We've all heard
or seen the works of the Russian masters of film, like Tarkovsky and
Eisenstein, but the region still continues to churn out marvelous and
captivating movies, which clearly have their feet deeply rooted in the dense
and priceless literature of Russia.
In Ostrov (2006),
Pyotr Mamonov's Father Anatoli is the most accomplished movie character I've
seen in years. Focusing on a monk with a difficult past looking for redemption,
the acting is very theatre-like, very
naturalistic, and is an absolute triumph, as is the cinematography by Andrei
Zhegalov and the quietly glorious score by Vladimir Martynov.
The Barber of
Siberia (1998) is a film which made me fall in love with the Siberian woods,
and it's no wonder, as Russia accounts for nearly a third of the world's
forests. Directed by the eminence Nikita Mikhalkov, it's a lovely experimental
dramedy which tries to bridge the (great) gap of mentalities between America and
the Ex Soviet States. Grandiose cinematography
and good autochthonous performances.
Unbeknownst
to many, the region has a deep cinematic history; in 1893 Joseph Timchenko, the
main mechanic at Odessa Novorossiysk University, Ukraine, designed the
prototype of the modern movie camera for film projections. Then he made the
first-ever film; he shot horsemen and spear-throwers.
Just a reminder,
please don't mistakenly rent Michael Bay's The Island when you ask for Ostrov.
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