This was a very interesting movie to say the least. While the cinematography was amazing, the plot was a little fuzzy. I had trouble following what was going on most of the time. After Anatoly shot the captain of his ship to save his own life, I felt the guilt he had for his actions seemed to drag on throughout the rest of the film. There was no other side plot or characters that lighted the mood. It was actually a bit depressing to watch. While I pitied for Anotoly, I also felt like he should have moved on with his life. Nobody should have to suffer 30 years of guilt for a past mistake. The phrase "what's done is done"echoed through my mind as I watched the plot unfold. It is unwise to waste energy on a past mistake that is unfixable. It is completely out of one's control.
I feel like the main theme the director wanted the audience to recognize while watching the film is recognize it's spiritual message. Towards the end of the film, I felt the cross had a symbolic message that represented Anatoly finally finding peace as Jesus did when he died on the cross for our sins. His repentance had finally paid off, even though on many levels, I found it very unnecessary. I just think 30 years is a bit of a stretch to feel bad about anything, but thats just my opinion. Overall, I thought it was a very interesting film. The cinematography was outstanding, but I thought it overshadowed the plot.
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Legend No. 17
This has been my favorite movie we have watched this month by far. While I still really liked "Burnt by the Sun" and "Brother," this film is in a league of its own. The plot had action, drama, and it made you think about yourself as a person and not just the main characters. It made you relate to past situations where you never gave up on yourself to reach your ultimate goals. Personally, I love movies like this. I'm a very competitive person and I'm an athlete at Carthage, so this type of genre is right up my alley.
After reflecting on the film, I really admired Tarasov as a coach. When he was running practice, he used some unorthodox training techniques that didn't seem like your typical hockey drills. I'm not a hockey expert by any means, but when a coach orders a player to stand in a hockey goal so his teammates can pelt him with pucks, I don't think that is textbook hockey coaching. Also, I don't think giving piggy back rides up and down hills is very common either while training. Nevertheless, Tarasov constantly said throughout the film that he didn't care what people thought of him. He was going to do what he felt would put his team in a winning situation. Another aspect about Tarazov's coaching is that is was not always meant to make his players physically stronger. I liked that he used certain tactics that targeted each players mental attitude towards hockey and life itself. An example of this is when Tarasov's new national team played a game and did not mesh well. When he put them out on the ice to skate in a circle and told players from previous teams to stop in their tracks, everyone would crash into each other. This was a lesson that was meant to teach the players that they were no longer individuals from other teams. They were on one national team.
Another part of the film that was interesting was the way it depicted the Soviet Union. It almost seemed like it was the protagonist while the Canadians were the enemy. This was strange to me because when I saw the movie "Miracle," I wanted nothing more than the Russians to lose (even though I already knew the outcome of the game). My point is, this film succeeded in wanting me to cheer for the Russians. I felt connected to Valeri, his journey throughout his life, and the obstacles he had to overcome. The Canadians in this film were portrayed as being very animalistic. They would check players for fun and did not wear helmets when they played. Hell, I would be terrified if I had to go up against a team like that on the ice. It's a good thing I don't play hockey. In conclusion, I loved this movie from start to finish and I hope professor Isham has another one of these gems up his sleeve for tomorrow.
After reflecting on the film, I really admired Tarasov as a coach. When he was running practice, he used some unorthodox training techniques that didn't seem like your typical hockey drills. I'm not a hockey expert by any means, but when a coach orders a player to stand in a hockey goal so his teammates can pelt him with pucks, I don't think that is textbook hockey coaching. Also, I don't think giving piggy back rides up and down hills is very common either while training. Nevertheless, Tarasov constantly said throughout the film that he didn't care what people thought of him. He was going to do what he felt would put his team in a winning situation. Another aspect about Tarazov's coaching is that is was not always meant to make his players physically stronger. I liked that he used certain tactics that targeted each players mental attitude towards hockey and life itself. An example of this is when Tarasov's new national team played a game and did not mesh well. When he put them out on the ice to skate in a circle and told players from previous teams to stop in their tracks, everyone would crash into each other. This was a lesson that was meant to teach the players that they were no longer individuals from other teams. They were on one national team.
Another part of the film that was interesting was the way it depicted the Soviet Union. It almost seemed like it was the protagonist while the Canadians were the enemy. This was strange to me because when I saw the movie "Miracle," I wanted nothing more than the Russians to lose (even though I already knew the outcome of the game). My point is, this film succeeded in wanting me to cheer for the Russians. I felt connected to Valeri, his journey throughout his life, and the obstacles he had to overcome. The Canadians in this film were portrayed as being very animalistic. They would check players for fun and did not wear helmets when they played. Hell, I would be terrified if I had to go up against a team like that on the ice. It's a good thing I don't play hockey. In conclusion, I loved this movie from start to finish and I hope professor Isham has another one of these gems up his sleeve for tomorrow.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Piter FM
I felt like we were on a hot streak with the movie choices lately. Unfortunately, that streak ended today with Piter FM. I felt like I was watching a cheap, foreign attempt at an American chick flick. The plot was very dry and nothing really happened throughout the whole movie. It was basically about two people who broke up with the people they were currently with so they could date each other, that's it. When I say that's all that happened, I really mean that. There wasn't a side plot or anything else that spiced up the main plot. That is the reason why this film was boring to me.
Despite the uninteresting plot, I felt the movie had a lot of great shots featuring St. Petersburg. This is the only part of the movie that actually kept my attention. After watching, "Brother,"it was fun to compare St. Petersburg in this film to the early 90s. One aspect I noticed was the city in Piter FM seemed livelier than in Brother. This is understandable due to the high crime rate in the 90s. I wouldn't want to roam the streets during that time period without a means of protection on me.
Another aspect about the city in the film that was different in "Brother" was that it seemed more populated and had an increase in technology. I know this it is a no brainer that the technology has enhanced in 15 years, but there is a correlation to this and the population increase. When technology advances, crime tends to decrease, thus increasing the population in areas that were previously designated as dangerous.
Overall, the movie was fair in my book. The most interesting "character" in my opinion was the city itself. It came to life in this movie with all of its busy activity. Hopefully, the movie tomorrow will have a more active plot.
Despite the uninteresting plot, I felt the movie had a lot of great shots featuring St. Petersburg. This is the only part of the movie that actually kept my attention. After watching, "Brother,"it was fun to compare St. Petersburg in this film to the early 90s. One aspect I noticed was the city in Piter FM seemed livelier than in Brother. This is understandable due to the high crime rate in the 90s. I wouldn't want to roam the streets during that time period without a means of protection on me.
Another aspect about the city in the film that was different in "Brother" was that it seemed more populated and had an increase in technology. I know this it is a no brainer that the technology has enhanced in 15 years, but there is a correlation to this and the population increase. When technology advances, crime tends to decrease, thus increasing the population in areas that were previously designated as dangerous.
Overall, the movie was fair in my book. The most interesting "character" in my opinion was the city itself. It came to life in this movie with all of its busy activity. Hopefully, the movie tomorrow will have a more active plot.
Monday, January 26, 2015
The Return
I really liked today's film. I have never watched a movie with such an unpredictable plot. For starters, the title, "The Return," gave away the surprise of what the movie was about. Obviously, something from the past was about to return to the present. In this case, it was Andrey and Ivan's father. Despite the cinematography being amazing, I was confused with a few aspects about the film.
The first thing that caught my attention was why the father came back in the first place. In the film, he says it was because the boys' mother said she wanted him around again. However, this seemed a little fishy to me. When Andrey and Ivan arrived at their home to discover their father was there, the mother seemed very nervous anxious with his arrival. She was outside on the porch smoking a cigarette. This is a common thing for people to do when they feel uncomfortable in certain situations because the nicotine calms the nerves. If the mother was expecting the biological father of her children, I would think she would have reacted to the situation differently.
Another aspect that was unsettling was the way the father went about things throughout the film. He seemed like a man with a suspicious past and was hiding something from his family. This could explain why he disappeared for 12 years without a trace. This is the reason why I feel like he showed up out of nowhere to be with his family. Something may have gone wrong in his current life and he felt like his only option was to go back to his old life. What is completely unfair to Andrey and Ivan is the way he treats them upon his arrival. He acts as if he had been there all along and he feels there is no other way to react to his sudden appearance than to accept him. Personally, I felt this was completely bogus. I also didn't like the way he treated his sons. I could tell they were used to their mother's parenting style and not their father's. He was very ruthless in the way he conducted Andrey and Ivan.
What surprised me the most was the way the film ended. I knew that the father was "caring" for his sons in his own way, but I didn't see his untimely death coming at all. This is the plot twist that made the film very interesting. I thought, "what now?" I doubt that I'm far off from what the boys were thinking as well. While I enjoyed watching this film, it left so many questions unanswered. For example, where did the father come from and why did he return to his family after so many years? What was in the package the father picked up? What ended up happening to Andrey and Ivan after they could't return their father's body home? In a way, the father's body sinking to the bottom of the lake has ironic symbolism. He threatened to the boys that he might not come back for another 12 years after their fishing trip. Well, now he's never coming back because he's dead. This is a bittersweet end to the movie. While the boys ended up losing their father, they gained their old lives back. Overall, I enjoyed the film and I am looking forward to the movie tomorrow.
The first thing that caught my attention was why the father came back in the first place. In the film, he says it was because the boys' mother said she wanted him around again. However, this seemed a little fishy to me. When Andrey and Ivan arrived at their home to discover their father was there, the mother seemed very nervous anxious with his arrival. She was outside on the porch smoking a cigarette. This is a common thing for people to do when they feel uncomfortable in certain situations because the nicotine calms the nerves. If the mother was expecting the biological father of her children, I would think she would have reacted to the situation differently.
Another aspect that was unsettling was the way the father went about things throughout the film. He seemed like a man with a suspicious past and was hiding something from his family. This could explain why he disappeared for 12 years without a trace. This is the reason why I feel like he showed up out of nowhere to be with his family. Something may have gone wrong in his current life and he felt like his only option was to go back to his old life. What is completely unfair to Andrey and Ivan is the way he treats them upon his arrival. He acts as if he had been there all along and he feels there is no other way to react to his sudden appearance than to accept him. Personally, I felt this was completely bogus. I also didn't like the way he treated his sons. I could tell they were used to their mother's parenting style and not their father's. He was very ruthless in the way he conducted Andrey and Ivan.
What surprised me the most was the way the film ended. I knew that the father was "caring" for his sons in his own way, but I didn't see his untimely death coming at all. This is the plot twist that made the film very interesting. I thought, "what now?" I doubt that I'm far off from what the boys were thinking as well. While I enjoyed watching this film, it left so many questions unanswered. For example, where did the father come from and why did he return to his family after so many years? What was in the package the father picked up? What ended up happening to Andrey and Ivan after they could't return their father's body home? In a way, the father's body sinking to the bottom of the lake has ironic symbolism. He threatened to the boys that he might not come back for another 12 years after their fishing trip. Well, now he's never coming back because he's dead. This is a bittersweet end to the movie. While the boys ended up losing their father, they gained their old lives back. Overall, I enjoyed the film and I am looking forward to the movie tomorrow.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Brother
This was an awesome movie to say the least. I really like to watch mobster movies so I felt right at home with this one. It has been an interesting journey watching movies in Russian Cinema that have depicted the peak of the Soviet Union, to the beginning of the Thaw. This movie captures the essence of the complete demise of socialist realism. There is no propaganda in this film that would make you think about communism or equality among the public. I really felt like I was watching a movie that was made in the U.S. This is very significant because this means that the director's in Russia at the time were beginning to embody the ideas of west a bit more than a few years earlier. While this is definitely a mobster movie, it didn't scream, "The Godfather" to me. The closest genre I can relate this film to is a western. Danila reminded me of a vigilante who was out to save his brother at all costs. With his military background, the feat seemed like a walk in the park to him. His actions seemed almost effortless and without failure. Everything went according to plan, which happens in most western movies. The protagonist always saves the girl, but in this case, the person that needed saving was Danila's older brother, Viktor.
One interesting aspect to Danila's character is that he is always listening his walkman. At first I wasn't sure why, but as the movie continued, It seemed to me that the Walkman had symbolic meaning. Danila's life has had its ups and downs and it doesn't seem like he has had a lot of control with its outcome. To me, the Walkman is something that is constant in his life. He can control the songs at will and it gives him a chance to take his mind off of things. After his Walkman was destroyed, I noticed the theme of the movie shifted. It wasn't Danila who needed saving anymore, it was his brother. It was at this moment where we saw Danila finally take matters into his own hands and take control of the situation.
As for the time period in which the film took place, there was a considerable difference between the 80s and the 90s. St. Petersburg had become a hotbed for crime whereas ten years earlier, people seemed to be content by their new freedom of expressing opinions in public. Now, their actions seemed to have taken a turn for the worst. While many people did not turn to crime as a result of the Thaw, many took advantage of the western ideologies that were pouring into Russia and translated them into crime without thinking about the consequences. I thought this movie did a great job portraying this and I am looking forward to continuing this historic journey through Russian Cinema on Monday.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Little Vera
I really don't know where to begin to describe how I feel about this film. It was truly one of the most depressing things I have ever seen on the big screen. The entire plot was one big cluster of negative emotions and hatred amongst everyone in the movie. Vera, the main character seemed to have it the worst out of anyone. She was constantly being bombarded with one tragic event after another. I really felt for her. Her life was spinning out of control and when things seemed like they couldn't get much worse, the universe gave her a slap in the face and piled on more heartbreak. Honestly, I felt a bit depressed after sitting through this one.
Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I want to talk a little about the historical significance of the film. It takes place during the fall of the Soviet Union and there are noticeable differences between this film and the others we have seen. The younger generation is way more outspoken in comparison to a few years earlier and they are beginning to experiment with cultural norms, such as music preferences, social interactions, and relationships. Teenagers are no longer constricted to the old ways of the old regime and are more open minded.
When we look at Vera, she seems like a very independent person. The way she dresses and her hairstyle suggest she is not someone who conforms to the way people want her to look and that she will do what she wants, when she wants. Unfortunately, this way of thinking does not always pan out for her. She tends to hangout with the wrong crowd and she keeps more untrustworthy people closer to her than loved ones. I understand that a lot of the things she went through in the movie were out of her control, such as her parents telling her they didn't want her and discovering she will not pursue a college degree with her best friend. However, there were a few things that she could have avoided, like not being such a flirt with bad guys and cutting down on her drinking habits. This was a main theme in the movie as well. Alcoholism is not a joke and we saw that firsthand when Vera's dad stabbed her boyfriend with a knife while drunk. The bottom line is, every family has their own issues, but putting the blame game on each other is not the way to resolve any problem. I do have sympathy for Vera and her family because I think it is a real shame that they felt the need to act in such a hostile way towards each other. In the end, it really didn't solve anything. It just resulted in Vera attempting suicide.
Now that I have gotten that off my chest, I want to talk a little about the historical significance of the film. It takes place during the fall of the Soviet Union and there are noticeable differences between this film and the others we have seen. The younger generation is way more outspoken in comparison to a few years earlier and they are beginning to experiment with cultural norms, such as music preferences, social interactions, and relationships. Teenagers are no longer constricted to the old ways of the old regime and are more open minded.
When we look at Vera, she seems like a very independent person. The way she dresses and her hairstyle suggest she is not someone who conforms to the way people want her to look and that she will do what she wants, when she wants. Unfortunately, this way of thinking does not always pan out for her. She tends to hangout with the wrong crowd and she keeps more untrustworthy people closer to her than loved ones. I understand that a lot of the things she went through in the movie were out of her control, such as her parents telling her they didn't want her and discovering she will not pursue a college degree with her best friend. However, there were a few things that she could have avoided, like not being such a flirt with bad guys and cutting down on her drinking habits. This was a main theme in the movie as well. Alcoholism is not a joke and we saw that firsthand when Vera's dad stabbed her boyfriend with a knife while drunk. The bottom line is, every family has their own issues, but putting the blame game on each other is not the way to resolve any problem. I do have sympathy for Vera and her family because I think it is a real shame that they felt the need to act in such a hostile way towards each other. In the end, it really didn't solve anything. It just resulted in Vera attempting suicide.
Wednesday, January 21, 2015
Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears
Well, I prayed and Professor Isham delivered. I am very happy we were able to watch another entertainment/comedic movie. It's not that I don't appreciate the socialist propaganda directors have incorporated in the films we have watched, I just feel more comfortable watching movies with distinct plots that do not try to shove underlying ideologies down my throat. I think we can all agree that the historic value of movies such as "Chapaev" and "Mother" is great. They just lack that entertainment factor that people long for nowadays. I found this especially apparent after reading the assigned homework in "A History of Russian Cinema." During the "Thaw," that's all people wanted to see when watching films.
One of the things that made this movie interesting was the time period that it was portraying. The film was set during the "Thaw" in Russia in the mid 1950s. Stalin had recently passed away and there was a shift in the air regarding the way people perceived life. The socialist regime was starting to become a thing in the past and the younger generation was beginning to become more outspoken. An example of this is depicted in the first few scenes of the movie where Katerina has friends over for dinner. She meets an older gentleman who had a very reserved personality and did not seem very personable. He was almost bland in a way. This is the way people were during Stalin's reign. They were told what to do and had little to no authority in their everyday lives. As the movie continued, the personalities of Katerina, Lyuda, and Antonina portrayed an obvious contrast to the "old ways" of doing things.
Another part of the movie that was very entertaining was the timeline of the film. I like that it was split into two parts. One, where we see the main characters as young women looking for love and the other portraying them as adults. After watching the first part, I wasn't exactly sure what the future might hold for the women. At first, it seemed to me that Lyuda might be the first one to find happiness after she met the famous hockey player, Sergei Gurin. It was obvious that he genuinely like her from the beginning even though Lyuda felt he was lying because she thought he could have any girl he wanted. It was unfortunate to see that their relationship fell through in the first few scenes of part 2. As for Katerina's relationship, I really don't know what to say. I mean, who meets a complete stranger on the train and creates a relationship out of it under a week? Well, this was mainly due to the persistence of Gosha. He was so blunt and meaningful in his way of doing things, it was almost contagious. I really liked him as a character. He definitely grew on me as the film went on. I'm happy that things worked put between Katerina and Gosha. I guess when you know you've found the one, the time you have known each other becomes an afterthought.
One of the things that made this movie interesting was the time period that it was portraying. The film was set during the "Thaw" in Russia in the mid 1950s. Stalin had recently passed away and there was a shift in the air regarding the way people perceived life. The socialist regime was starting to become a thing in the past and the younger generation was beginning to become more outspoken. An example of this is depicted in the first few scenes of the movie where Katerina has friends over for dinner. She meets an older gentleman who had a very reserved personality and did not seem very personable. He was almost bland in a way. This is the way people were during Stalin's reign. They were told what to do and had little to no authority in their everyday lives. As the movie continued, the personalities of Katerina, Lyuda, and Antonina portrayed an obvious contrast to the "old ways" of doing things.
Another part of the movie that was very entertaining was the timeline of the film. I like that it was split into two parts. One, where we see the main characters as young women looking for love and the other portraying them as adults. After watching the first part, I wasn't exactly sure what the future might hold for the women. At first, it seemed to me that Lyuda might be the first one to find happiness after she met the famous hockey player, Sergei Gurin. It was obvious that he genuinely like her from the beginning even though Lyuda felt he was lying because she thought he could have any girl he wanted. It was unfortunate to see that their relationship fell through in the first few scenes of part 2. As for Katerina's relationship, I really don't know what to say. I mean, who meets a complete stranger on the train and creates a relationship out of it under a week? Well, this was mainly due to the persistence of Gosha. He was so blunt and meaningful in his way of doing things, it was almost contagious. I really liked him as a character. He definitely grew on me as the film went on. I'm happy that things worked put between Katerina and Gosha. I guess when you know you've found the one, the time you have known each other becomes an afterthought.
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