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.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Burnt by the Sun
"Burnt by the Sun", directed by Nikita Mikhalkov, was a very moving film to watch. It was not only one of my favorite films we have watched so far in class, yet it was also very interesting and in-depth.
This film focused on Colonel Kotov, and follows his very close and personal relationships with both his wife Marusia and daughter Nadya. They seem to be a tight-knit family from the beginning, upholding Kotov as a very well-regarded individual. He is highly regarded not only within his family and close friends, but also within the community, a man to call upon when there is trouble. As the story developed, and we got an insight into what Kotov and Mitya's relationship entailed, I got more and more interested to see how it would turn out. I really liked Kotov, and thought that Mikhalkov did a great job in his performance. In comparison to Chapaev, I thought Kotov was more well-rounded. He had a great family, friends, reputation, and was very intelligent. We were shown that Chapaev is not very smart, yet he still knew how to please his rankings and keep them close to him. Kotov is VERY well respected, and upholds his strong beliefs about Stalin throughout.
I thought it was interesting when Mitya turned out to be involved in political things towards the end. Throughout Mitya's stay at the house, it seemed to affect Kotov, but not that much. He showed that he was a strong person, and knew that Marusia would always stay true to him, not relapsing towards her old flame. I found Mitya very conniving and obtrusive to the family, although he was welcomed. He won over Nadya with his piano playing and fun personlity, yet I didn't believe he was there for the right motives. I personally thought that Kotov was arrested with a personal motive behind it. Kotov said no matter what he would be for "the Russian people", and we knew that he was close with Stalin. I believe that Kotov was a very respected man, and had nothing to do with going behind Stalin's back.
The interesting ball of flame provoked interest as well..although I found it to be super random. Nadya singing the song throughout the film showed me that something bad was eventually going to happen. The line that had the words "crimson red sea flows" or something like that kind of hinted to me that blood would be shed and it would probably be Kotovs. I was somewhat happy at the end when Mitya was shown dead, because I think I got so attached to the strong relationship between Nadya and her father. Just thinking about all of the people that this probably happened to in Soviet Russia makes me angry. It shows me also that some of these Stalin followers in the end got screwed over more than others, although you would think it should be the other way around.
This film focused on Colonel Kotov, and follows his very close and personal relationships with both his wife Marusia and daughter Nadya. They seem to be a tight-knit family from the beginning, upholding Kotov as a very well-regarded individual. He is highly regarded not only within his family and close friends, but also within the community, a man to call upon when there is trouble. As the story developed, and we got an insight into what Kotov and Mitya's relationship entailed, I got more and more interested to see how it would turn out. I really liked Kotov, and thought that Mikhalkov did a great job in his performance. In comparison to Chapaev, I thought Kotov was more well-rounded. He had a great family, friends, reputation, and was very intelligent. We were shown that Chapaev is not very smart, yet he still knew how to please his rankings and keep them close to him. Kotov is VERY well respected, and upholds his strong beliefs about Stalin throughout.
I thought it was interesting when Mitya turned out to be involved in political things towards the end. Throughout Mitya's stay at the house, it seemed to affect Kotov, but not that much. He showed that he was a strong person, and knew that Marusia would always stay true to him, not relapsing towards her old flame. I found Mitya very conniving and obtrusive to the family, although he was welcomed. He won over Nadya with his piano playing and fun personlity, yet I didn't believe he was there for the right motives. I personally thought that Kotov was arrested with a personal motive behind it. Kotov said no matter what he would be for "the Russian people", and we knew that he was close with Stalin. I believe that Kotov was a very respected man, and had nothing to do with going behind Stalin's back.
The interesting ball of flame provoked interest as well..although I found it to be super random. Nadya singing the song throughout the film showed me that something bad was eventually going to happen. The line that had the words "crimson red sea flows" or something like that kind of hinted to me that blood would be shed and it would probably be Kotovs. I was somewhat happy at the end when Mitya was shown dead, because I think I got so attached to the strong relationship between Nadya and her father. Just thinking about all of the people that this probably happened to in Soviet Russia makes me angry. It shows me also that some of these Stalin followers in the end got screwed over more than others, although you would think it should be the other way around.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
**Circus**
After viewing my first Russian musical, I can come to the consensus that it was not a very atypical musical, compared to what I am used to in America. We had another clear choice for a hero(ine) in this film, Marion in my opinion, who was not only striking with beauty but in talent as well.
The first connection I made between these two socialist realism films was that they both developed a relationship. Both of these relationships were formed under very unique circumstances, one within a war, the other within the Russian Circus scene. I am very intrigued by this, not only because it is SO packed with Social realistic traits, yet that it is actually believable. Petrovich was a very interesting character, seemed a little out of reach at the beginning, yet always seemed compassionate towards Marion. Marion was a mysterious character to me throughout the movie, obviously because we didn't learn her "terrible" secret until the end. She was, in my opinion, the hero in this movie. With a little help from Rayechka at the end of the film, she got the courage to defy the evil hold that her secret-keeper held over her head. She also saved the opening act of the newest attraction at the circus, and made it a great spectacle.
The ending number in this film was astoundingly chocked full of Russian propaganda, from what I can tell. Along with the normal flags adorned with Lenin's picture, and it would be presumed that red was the color on the flag, there was so much Russian culture lingering in the air. The star was portrayed a ton at the end of the film, and I thought the choice of words in the lullaby were interesting. They kind of gave a pro-Russian feel to the diagetic song, repeating that "Russia does not discriminate against ANY colored children, no matter if they are red, black, white, pink...etc" This was so interesting to me, because it was basically saying "We don't discriminate, we love everybody, that is why Russia is the BEST!" Obviously I could be reading wrong into this, but I thought that this showed the most Social Realism in the film. It was pretty funny to see what the ending of this movie turned out to be, because it was so unexpected and unique. I would definitely place this film smack dab in the middle of the art/entertainment/propaganda "triangle"...it was entertaining with the circus, rich with music sung by the actors/actresses, and as I just explained, it had a great deal of propaganda at the end.
Oh and this was also a great film because Petrovich was very attractive.
The first connection I made between these two socialist realism films was that they both developed a relationship. Both of these relationships were formed under very unique circumstances, one within a war, the other within the Russian Circus scene. I am very intrigued by this, not only because it is SO packed with Social realistic traits, yet that it is actually believable. Petrovich was a very interesting character, seemed a little out of reach at the beginning, yet always seemed compassionate towards Marion. Marion was a mysterious character to me throughout the movie, obviously because we didn't learn her "terrible" secret until the end. She was, in my opinion, the hero in this movie. With a little help from Rayechka at the end of the film, she got the courage to defy the evil hold that her secret-keeper held over her head. She also saved the opening act of the newest attraction at the circus, and made it a great spectacle.
The ending number in this film was astoundingly chocked full of Russian propaganda, from what I can tell. Along with the normal flags adorned with Lenin's picture, and it would be presumed that red was the color on the flag, there was so much Russian culture lingering in the air. The star was portrayed a ton at the end of the film, and I thought the choice of words in the lullaby were interesting. They kind of gave a pro-Russian feel to the diagetic song, repeating that "Russia does not discriminate against ANY colored children, no matter if they are red, black, white, pink...etc" This was so interesting to me, because it was basically saying "We don't discriminate, we love everybody, that is why Russia is the BEST!" Obviously I could be reading wrong into this, but I thought that this showed the most Social Realism in the film. It was pretty funny to see what the ending of this movie turned out to be, because it was so unexpected and unique. I would definitely place this film smack dab in the middle of the art/entertainment/propaganda "triangle"...it was entertaining with the circus, rich with music sung by the actors/actresses, and as I just explained, it had a great deal of propaganda at the end.
Oh and this was also a great film because Petrovich was very attractive.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
-Chapaev-
So after viewing our first REAL sound film, I was relieved. It was so much easier to follow, and just something that our culture is used to. It did a much better job getting me interested compared to Battleship Potemkin, for a few reasons. First off, we had a real main character, that could now talk and make us feel like he was actually there. I also think that this movie could appeal more to the ladies in Russia, because there was a love story intertwined in it. It wasn't too gushy, and it worked for this movie.
General Chapaev's character was awesome. I really liked how he made me not only understand what he had at stake (such a revved up reputation), but made me feel for him when they were ambushed and he had to make a decision to make or break his life. At the beginning of the movie, he seemed a bit rash, asking Petka to shush people outside so he could "think". Yet while the movie developed, we as the audience experience some of his private moments, like teaching his commander skills in battle, and meeting his Commissar. They had a rocky relationship at first, because Chapaev kind of thought he was too good for any old Commissar. It turned out that he gave some really great advice, and showed Chapaev that it was super important for him to be there. He helped in the intellectual aspect, which is something Chapaev was not expecting.
Chapaev also used sound to it's full potential in my opinion. He made sure his point got across, even if he had to scream extremely loud!! I feel as if he is not the original hero in this movie, but he is moved to becoming it throughout. He realizes he is not young like Petka and Anka, and he is not the smartest. Yet at the end, he tries to get away, and dies in battle like a true hero should.
Monday, January 10, 2011
Battleship Potemkin
This film was much much different, as we were told, than the Bauer films. Not only were the sets, actors, and plot lines different, but the propaganda was very eminent throughout.
There were a few things that I had questions on. I didn't really follow all of the stories together, I wish that there had been a few more explanations so that I could understand what exactly was going on most of the time when one part would end and another begin. Another thing I wish I could find out is what ever happened to that poor baby! The scene on the Odessa staircase came out of nowhere, and startled me for sure. It was crazy, yet definitely something to remember. I am not familiar with the "baby carriage rolling out of control down the stairs" part, and I would like to know what other films have taken this scene and made it into something of their own!
There were several things that caught my eye in this movie. The mutiny was one of my favorite scenes, along with the end. I truly felt sympathetic for the crewmen, because their higher powers were acting a bit ridiculous. This movie showed VERY well the mixed feelings and different sides (Tsar army on the steps, crowds of people on steps, different ranks of men on boat). From watching this, I cannot wait to see what Soviet propaganda films can do with sound and conversation!!
There were a few things that I had questions on. I didn't really follow all of the stories together, I wish that there had been a few more explanations so that I could understand what exactly was going on most of the time when one part would end and another begin. Another thing I wish I could find out is what ever happened to that poor baby! The scene on the Odessa staircase came out of nowhere, and startled me for sure. It was crazy, yet definitely something to remember. I am not familiar with the "baby carriage rolling out of control down the stairs" part, and I would like to know what other films have taken this scene and made it into something of their own!
There were several things that caught my eye in this movie. The mutiny was one of my favorite scenes, along with the end. I truly felt sympathetic for the crewmen, because their higher powers were acting a bit ridiculous. This movie showed VERY well the mixed feelings and different sides (Tsar army on the steps, crowds of people on steps, different ranks of men on boat). From watching this, I cannot wait to see what Soviet propaganda films can do with sound and conversation!!
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Evgeni Bauer Short Films
Throughout all of these silent films, I felt not only some urges to tune out, but an astonished feeling as well. It is absolutely crazy how much the actors, directors, along with everyone else involved in these movies knew about film. The acting seemed somewhat amateur at times, giving a little more expression that we would deem necessary in our society today, but it all worked. It makes sense, how else were the actors/actresses in the early 20th century supposed to do their job? It was also quite significant to me that the direction of the film was obviously led well. There is an obvious plot line in every film, yet each has its own twists and turns. These are somewhat complicated story lines as well, and I could not imagine having to act it out myself. Although silent films prove to be understandable and quality, I still believe that overall, films with sound make more sense. There are some certain advantages that were taken advantage of, such as dramatic acting. It makes these films more interesting because we need to FOCUS on the actors/actresses, we cannot just tune out. This can be a challenge for the viewer as well, because tuning out for any reason could lead to confusion for the rest of the film. These films are as good as you make them, as I would say.
As for the three movies we watched last class, I would have to say "The Dying Swan" was by far the most intricate and creepy. Gizella's character was acted out well, especially because she had to portray a mute in the movie. Glinsky's motives were clear, that he was obviously obsessed with death, yet his motives for having Gizella model for him were unclear to me until the end. I like that the silent films in this time period were also dabbling in the scary genre. I found that Gizella and Glinsky's actions were well executed, yet the story got a bit hazy at the end.
"A Child of the Big City" was not my favorite, yet I though it had potential. As I have read on other blogs, I agree that Mary did not seem all that bad. Yes, she was acting very impolite at the splendid dinner she attended with Viktor, yet I wish that Evgeni Bauer would have shown more interest in exploiting her doing other wrong things, such as spending all of Viktors' money, etc. It was a good story, yet I thought it could have been a little more detailed.
Last but not least, I thought that "The 1002nd Ruse" was a bit odd. This one I thought was a bit slow, and could have expanded the funny cheating scene a bit more. The creepy old man was a good actor, he made me feel creeped out and sufficiently showed his feelings for his wife.
As for the three movies we watched last class, I would have to say "The Dying Swan" was by far the most intricate and creepy. Gizella's character was acted out well, especially because she had to portray a mute in the movie. Glinsky's motives were clear, that he was obviously obsessed with death, yet his motives for having Gizella model for him were unclear to me until the end. I like that the silent films in this time period were also dabbling in the scary genre. I found that Gizella and Glinsky's actions were well executed, yet the story got a bit hazy at the end.
"A Child of the Big City" was not my favorite, yet I though it had potential. As I have read on other blogs, I agree that Mary did not seem all that bad. Yes, she was acting very impolite at the splendid dinner she attended with Viktor, yet I wish that Evgeni Bauer would have shown more interest in exploiting her doing other wrong things, such as spending all of Viktors' money, etc. It was a good story, yet I thought it could have been a little more detailed.
Last but not least, I thought that "The 1002nd Ruse" was a bit odd. This one I thought was a bit slow, and could have expanded the funny cheating scene a bit more. The creepy old man was a good actor, he made me feel creeped out and sufficiently showed his feelings for his wife.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
PT. 2 of "Irony of Fate"
After watching the second half of this film, most of the ideas I had about the first part followed suit. The themes of Russian nationalism, for example their immense pride in the New Year, continued to uphold tradition and played a large role. The classic love triangle evolved throughout this part of the film, showing that Russian comedy can also be a riot.
I liked how this story evolved. It is not very typical, and it somewhat tricks the audience. It has a different edge to it, because it was a complete accident that turned into a life-changing event. It was unexpected, yet believable and funny. The nationalistic Russia was portrayed by again the apartment buildings, to things such as the New Years Day celebration. Friends were viewed so highly, and so were relationships with people such as mothers/girlfriends/boyfriends. The music also continued to shape the plot and movie, with characters such as Zhenya and Nadya playing and singing throughout Pt. 2.
This movie turned out to be funny, yet it touched on what we read about for homework last night, it also aimed to teach a lesson. No one in this world really knows what is out there until something crazy and out there happens. Such as these two, their random meeting led them down the crazy path of the unknown. These few pointers on life were atypical for Russian film, and it was interesting to see one in action.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Thoughts on "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!"
I honestly did not know what to expect when I first started watching this film, yet it surprised me greatly!! From previous knowledge, I have learned that the Russians have never been an atypical society. By actually viewing that society was very structured, with things like the apartment buildings, this movie reiterated the fact that society is/was different.
This comedy, "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" is unique. I found myself laughing a lot at this film, and I have enjoyed it thus far. Most of the comedies in America and it's past focus on the ridiculous behavior of the characters in the film. This film shows that even all the way in Moscow, men love to drink and act extremely silly during their drunken actions. Zhenya is the prime example in this movie, getting too drunk to function and ending up on a plane in a different part of Russia! He completely (so far) has ruined his chances to spend the new year with Galya. This is funny to me, and probably to other cultures as well. The thing that is very different culturally wise with American and Russian comedies in my opinion thus far is the songs that were sung in the Russian film. This usually doesn't happen in American comedies.
It has some similarities to other cultures, yet it shows some very different parts of culture. First of all, the apartment buildings were very prominent in the cities. It is believable that Zhenya mixed up the buildings, because they look so similar! That is funny on its own, yet so culturally driven towards the Soviet Union. Yes, it is peculiar, yet it is entertaining. The bathhouses on the other hand are VERY peculiar, especially since they are still keeping the tradition strong in the 70's! Another interesting aspect that popped out to me was the true importance of the New Year. The characters, such as Ippolit, spoke of it so highly..."the old year..the New Year." It was interesting to see that this culture and how it works, and how it keeps the tradition of family and people close to you important for this holiday.
All in all, this movie so far has shown me how different the Russian culture is from Americans, yet how it is still funny and can relate to people around the world.
This comedy, "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" is unique. I found myself laughing a lot at this film, and I have enjoyed it thus far. Most of the comedies in America and it's past focus on the ridiculous behavior of the characters in the film. This film shows that even all the way in Moscow, men love to drink and act extremely silly during their drunken actions. Zhenya is the prime example in this movie, getting too drunk to function and ending up on a plane in a different part of Russia! He completely (so far) has ruined his chances to spend the new year with Galya. This is funny to me, and probably to other cultures as well. The thing that is very different culturally wise with American and Russian comedies in my opinion thus far is the songs that were sung in the Russian film. This usually doesn't happen in American comedies.
It has some similarities to other cultures, yet it shows some very different parts of culture. First of all, the apartment buildings were very prominent in the cities. It is believable that Zhenya mixed up the buildings, because they look so similar! That is funny on its own, yet so culturally driven towards the Soviet Union. Yes, it is peculiar, yet it is entertaining. The bathhouses on the other hand are VERY peculiar, especially since they are still keeping the tradition strong in the 70's! Another interesting aspect that popped out to me was the true importance of the New Year. The characters, such as Ippolit, spoke of it so highly..."the old year..the New Year." It was interesting to see that this culture and how it works, and how it keeps the tradition of family and people close to you important for this holiday.
All in all, this movie so far has shown me how different the Russian culture is from Americans, yet how it is still funny and can relate to people around the world.
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