[ms224]

(07-05-2013 05:45 AM)InternetMarketer Wrote:  

(07-04-2013 12:19 AM)ms224 Wrote:  

I don't think they went from naive fools to the opposite.
The whole story is really sad, in a Tolstoy sense.


How about, Brigada?

Brigada is hands down the best t.v. series in the post-Soviet era.

After Sasha Belov "Beli" comes back from his army service, he wants to become a vulcanologist. He finds out that his girlfriend became a prostitute and then beats the shit out of her pimp. Along with his three childhood friends, they dive into the drug and arms trade. Eventually, all of them die.

Sergei Bezrukov a.k.a. "Beli"

What is written on his chest? Will not forget ,Palicha?

Prosal, don't you find any of these movies depressing at all? I mean the return was pretty downish but bummer (bimmer ) was down right intentionally sad. No one there had a happy fate at all. Its like the complete opposite of sappy, new Hollywood and not in a good way.

How about White Sun of the Dessert?

Prosal, Does Customs approve? Apparently this was required watching for all cosmonauts before their went up.

Amazingly enough, mosfilm is on youtube and has a bunch of stuff on there.

The irony, given their past, is suffocating but their grenades appear to be of the right system.

[Prosal]

Portret v sumerkakh (Twilight Portrait)

Haven't seen it yet, but it seems to be a really good movie. Marina, a well-heeled moscovite, is raped by three policemen and initiates a masochist (?) affair with one of her rapers.

http://www.slantmagazine.com/film/review...trait/6144

V, have you seen the cinema adaptation of Master & Margarita ? ....it was shot in 1994 but was only realised two years ago. I am curious to know if it's good or not ...

I watch this kind of movies usually on TV, we have some "progressive" channels (Arte, Cine Novo) here, with a lot of interesting movies from everywhere in the world.

[The Fantasist]

Twilight Portrait looks like it could be an excellent film, I shall try to find it. The article mentions the film Cargo 2000 which I found to be an excellent yet hard hitting film ( based on a true story ).

I am struggling to find Russian films anywhere but on YouTube unfortunately. For years I have been searching for the French documentary 'Return To Kotelnich' ( Emmanuel Carrere ). Carrere wrote a beautiful book about Russia called 'A Russian Novel', really one of my favorite books on Russia.

[Prosal]

(07-05-2013 11:31 PM)ms224 Wrote:  

Prosal, don't you find any of these movies depressing at all?

I find that those melancholic russian movies feed the soul.

This one is armenian, a really really good movie, I've seen it maybe five times.

".... In a remote, isolated village in post-Soviet Armenia, Hamo, a widower with a pitiful pension and three worthless sons, travels daily to his wife's grave. There he meets the lovely Nina, who is communing with her late husband. The two are penniless--she works in a local bar that is about to close down, while he has been forced to start selling his meager possessions. All seems hopelessly bleak, yet as Hamo begins to court Nina, their unexpected union revitalizes them....."

(07-06-2013 03:52 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

I am struggling to find Russian films anywhere but on YouTube unfortunately. For years I have been searching for the French documentary 'Return To Kotelnich' ( Emmanuel Carrere ).

I didn't know this documentary, looks like very very good. Just made a google search, and it seems that it is only available on streaming video.

We should create a thread to share russian music BTW )

[The Fantasist]

Just watched this 1960's Soviet romantic comedy 'Three Plus Two'.

It's the light hearted story of three beta hipster type guys who have gone to a remote beach on the Crimean peninsular to spend their vacation camping. Everything is fine until two attractive women turn up saying that it is their spot and that they should move somewhere else. The lads refuse and so the women pitch their tent next to them and a light hearted battle ensues to see who can drive the other party away. Of course dislike turns into love and soon the beta boys are trying to catch the girls who hold a position of power over the men throughout the movie. The level of Betaness of one of the guys is rather amusing when compared to how we perceive Russian men today.

All in all it's an enjoyable watch without any Socialist propaganda, just a light hearted romantic comedy.

Prosal you seem to know more about Russian music then any of us, start a music thread man and I'm sure we'll contribute. I liked the video you posted recently of a band. It was filmed in the Crimea if I am not mistaken on the Simferopol to Yalta trolleybus route which incidentally is the longest such route in the world. I have always planned to take it someday.

[Brodiaga]

Vozvrashenie is one of my favorite Russian films. I watched it a few times. The main character is a textbook example of a Russian alpha male. Everything he says and does is alpha. It's not about money or power- he is a vagabond, piss poor like most people back in those days, but he has a tremendous amount of self respect.

[Prosal]

(07-06-2013 01:09 PM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

1960's Soviet romantic comedy

"Mimino" is ranked one of the best russian comedy ever.

It gives an idea of how distinct the cultures of what used to be the USSR were (the main character of the film is a Georgian pilot Valiko). Many parts of the film were shot in Georgia and georgian is also spoken throughout the movie (in addition to russian). BTW, georgian culture is as enthralling than russian culture in my opinion (I'm sure that you'll agree on that, I know your fascination for Caucasus region)

Yeah, the Underwud video is nice, I didn't know that it was the longest trolleybus route in the world, fascinating.

[Prosal]

(07-05-2013 05:12 AM)DiogoFC Wrote:  

Prosal: have you got the English subtitles for Vysotskiy. Spasibo, chto zhivoy? Can't find any but Bulgarian, which doesn't help much.

Sorry, I don't. The movie has, from what I know, never been presented in a film festival in Europe, so I guess that there is no subtitled version.

[The Fantasist]

'Mimino'

I just watched this after Prosal's recommendation. I wasn't disappointed.

Mimino is a charming Soviet comedy about a Georgian helicopter pilot. He lives a simple life flying his Aeroflot chopper through the mountains of Georgia supplying remote villages. One day in Tbilisi airport he meets a young stewardess from Moscow who flies on the Soviet 'Konkordski' supersonic jet liner. He decides he wants to go to Moscow find the girl and become an Aeroflot air-plane pilot. He meets an Armenian called Ruben at the Intourist hotel in Moscow and so begins the Soviet comedy which plays on the theme of Caucasian people being simple types. The real star of the film for me is the Armenian, Ruben, who is an affectionate bear of a man full of Caucasian hospitality and love for his new friend. They get into some scrapes and through a bunch of coincidences the story plays out.

I loved this film! Interesting points to note are a chance to see the little known about Soviet version of the Brit-French 'Concorde' aeroplane. Also a glimpse into the mountains of Georgia. Strange how perceptions have shifted in time. When this film was made the Caucasus no doubt held a romantic vision in Soviet people's minds where as now the name Caucasus is associated with war and terror.

Having been to the Caucasus I can recognise both characters in the film especially Ruben with his hospitality and over the top kindness. It kind of makes me want to return to the region.

Overall an excellent film.

[The Fantasist]

I watched two Soviet films today that both had similar styles of direction with lack of a strong naratrive; 'The Initiated' and 'The Mirror'.

I stumbled upon 'The Initiated' by chance whilst looking for films from the period of Glasnost with English subtitles. There are not many out there on Youtube.

It is a film from the late 80's by the Soviet director Oleg Teptsov. The film is shot in Sepia and has a strange atmosphere which is enhanced by a hauntingly beautiful score sung in a Latin language I could not place. The story made such little sense to me that if I had not read some notes on the film before watching it I would have had no idea what was going on. I believe you could call it avant-garde. It seems the director was trying to make some kind of statement about Glasnost and the Russian future but I could not understand what his point was.

The film resolves around a character with a stutter who takes part in some kind of evangelical meetings in run down factories. He befriends the son of a famous actor and then somehow in a scene I did not understand is given the power of life and death over people he meets. The thing is he never seems to use this power. In one scene the lead actor is seen lying on a grave wailing and head-butting it. It was incredibly strange. There seemed little plot to follow and then the lead actor dies in a burning bed which is obviously an allegory for hell but I could not work out why.

As crazy as the film is, and it really is, it left an impression on me in a kind of haunting way. It ticked all the boxes for everything I usually dislike in films ( slow, no real storyline, strange sequences, lack of dialogue ) yet something about it has stuck with me. I think I will probably have to watch it again to understand it completely.

The Mirror. This film needs little introduction to Russian film buffs having been rated one of the all time greatest movies and Tarkovsky's autobiographical master piece. I have only seen one other Tarkovsky film, Stalker, and it left me a little underwhelmed so I settled down to this one expecting a deeply philosophical slow film; A film to be endured rather than enjoyed. I was wrong. It is an incredibly beautiful film using flashbacks and time shifts to tell a narrative. There is no real story except that of a woman and a child through different stages of life and history; pre second world war, war time, 1970's. It is I believe about relationships especially with our mothers, bonds between families, the future of Russia but these themes are hinted at and not thrown in your face. I can't say much more than that as there really is not much to say, you just have to see it, and truth be told you probably have to see it a couple of times to take it all in. It was only towards the end of the film that I understood who certain characters were in relation to the time shifts so no doubt I missed other things too on a first viewing. I would recommend people watch it as it really is a work of beauty.

[Mersault]

The Mirror > Russian cinema. Apart from other Tarkovsky films.

I once banged an 8 on the strength of my Tarkovsky conversation alone. Yep. Kinosreda / SecretMoscow is the place for all those still in Moscow with an affinity for good film, by the by.

Prosal and Vorkuta, glad this thread is developing with your links and recommendations. Perhaps we can rename the thread title?
Thanks

[The Fantasist]

Kidnapping Caucasian Style

Found this on the Mosfilm Youtube channel with English subtitles. This is a great Soviet slapstick comedy one that everyone knows there and that I have heard mentioned many times in conversation. Finally got to watch it.

It is the story of a young anthropologist who arrives in the Caucus mountains to study the practices and customs of the local tribes people. Nina is a hot young Soviet chick visiting relatives in the area. A local big wig wants to marry Nina and so her uncle ( coincidently, the guy who played Rubik in the film 'Mimino' ) promises to deliver her to him in return for a fridge and a herd of sheep. And so along with three bungling fools they set out to kidnap her. It plays on cultural stereotypes and old mountain ways versus modern Soviet ways. Considering it is from the 1960's it has a surprisingly modern feel to it. Well worth checking out whether you have an interest in Russia or not.

[Prosal]

Ouch, so many movies V. Slow down pajalsta.

[The Fantasist]

'The Diamond Arm'

This is a charming 1960's Soviet comedy. The story is that of a Soviet middle aged guy who goes on a cruise to somewhere in the Middle East. Whilst there he accidentally gets mixed up in a jewel smuggling scam. The bad guys mistake him for their contact and give him a plaster cast inlaid with jewels to smuggle back to the Soviet Union. The story is of the bad guys doing all they can to get hold of the jewels from him whilst the police wait in the shadows to capture the bad guy smugglers. There are some great scenes in this movie, genuine laugh lout loud moments if you understand the Soviet mentality and country a little bit.

What was surprising in this and a few of the other comedy films I have seen this week is that religion is is talked about. One guy in this film has a cross round his neck and prays. Interesting since I thought religion was a taboo subject in the USSR. It seems however that after Kruschev and his secret speech denouncing the excesses of Stalinism religion could be portrayed in films. I also noticed in this film that they mentioned the perfume Chanel No. 5. That surprised me but obviously Soviet audiences had knowledge of such foreign products. When the guy returns from his cruise his wife asks him "did you try Coca cola, did you like it?". Interesting from a cultural perspective.

So it seems that Soviet comedy from the 1960's has a lot of parallels with Hollywood films of the same period. I don't know who influenced who. Check this film out if you have time as it is an interesting look at the Soviet Union of the early Brezhnev years.

Prosal, I can't stop, I have developed an addiction to these films!

[Teutatis]

Finally got around to watch Vozvrashchenie.

What can I say, the cinematography is astoundingly beautiful, the lakes, the forests, the beaches, the fields, all beautiful, the music haunting and gorgeous, that sense of emptiness and loneliness, the father and the two kids, the three of them are stupidly good, great movie.

My favorite line was probably when Ivan, the youngest one, says "I could have loved you if you weren't so evil". Damn, I wasn't expecting that one.

Now have to pick another one from this thread.

[InternetMarketer]

Watch Brigada, you won't be disappointed. Although my father's friends who were apart of the criminal scene in the 80's and 90's say that it's a load of crap, most find it very entertaining.

[Prosal]

(07-10-2013 08:05 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Kidnapping Caucasian Style

Found this on the Mosfilm Youtube channel with English subtitles. This is a great Soviet slapstick comedy one that everyone knows there and that I have heard mentioned many times in conversation. Finally got to watch it.

V, can you post the link to the subtitled Mosfilm version ? .....the video you posted leads to Youtube for a version without subtitles (but of great HD quality!).

[The Fantasist]

(07-13-2013 07:41 AM)Prosal Wrote:  

V, can you post the link to the subtitled Mosfilm version ? .....the video you posted leads to Youtube for a version without subtitles (but of great HD quality!).

Sure, here you go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7DDY1qHxKYs&wide=1

If the English subtitles don't appear on the screen automatically click on the subtitle icon ( second one from left on the information bar at bottom of the screen ) and they will come on.

Enjoy, it's a great film!

[Prosal]

(07-13-2013 07:53 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

If the English subtitles don't appear on the screen automatically click on the subtitle icon ( second one from left on the information bar at bottom of the screen ) and they will come on

Thanks ...I should have give more attention to the information bar ...now you know why most of my GFs call me "durak".

[The Fantasist]

'Man With A Movie Camera'

This is a film I had heard about in certain circles for a long time, it has been voted into top 100 lists regularly. I did not expect to enjoy it since it is black and white and silent. The truth however is that it is a fantastic piece of film. There is no real story to the film it is just showing life in three Ukrainian cities; Kiev, Odessa and Kharkiv. The film was fundamental in introducing new techniques to cinema. It is basically an assortment of short clips that vary up to about 8 seconds in length and usually only three showing transport and people at work or going about their daily life in the Soviet Union as it then was. A modern score has been added which enhances the film immensely. It is only 65 minutes long but what a fantastic 65 minutes it is!

Well worth watching.

[Prosal]

(07-13-2013 07:53 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

Enjoy, it's a great film!

Just watched it, super entertaining, but also culturally instructive. Thanks.

I liked the scene when Churik "studies" the georgian toasts ) (which BTW is a fascinating tradition).

[The Fantasist]

'Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession'

A great farcical Soviet comedy from the early 1970s.

A guy invents a time machine and his neighbour and a burglar accidentally get transported back to the court of Ivan the Terrible whilst Ivan the Terrible gets transported back to 1970s Moscow. Because the neighbour who got transported back looks like Ivan the Terrible it leads to all kinds of escapades and confusion. Some good scenes in this film and it is certainly worth a watch.

If anyone has any links to good Soviet films with English subs then please link them up as I am running out of films to watch. Cheers.

[SpiderKing]

(07-14-2013 06:08 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

If anyone has any links to good Soviet films with English subs then please link them up as I am running out of films to watch. Cheers.

The entire Mosfilm youtube channel is a treasure trove of great films. Many of them have english subs--quite helpful if one is learning Russian.

http://www.youtube.com/user/mosfilm

[Prosal]

(07-06-2013 03:52 AM)Vorkuta Wrote:  

The article mentions the film Cargo 200 which I found to be an excellent yet hard hitting film ( based on a true story ).

Cargo 200:

Brat 2 (Brother 2), same director, Aleksei Balabanov