unlike its silent predecessors, Chapaev was able to grab the viewer's attention with the tonality of their voices, rather than over exaggerated acting. The main factor that made me appreciate Chapaev however is the fact that it adheres to the strict ideals of Soviet Realism; I find this extremely interesting as to how the Vasilev Brothers were able to take the story of a real man and turn it into what would become a Russian blockbuster while following such strict criterion. All together, Chapaev has been one of the best films we have watched so far and I would enjoy watching films of a similar caliber in the future.

The Man With the Movie Camera- Dziga Vertov

The Man With the Movie Camera by Dziga Vertov is classified as an avant-garde film, a term that it most definitely lives up to. Upon watching it today, I had an extremely difficult time trying to grasp the message that Vertov was trying to portray. The film had no semblance of order; the clips were arranged in a very obscure manner, making my ability to discern what was going on quite difficult. However, the wide variety of shots and angles used in the film made it a bit more interesting to watch; the avant-garde style of the work being the reason for this. Another facet of the film I enjoyed very much so was the musical score; in the film, the text said that the music was either inspired or influenced by Vertov (the exact wording escapes me at the moment.) Regardless, the music made the film much more enjoyable; the dramatic sound making the seemingly random clips more enjoyable to watch. Unfortunately, these two factors are the only positive things I can mention about The Man With the Movie Camera; Vertov's film just did not rub me the right way.

The Battleship Potemkin- Sergei Eisenstein

The Battleship Potemkin, directed by Sergei Eisenstein was a film that actually was quite enjoyable to watch compared to the other silent films seen in class so far. Unfortunately, I suffer from the bias of being used to films with dialog, so films that lack this are harder for me to fully comprehend and appreciate; the Battleship Potemkin however was an exception to this. The film was blatantly a piece of pro-Soviet propaganda; the murderous soldiers under the control of the Tsar massacring the citizens of Odessa just being one example; the usage of the red flag being another. The red flag was the only color visible during the film; this being significant for propaganda purposes, due to the color of the Soviets being red. In addition to this, its use of the orchestral soundtrack was quite helpful in exacerbating the emotions being felt by not only the revolutionaries but the Tsarist oppressors themselves. Altogether, the Battleship Potemkin was and has been the best silent film I have seen to date because of the deeper meaning it holds and the dramatic orchestra. Although, I am against the Soviet ideals of Communism, I enjoyed the use of propaganda to attempt to convert anti-Soviet Russians; this factor gave me a different viewpoint with which I was able to appreciate it.

Silent Films by the Lumière Brothers and Evgeni Bauer

The many silent films we watched during class on Thursday were quite interesting. The films from the Lumière Brothers were quite fascinating, due to their sheer simplicity. I can understand how during the time of which they were created, the viewers would be completely enthralled by moving images, even those that are not fascinating by a conventional standpoint. The other three films we watched were unfortunately not as entertaining to me; The Child of the Big City, the 1002nd Ruse and The Dying Swan were quality films for the time, but they were just not my cup of tea. The Child of the Big City was difficult to follow, as was the 1002nd Ruse. The Dying Swan however was easier to follow and had a curious story, in addition to having a better soundtrack. In the Child of the Big City and the 1002nd Ruse, the only sound playing being a piano accompaniment. In The Dying Swan, in addition to piano, there was a violin; this gave the film a more dramatic dynamic (which due to it being a drama, suited the film well.) One must also take into consideration the time during which these films were created; cinematography was nearly as advanced as it is today and the ability to record and dub sound over video did not yet exist. Therefore, the ability to convey a story relied on the skill of the actors and the scantly used text that was used to clarify things that could not be understood otherwise. The certain gestures, expressions and other aspects of the actors' performances did not help to clarify the story because they were specific to the Russian culture.The fact of the matter is that in the three films by Evgeni Bauer, I was could not fully appreciate them because of two reasons: the fact that they were in a different language and that they were silent.

Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! Part Two

Picking up where we left off Tuesday, I thoroughly enjoyed the remainder of the film; the plight of Zhenya eventually becoming something that turned out not to be negative at all. Both Nadya and Zhenya fell in love with one another and although both Ippolit and Galya were more or less discarded as significant others, the wishes of both main characters were fulfilled: they fell in love and would get married. The fact of the matter is that even though both Nadya and Zheyna lived in different cities, they were able to become acquainted and eventually fall in love, even though the only similarities between them were that they lived in the same apartment and were both set to be engaged, All together, Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Bath! was a funny and quirky romantic comedy that exemplified the way that some people can come together through insane circumstances and come out better than when they came into them.

Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! Part One

Upon choosing Russian Cinema class, I was under the assumption that we would be watching merely action-esque films, such as war propaganda and things of the sort, but upon watching the beginning of Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! I was genuinely surprised. The comedical aspect of the film is much different than that of American comedy; the humor was very straightforward and did not require much analysis to understand unlike conventional American comedy which gratuitously uses innuendo to portray comedy. However, this is not with out saying that American and Russian comedy do not have their similarities. In concern to the charater of Zhenya, his plight is universal; he became intoxicated and woke up in somewhere he was unfamiliar with. This can be compared to the current day American film The Hangover; the four main characters losing their friend who is to be married within the span of two days due to being heavily intoxicated the night previous.