"Piter FM"

"Piter FM" is a 2006 film directed by a female Russian director, Oksana Bychkova. It was such a different film compared to the other films we have watched in class, considering it does not follow in the genre of politics, war, history, etc. It was a light-hearted comedy which was a bit of a breath of fresh air. The plot and characters were quite predictable though in my opinion. With two people who are having issues with their love life. But then a cell phone goes missing, the other person picks it up, calls that other person, they build a connection immediately. I was comparing it to a Hollywood American romantic comedy and I could see similarities. For example, the scene where the two people, Masha and Maksim, are trying to meet each other by searching for one another in St. Petersburg, would clearly be in the same area, searching for specific features, like a red coat, but they would always miss each other by a second. It is very common for rom coms to have the obvious not be seen to have two people meet each other. I really enjoyed the modern day scenery of St. Petersburg though. It actually makes me want to go visit sometime during my next vacation. There was a very artistic feeling watching it, with the different architecture, it was beautiful.

"The Return"

The film was called "The Return" directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev in 2003. I was very impressed by this director because I found out from my professor that this was his first feature film. I have to say after watching today's film, it was definitely one of my favorite films that I have viewed in class this J-term. Everything was so haunting and beautiful. From the incredible cinematography, acting, even the dark, eerie music was wonderful. This is the type of film that I love to watch. I love films that make you think at the end where you can make different interpretations to what was going on. It wasn't predictable, which made this film even more exciting. It is one of those rare films where so much is being shown than said. I felt like I was watching a moving postcard or painting of some sort.

I was comparing this movie to the previous film I watched in class, "Brother" because they both take place in St. Petersburg, Russia and the settings were completely different. "Brother" took place in a more urban location, where "The Return" focused on the nature aspect of the film, which made it so visually appealing.

The characters in "The Return" were all so unique and different in their own way. The mother was only seen in the beginning of the film, but she seemed to be nurturing and comforting in the first scene to her younger son, Ivan when he was too afraid to jump in the lake after his older brother and friends were taunting him. At the same time, there seems to be a secret she is not telling to her sons when the father arrives after a twelve year absense. She told them the dad was a pilot, but I don't think that was the dad's occupation. Maybe she didn't want to explain the truth to her kids because she probably wanted to protect them. When we see the dad return, I could see the fear in the mother's eyes and body language. She was distant and did not say much when he was around.

The father of the film was definitely a character that was hard to analyze. There were many moments in the film where I could not stand the character because of the way he was treating his sons, especially Andrei. He was even abusive at one point. But then I said to myself, maybe that is based on different culture, Russians are more strict, and they discipline their children very rough that way. Or I felt like based on his past during the twelve year absense, something must have happened that probably changed his character emotionally, so he doesn't know how to show open love to his sons.

I thought the way the sons reacted towards their father was something that was very distinct. Andrei, the older brother learns to accept his father after he mysteriously returns and Ivan has a difficult time adjusting by being disrespectful and stubborn, which I can see from his point of view. I found it interesting, the more Ivan tried to push away his father, the dad would act all concern and actually show emotion. The more Andrei would please his dad, the father didn't seem to pay attention as much. For example, Andrei would tell a joke and the dad didn't seem to care as much, he changed the topic. The father hit Andrei a few times also. The first time was when Andrei couldn't put the branches under the muddy, wet stuck tire and when the boys came three and a half hours later to the shore after going fishing.

I had sympathy for both the boys, because they were both reacting and dealing with the same situation in different ways. I felt like Andrei was the most conflicted character in this film. There were times where it seemed like he had to decide to focus and protect his younger brother or to just to continue to follow the father's rough demands, and that way he could win some affection from him. I liked how the film also portrayed Ivan. Ivan represented everything about youth. From the way he was looking through the binoculars in the car because he is very inquisitive about his mysterious father and how he was taking photos during the trip, there was something very artisitic and innocent about it. Yet, he was such a intelligent and aware kid. Even when his father returns, he does not trust him completely. He was very suspicious to the point where he even questioned if it was his real father. I also noticed that it seemed like he acted like the older brother instead of Andrei because he was keeping charge of the diary for their trip.

When the father died though, there seemed to be a change of character from the two boys. Ivan seemed to accept his father once he found out he was dead because he looked worried, shocked, and scared all at once. I think it is clear that Ivan did love his father after all, he was just afraid of him and didn't know if his father loved him. Andrei's reaction on the other hand, creeped me out a bit...He wasn't showing much emotion, he was very calm and taking charge of how to handle the body instructing his younger brother to move it in the boat. The tone of Andrei's voice changed too, which I thought the shift in acting from the actor was brilliant in my opinion.

In this film, there also happens to be a lot of symbolisms. From the black and white photo in the beginning where the boys see their father in the picture when them as babies to the photos taken during the trip. I noticed the father were not visible in any of the pictures taken when he was spending time with them. Also the ending with the same family photo from the beginning, the father was not in it as well. It made me wonder, did the boys imagine their road trip with their father? Or did the father had his own copy of the family photo without him being in the picture? I also questioned that box the father was digging up....The film did not explain what it was about but it made me question about it. Did that box represent the past of the father and was he returning to the island to retrieve it to explain the twelve year absense to his sons? Like i stated before, there were a lot of interpretations one could make of this film, which made me really enjoy the depth of it.

"Brother"

Today's film compared to Friday's film was definitely a 180 change of genre. This was a very well made Russian gangster crime movie. I liked how this movie did not drag on so much, it just got straight to the point. I was completely absorbed in this film. I loved how I could see the reality of St. Petersburg in the 1990's. I found Danila to be a likeable character. He was a man that did his duty well, being a former conscript. With his background in the military service, he was able to complete the tasks quickly. Another thing I really liked about the character was that he was very loyal to his brother, Viktor and always stuck to his word when he said he would complete a task. Obviously killing people is wrong, but I think part of the reason Danila turned to crime was to find his way of survival. Danila's passion for music was another thing that made me like the character even more. I think one of the unintentionally funniest parts of the movie, was when Danila was insulting a French man for his poor taste in American music mistaking him for American at a party. It was funny to me because the two characters were misunderstanding each other the entire time of the conversation. Danila also meets a few people when doing his job. He starts an affair with a married woman named Sveta. To me, she did not really seem to have a big purpose in the film because she did not have a very significant role. She was only involved in certain scenes to bring out the romantic element of the film. I found the part sad where after Sveta says to Danila "she doesn't love him" he still brought her a music album and left it on the table. He still showed her some respect. Danila also meets the character named Kat. She is a party junkie girl, but she is a very entertaining person. It seemed Danila was showing more of his personality when he was with her. I liked thier friendship.

"Little Vera"

Wow....Friday's film was very intense, that is all I have to say. "Little Vera" is a film directed by Vasili Pichul. The story takes place after the end of the Soviet Union and follows a troubled teenage girl, Vera who lives with her mother and alcoholic father. The parents always wondered why Vera cannot live up to their expectations for her to be like her older doctor brother who lives in Moscow. Anyways, Vera meets a rebel, named Sergei at a outdoor dance party. The two have a one night stand. Vera continues to date Sergei until he proposes to her. Vera accepts, and her brother, Viktor is the first to find out about this. Her brother apparently knew Viktor previously and when he finds out his little sister is engaged he disapproves.  Vera tells her parents and they disapprove at first because they want Vera to get in this situation but then they later accept their daughter's decision. Sergei then moves in with Vera and he lives in with her parents. Let's just say, things don't go as smoothly as we think it would. The parents find Sergei and Vera to be very disrespectful and ungrateful, especially from the man who is going to marry their daughter. We see Sergei eat the mother's food and have sex with Vera under the same roof.  It is a very awkward situation. The alcohol does not help either, in fact, it just makes it worse. It is so rough that it comes to a point where someone almost dies. Sergei and the father have an argument at dinner. Sergei locks the father in the bathroom. The father breaks the basin and when he is let out, he stabs Sergei. All chaos breaks out. In the end, Sergei ends up badly injured but survives, the brother goes back to Moscow, and Vera and the parents continue their very complicated, dysfunctional life.

This was a very heavy and dark film. I have to say, I was very impressed with the acting from the whole cast, everyone did a tremendous job. I actually felt like I was watching a real life dysfunctional family, since there are families that do exist in the U.S. It was interesting to see the different home life from other countries, like in Russia. It also made me sad to see how everyone was treating each other in the film, due to alcohol. This film really does prove how alchol can take over someone's life when they are addicted, and how people just make the wrong decision constantly. I felt myself really feeling for the characters, specifically the parents and the brother. For example, even though the father was an alcoholic, I could really see that he still loved his family, especially his daughter since he wanted the best for her in her education. I felt for the brother too because he was pretty much the only member in the family with a straight head. He was independent, successful, and married living his own life in Moscow but he helped out with the family a lot. I liked how towards the end of the film he helps his sister after Vera goes crazy she poisons herself with the tranquilizers and gin, he washed all of he toxins out with water. Viktor took a lot of responsibility for his family, which made him very normal. All in all, even though this was a very dramatic film, I liked how dark and realistic it was considering how there are families that have a struggling home life like how it was portrayed in the film.

"Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears"

I have to say, today's film was extremely long, but it held my attention the entire time. The film was directed by Vladimir Menshov in 1979. The story starts off with these three provincial women who come to Moscow. The first female, Antonnia wants a family. Katerina, the main character, is trying to get a degree and also works at a factory. The second girl, Lyudmila is friend of Katerina. She comes up with a plan to seduce wealthy men while pretending to be daughters of a rich professor. Katerina meets a camerman, Rudolf.  Rudolf rapes Katerina and eventually causes her to become pregnant. Rudolf abandons her, and Katerina raises her daughter, Alexandra on her own. We then jump to a huge leap forward in time. Katerina is still not married, but is a director of the factory. Alexandria is now a teenager. Katerina unexpectedly meets a man on the train, names Gosha. They eventually fall in love. Things don't look good though, as Rudolf returns and ruins everything between her and Gosha. She then wins him back in the end, and the last scenes shows them having dinner.

A lot of the films we have been watching in class lately have been about the Soviet Union and related to war themes, but I was actually happy for the change of genre today, it was refreshing.  What I really liked about this film was how viewers can relate to the characters. Maybe not in the exact situation, but how us human beings struggle emotionally, but at the same time we can accomplish our dreams. Katerina was going through so much, since she didn't have any respect for herself or no one was treating her that well, until later in the film. Katerina represented a strong, independent female who was providing for herself and her daughter. Gosha was a great match to her, as he was a male that truly appreciated her, unlike her previous lover. I really liked the acting, music, and there was even a bit of humor in the film that I enjoyed. I think this might be one of my favorites I have watched in class, and I would not mind watching again.

"Ballad of a Soldier" Response

The film that I watched today was directed by Grigory Chukhrai in 1959. It is about a 19 year old soldier, Alyosha, who returns home to his mother during his leave after destroying two enemy tanks in War World II. During the journey, he encounters love and a few civilians along the way. What I really enjoyed about this film was how emotional it was, and did not focus on the actual physical aspect of the war with all the blood and violence. Alyosha was a very likeable character that was selfless. He helped a lot of people on the way, not just wanting to go home to his mother. For example, he helps a one-legged soldier, as well as other people being attacked on the train, and he delivers a bar of soap to a friend's wife. It also really made me feel for the characters. It showed different types of love, such as familial and romance. Alyosha meets and helps out a young woman, Shura on the train. He ends up falling in love with her. What I really liked about these two is that they did not need to communicate with each other by words so much, but the way they stared at each other's eyes showed a real connection. In that specific scene, action spoke louder than words. I also loved the relationship he shared with his mother. The ending scene where his mother sees him for the first time in a long time was such a beautiful moment. But when Alyosha had to leave again to the unit was so sad, because the mother didn't want to see him risk his life again. It felt so realistic, because it is always hard to say goodbye to the ones we love. He made it so far and yet he has to go back and do his duty. This is a great film that explores humanity and honesty.

"Mirror" Analysis

This film is directed by Andre Tarkovsky. When watching this in class, i have to admit I was very confused. I took a lot of notes to help me understand this unique film altogether. This was a work of art in my opinion. My professor said when watching it, keep an open mind and think of it as a painting, more than a strange film. That is exactly what I did, and I have to say it was a very interesting.

There were many different scenes and visuals that would drift back and forth without any real explanation or transition to what was going on. For some people, this could be frustrating as they don't like to be left hanging or the need to analyze something, but I honestly enjoyed it. The thing that kept me the most interested was the poetry/literature narrations that was going on, it was very beautiful and different to me. Also the change of the images from black and white to color caught my attention. I thought that the black represented the past and the color represented the present. I loved how they made those two features that distinct. What I got from this experience after watching this film, is that the mirror is a metaphor. The mirror represents a human's emotions as they go through life. I maybe completely wrong about this analyzation, but this is my theory on this work of art.