I found this movie super laid back, like a good read (but in the form of a movie). I agree with you when you said the "star" of this film could potentially be the city of St. Petersburg itself. I totally loved the scenery shots, the vividness of the city truly showed through it. It was not only an easy film to follow, but not too confusing of a plot, which was a nice break for my brain.
I found it predictable for most of the movie, but found myself on edge whenever they came close to meeting. I always thought they would just know who each other were, but they never fully got it! I also loved the scene with the cell phone dropping in the river, I found that unpredictable and made me actually cover my mouth with my hand in surprise!!
I have a crush on Maksim, and might actually go to Russia to find him. The ending was cute, because it wasn't too lovey-dovey (aka they fall in love at first site). I liked how they had a relationship based on talking and voices, because that was something neither of them had before.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
The Return
I found the film "The Return" to be a great big mystery. There were many hidden details that popped out to me, and that struck me as funny. The father, who remained unnamed, took me by surprise. I definitely had no clue what this movie would be about until the father sat down at dinner. His actions were immediately felt throughout the room, because he came off as super controlling and scary. As the movie continued, the controlling factor became more prominent. The things that the father would do to his sons were so bizarre, and I couldn't figure out WHY exactly he brought the boys on this trip!
The mother was an interesting character. She seemed like a typical Russian mother, living with her own mother still. Yet the scene when she went to bed was a bit off, and it seemed she didn't want her husband to be home at all.
The father is not easy to describe. He is definitely a negative character, as much as Andrei would argue with me! In my opinion, he only brought along his kids so that he had an alibi for whatever job he was trying to complete in the shed with the little box. He did cruel things to his sons, when he shouldn't even have any control over them. Ivan seemed to understand that notion, and he didn't want his father to have any say in what he ultimately wanted to do.
I didn't think there was enough resolution with the fathers mission, and that may be my only question for this movie. The boys definitely change after the father dies, and I think it occurred to Ivan at that point in time that his father was actually somewhat (in my opinion) trying to connect with him when he ran that far and up that high. Then again, would his father just have punished him? Or would he have actually been nice for once in his life?
The mother was an interesting character. She seemed like a typical Russian mother, living with her own mother still. Yet the scene when she went to bed was a bit off, and it seemed she didn't want her husband to be home at all.
The father is not easy to describe. He is definitely a negative character, as much as Andrei would argue with me! In my opinion, he only brought along his kids so that he had an alibi for whatever job he was trying to complete in the shed with the little box. He did cruel things to his sons, when he shouldn't even have any control over them. Ivan seemed to understand that notion, and he didn't want his father to have any say in what he ultimately wanted to do.
I didn't think there was enough resolution with the fathers mission, and that may be my only question for this movie. The boys definitely change after the father dies, and I think it occurred to Ivan at that point in time that his father was actually somewhat (in my opinion) trying to connect with him when he ran that far and up that high. Then again, would his father just have punished him? Or would he have actually been nice for once in his life?
Monday, January 24, 2011
Brother
Brother was in my opinion, a good gangster film. It didn't dance around the truth, and it definitely got straight to the point. I enjoyed this film, mostly because Danila was such an interesting character. He was passionate about a few things, as you mentioned music for one, other things including the notion of "a brother" and keeping his word.
Danila to me served as a vigilante in this film. He obviously was committing crimes by killing off many people, yet it was for the good of the city. Killing off people is not good and should not be approved, but we have to somewhat accept that what he is doing will lead to a better future. By working at HQ, he must have picked up a few things, because he was very skillful with guns and inventing new things out of them. His brother, Viktor, seemed very sure of himself at first. Although throughout the movie, his antics became more spastic and unsure. He definitely didn't know how good Danila was at the assignments he gave him until the middle of the film.
I found it funny, non-purposely, that every time someone referred to Danila as "brother", he denied that they were indeed "brothers". This to me had a lot of significance, probably because Danila took it so seriously. He knew he didn't need anyone else in the world, and he definitely did not want to get close to anyone. He was on a mission for his blood brother, and he would have nothing change that. He was indeed well suited for the mob crimes, but when he knew that he was done in St. Petersburg, he knew he would move onto bigger and better things in Moscow.
Personally, I did not care for Sveta. She was obviously cheating on her husband, yet actually cared when Danila shot her husband. She annoyed me the most out of anyone in the movie. Kat was funny, a typical party girl who lives in the moment. I think she represented the spontaneity in Danila, and brought it out in him. He seemed to always want to try something at least once, and she fueled that interest. It was funny when he called the American music bad as well, because he was so into his own style.
Last but not least, I thought this movie brought out the REALITY in what was happening in Russia in the 90s. It was obviously ridden with crime, and it just seemed more real. It made me think deeper, like what if our society is this bad and we just don't see it?
Danila to me served as a vigilante in this film. He obviously was committing crimes by killing off many people, yet it was for the good of the city. Killing off people is not good and should not be approved, but we have to somewhat accept that what he is doing will lead to a better future. By working at HQ, he must have picked up a few things, because he was very skillful with guns and inventing new things out of them. His brother, Viktor, seemed very sure of himself at first. Although throughout the movie, his antics became more spastic and unsure. He definitely didn't know how good Danila was at the assignments he gave him until the middle of the film.
I found it funny, non-purposely, that every time someone referred to Danila as "brother", he denied that they were indeed "brothers". This to me had a lot of significance, probably because Danila took it so seriously. He knew he didn't need anyone else in the world, and he definitely did not want to get close to anyone. He was on a mission for his blood brother, and he would have nothing change that. He was indeed well suited for the mob crimes, but when he knew that he was done in St. Petersburg, he knew he would move onto bigger and better things in Moscow.
Personally, I did not care for Sveta. She was obviously cheating on her husband, yet actually cared when Danila shot her husband. She annoyed me the most out of anyone in the movie. Kat was funny, a typical party girl who lives in the moment. I think she represented the spontaneity in Danila, and brought it out in him. He seemed to always want to try something at least once, and she fueled that interest. It was funny when he called the American music bad as well, because he was so into his own style.
Last but not least, I thought this movie brought out the REALITY in what was happening in Russia in the 90s. It was obviously ridden with crime, and it just seemed more real. It made me think deeper, like what if our society is this bad and we just don't see it?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Little Vera
Little Vera was a very dramatic Russian film. I thought that it got a bit slow at times, yet I realize that I have to endure the slow parts for an eventual surprise at the end. I found Vera to be simple, yet she endured so many terrible things in the past. I don't find it a mistake that they did not give the mother or the father names, and I link that with the fact that they really are the main problems in her life. Her father was obviously the drunk and abusive character in this film, with the mother slowly withering away.
I found the scenery and props interesting, especially when it came to Sergei. He developed Vera in a somewhat independent woman. Vera struggled a lot with her past, and never resolved her problems at the end of the movie.
One of the scenes I thought was chilling. Not only did Vera lose her loved one, but she lost the one thing that was going right in her life. Along with the fight and the overdose, I felt that she backtracked in her development into a grown women.
I found the scenery and props interesting, especially when it came to Sergei. He developed Vera in a somewhat independent woman. Vera struggled a lot with her past, and never resolved her problems at the end of the movie.
One of the scenes I thought was chilling. Not only did Vera lose her loved one, but she lost the one thing that was going right in her life. Along with the fight and the overdose, I felt that she backtracked in her development into a grown women.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
Today in class we watched the film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears", set in both "The Thaw" and "Stagnation" time periods in Russia. I really liked this film, mainly because it reminded me of "Irony of Fate". Although, there was something that "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" did that "Irony of Fate" did not...which was show WAY more Moscow life and more than just one apartment building. It definitely appealed to me, and showed me the way that a woman living in a dormitory and working her butt off lived, and how even she could move up so high in the industry to become a successful individual. I liked how the director made sure that the friends (Lyudmila and Tonya) didn't disappear towards the end of the movie, although it mainly focused on Katya and her odd meeting with Gosha. I get distracted by how fun life actually seemed back then, realizing that sometimes I didn't think it could be that good. Even at the beginning when they showed what people were saying on the street, it was somewhat bizarre.
The three girls were super interesting. I think I could relate best to Lyudmila (although I am not THAT superficial), I thought her character was super believable and brought a lot of optimism and humor to the movie. She made me laugh with all her aspirations to meet the most important people of Moscow, and make sure that she fraternized with them! Tonya seemed a little more laid back, like Katya, but she was obviously the first one to get involved seriously with a man. And Katya seemed like she wanted to find the right guy in the right way, yet she didn't have the chance to do that. It was somewhat sad how her pregnancy came to be, but her daughter turned out to be such a blessing and motivation for her to work double as hard!
Katya's decisions to raise the baby and never let Rudolph have anything to do her was worth it. She stuck to her guns and kept her guard up. That guard was eventually let down when she truely realized how good of a guy Gosha was. He was a crazy guy! I didn't like how forward he was at first on the train, but he probably got the feeling that Katya was one to fight for. I thought it was interesting how they had such a difference in jobs, and was happy when Gosha accepted the fact that she made more money than him.
At the end of the movie, I realized that this film taught a great lesson. People should not only not worry about what a person is worth, but who they are. Even though Rudolph seemed to be a promising man in the TV industry, he turned out to be a terrible man and he learned his lesson (kind of). This film also taught me to let things happen, because at the end of it all, you will find everything in life you want. :)
The three girls were super interesting. I think I could relate best to Lyudmila (although I am not THAT superficial), I thought her character was super believable and brought a lot of optimism and humor to the movie. She made me laugh with all her aspirations to meet the most important people of Moscow, and make sure that she fraternized with them! Tonya seemed a little more laid back, like Katya, but she was obviously the first one to get involved seriously with a man. And Katya seemed like she wanted to find the right guy in the right way, yet she didn't have the chance to do that. It was somewhat sad how her pregnancy came to be, but her daughter turned out to be such a blessing and motivation for her to work double as hard!
Katya's decisions to raise the baby and never let Rudolph have anything to do her was worth it. She stuck to her guns and kept her guard up. That guard was eventually let down when she truely realized how good of a guy Gosha was. He was a crazy guy! I didn't like how forward he was at first on the train, but he probably got the feeling that Katya was one to fight for. I thought it was interesting how they had such a difference in jobs, and was happy when Gosha accepted the fact that she made more money than him.
At the end of the movie, I realized that this film taught a great lesson. People should not only not worry about what a person is worth, but who they are. Even though Rudolph seemed to be a promising man in the TV industry, he turned out to be a terrible man and he learned his lesson (kind of). This film also taught me to let things happen, because at the end of it all, you will find everything in life you want. :)
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
MiRRoR
As you may already guess, I'm going to say I really couldn't find a steady plotline to follow, and that this movie was weird. Throughout the film, I found many motifs, interesting scenes, and awkward conversations. I took some notes, knowing that I would not be able to keep track in my head!
Soooo I think that there is a plot. I am just not very good at looking at everything in the big picture. I followed a few things although, like how Ignat's family was followed throughout the film. The main character, his mother (I don't know her name), was focused on so much this film. Even when others were talking in a scene, the camera focused on just her. I loved how all the attention was on her, but it got confusing when all the different flashbacks were happening.
Some of the things I noticed, and somewhat understand/don't understand at all:
1- Are all the poems supposed to represent Ignat speaking about his life/mother?
2- When Ignat said "When did father leave us?", did that mean that he went to war or just left?
3- Early in the film, I noticed that the mother's husband said something about her reminding him of his own mother. Yet, later he denied that they were alike when she was looking at a picture of the two. Hmm...
4- A lot of water, raining, showering, playing with the hair, and fire. It was interesting, and I'd like to know what Tarkovsky's thoughts were behind them.
5- Mirrors and doors showed deep into the characters.
6- Black and white for flashbacks.
7- I thought Ignat was somewhat living vicariously through his parents...thoughts?
8- The scene at the print shop was confusing, and the woman who chased the mother intrigued me.
Last but not least, I really thought this movie was a lot like the movie "The Shining", it was such an odd movie and hard to keep up with. "Mirror" was a lot more confusing, yet it totally reminded me of this American thriller.
Soooo I think that there is a plot. I am just not very good at looking at everything in the big picture. I followed a few things although, like how Ignat's family was followed throughout the film. The main character, his mother (I don't know her name), was focused on so much this film. Even when others were talking in a scene, the camera focused on just her. I loved how all the attention was on her, but it got confusing when all the different flashbacks were happening.
Some of the things I noticed, and somewhat understand/don't understand at all:
1- Are all the poems supposed to represent Ignat speaking about his life/mother?
2- When Ignat said "When did father leave us?", did that mean that he went to war or just left?
3- Early in the film, I noticed that the mother's husband said something about her reminding him of his own mother. Yet, later he denied that they were alike when she was looking at a picture of the two. Hmm...
4- A lot of water, raining, showering, playing with the hair, and fire. It was interesting, and I'd like to know what Tarkovsky's thoughts were behind them.
5- Mirrors and doors showed deep into the characters.
6- Black and white for flashbacks.
7- I thought Ignat was somewhat living vicariously through his parents...thoughts?
8- The scene at the print shop was confusing, and the woman who chased the mother intrigued me.
Last but not least, I really thought this movie was a lot like the movie "The Shining", it was such an odd movie and hard to keep up with. "Mirror" was a lot more confusing, yet it totally reminded me of this American thriller.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Ivan the Terrible
Sooooo after viewing Part 1 of "Ivan the Terrible", directed by the one and only Eisenstein, I don't know what to really make of it. I am certain of a few things, like how this movie portrays Socialist Realism, yet it was very different from the more modern films. It was a hard one to get into for me, just because the language is a lot different from conventional films.
I found Ivan to be an astounding character. He was very peculiar at first, eventually I warmed up to his out of the ordinary antics. He seemed to start off being a positive force, with all of the people immediately accepting him as the tsar, but things changed throughout. It was clear that Prince Kurbsky had an undeniable grudge against him dealing with Anastasia...but it didn't seem like he ever truly wanted to follow him as the tsar. Throughout the movie, I would say that Ivan became more evil. Everything around him started off being promising (like saying the money from the people of Moscow and Russia would be put towards a great army), yet it turned out for evil purposes. Anastasia dying was one of my favorite scenes, very unpredictable yet it made sense as to why it happened.
It is also funny that Eisenstein looked to Kabuki for inspiration, because I have seen some Kabuki and it does remind me of this movie and Battle Potemkin. It was somewhat slower, everything took its time to really act out what was happening. At least that is what I took from it.
Last but not least, I just wanted to ask a question. The man who is Ivan's "ears" I think they said, the one with the headband on, I didn't quite follow him. Did he start out as a peasent and slowly work his way into the tsar's quarters? Just a bit unclear to me.
I found Ivan to be an astounding character. He was very peculiar at first, eventually I warmed up to his out of the ordinary antics. He seemed to start off being a positive force, with all of the people immediately accepting him as the tsar, but things changed throughout. It was clear that Prince Kurbsky had an undeniable grudge against him dealing with Anastasia...but it didn't seem like he ever truly wanted to follow him as the tsar. Throughout the movie, I would say that Ivan became more evil. Everything around him started off being promising (like saying the money from the people of Moscow and Russia would be put towards a great army), yet it turned out for evil purposes. Anastasia dying was one of my favorite scenes, very unpredictable yet it made sense as to why it happened.
It is also funny that Eisenstein looked to Kabuki for inspiration, because I have seen some Kabuki and it does remind me of this movie and Battle Potemkin. It was somewhat slower, everything took its time to really act out what was happening. At least that is what I took from it.
Last but not least, I just wanted to ask a question. The man who is Ivan's "ears" I think they said, the one with the headband on, I didn't quite follow him. Did he start out as a peasent and slowly work his way into the tsar's quarters? Just a bit unclear to me.
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