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.