Mandarinas

First, let me say that I am not by nature a peacenik. That said, I was thoroughly charmed by this anti-war film. In the same vein as films like "Enemy Mine," this film explores the well-trod ground of war and how it affects individual civilians and combatants alike, but does so on a much smaller, more intimate stage than usual war films.

The story throws together men with different ages, nationalities, and religions, and asks whether there is something more basic or more important than these distinctions. What happens when the faceless enemy in the woods becomes a man with his own thoughts and problems? Kudos to the director and all of the actors for portraying realistic characters and for allowing us to believably grow with the characters. Lembit Ulfsak is particularly stellar as Ivo, the "moral man." I think that scriptwriters too often give their characters weight and authority by giving them some defining moment or backstory. Not here. Ivo is defined, instead, by what he does and says in the confines of the film, and it is his moral compass that lead the rest of the characters, and, by extension, us to question our own prejudices.

All in all, a beautiful story beautifully told.

Zaza Urushadze gives the highest priority to his story. It's a very powerful story carrying a strong antiwar massage. And Urushadze tells it as if he's not there. As if we're watching the actual events taking place before us. This isn't a result of inaptness, this is a deliberate decision to let the story stand in the limelights on its own and avoid anything that could divert the viewers attention from it. You won't find any elaborate shots, any amazing breathtaking sights, no fireworks showing the director's technical mastery. Urushadze tells us about the follies of war and he makes sure that's what we'll get when we see his film. He's aided by superb actors, mainly Lembit Ulfsak playing the strong minded Ivo, a man of few words that makes every word of his count. Reserved, strong willed and determined, a role calling for acting of the highest quality and Lembit Ulfsek is up to the task. In fact there's nothing else to speak about regarding this movie, only the actors, and the director's lean approach to cinematic story telling. Thing is, even when that's all there is if it's done at such level of perfection it's a must see movie.

Ethnic and/or religious armed conflicts are always particularly painful, "realpolitik" vs. history, perceptions vs. actual circumstances, victims vs. profiteers, etc. The War in Abkhazia (1992–93) was one of the first post-Soviet gory confrontations, with tens of thousands dead, ethnic cleansing, and included the biggest successful rescue operation so far by the Estonian government to save compatriots, not even citizens, as their forebears settled there in 19th century... Many smaller nations, like Estonians, did not choose sides, they just tried to survive and carry on, splendidly expressed through tangerines in the film, but remote weaponry reaches everywhere and does not ask questions (Estonians were not considered hostile by both sides).

All this is nicely presented in this Estonian-Georgian film, where Estonian actors used are all famous film actors (the Georgian ones were unfamiliar to me, but they were convincing), and characters seem very realistic. As far as I know, the topic of honour and keeping word are holy among the Caucasus nations, enabling to depict scenes and events odd and even improbable among the Western, "civilized" nations. The venue is limited to the remains of a village, but as everything is so properly constructed and performed, you do not feel embattled, and can follow and emphasize with all characters, significantly widening the audience and letting ponder on and over the essence of warfare.

PS The film is totally "male", only actors were present, no actresses, but the less than 1,5 hours pass tautly.

"What is wrong with you, young men? All the time, I will kill, I will kill... Who gave you the right for that?"

I wasn't familiar with Estonian cinema before Mandariinid (Tangerines), but I will definitely be keeping my eyes open for Zaza Urushadze's upcoming projects because this was a fulfilling experience. I know the Academy doesn't always get it right, but at least it gives me a chance to check out films that I wouldn't have heard of otherwise. Urushadze's greatest strength as a director here comes from focusing on the story, which he also wrote. It is a simple anti-war film with a powerful narrative and strong performances that benefit from an interesting premise. Urushadze doesn't try to astonish the audience with great visuals or overload us with gruesome action scenes like most war films, but rather focuses on the humanity of each character and does so by centering the story in a small local community where only two men remain. He reduces the Civil War taking place in the Apkhazian region and focuses it on how it affects two local Estonians who have decided to stay in their farmland instead of seeking safety back in Estonia. Ivo (Lembit Ulfsak) and Margus (Elmo Nuganen) are neighbors who work together. Margus has a tangerine plantation (which explains the somewhat terrible title) and Ivo is a carpenter who makes the boxes for their transportation so they collaborate together. Since the war broke out, everyone in the land has returned to Estonia, but these two men have decided to stay. Ivo is a determined and wise old man who doesn't take sides in the war. When a conflict breaks out in front of their home, two soldiers are seriously injured and Ivo takes them into his home. The soldiers (Giorgi Nakashidze and Misha Meskhi) are enemies and we are expecting the tension to break out once they fully recover. Ivo knows this, but he also believes he can teach them a lesson through his acts of kindness during this terrible time of war. The film is effective and accomplishes its purpose of delivering its anti-war message by focusing on the humanity of each one of the characters.

Lembit Ulfsak delivers the best performance of the film. He gives a quiet and calmed performance. Despite all the hate and hurtful things the two soldiers say to each other, he is always the voice of reason reminding them that they all share the same land and have equal rights. Ulfsak expresses this inner peacefulness very well from the opening scene in which some local soldiers come searching for food. He is the kind of person that would help anyone, even those that consider him an enemy. Elmo Nuganen is also solid as Margus who has a strong relationship with Ivo and looks up to him. When the two injured soldiers appear at their doorsteps the balance is disrupted and the war comes knocking home. So we clearly see how war takes its toll on everyone, even those who have nothing to do with the fighting, affecting their business and their lifestyle. Giorgi Nakashidze and Misha Meskhi deliver solid roles as these enemies who call a truce out of respect for Ivo while they are in his home. I found the simple premise for this film as a strong way to carry out its message by reducing the big scale of the war to a small local village, but still portraying it as something terrible. Some might consider this too simple of a story or too improbable, but I think it was a quite affecting way to deliver its message. I enjoyed how Zaza Urushadze decided to approach this material and would definitely recommend it.

That's what a nomination from the Oscars can do to a foreign-language film. it can build hype, put them on the spotlight, let so many others see films that might have not otherwise been seen by people who usually don't go out of their way to see foreign films. It's a rather lovely film, despite having subject matter that would be seen as glum or dry. Surely, it's not a "happy" film, but it's lovely in its themes that it reinforces by the end and what it's ultimately trying to tell us. In that way, it succeeds greatly and it offers as a reminder of our own problems and our own flaws, and that humanity, despite so many reasons to not care about others, can prevail in the end and make you really care for someone.