Les soirées du hameau près de Dikanka

In the best tradition of Soviet fantasy, Dikanka is entertaining from start to finish. There isn't much a plot (hijinks during the night), but the practical effects are charming, and I laughed harder than I had in a long time.

The best element is the Devil himself. Rather than a figure of fear and evil, the Devil is a hairy, silly fellow who keeps busy by tormenting a blacksmith who drew a religious picture that the Devil found particularly offensive. In addition, there are a horde of lusty and/or drunken townsmen, and a cameo by the Tsarina herself. Also, a "Three's Company"-esquire set piece where character after character must hide out in the local witch's hut.

It's pre-Christmas time, people are at home a lot, often old and young together. It's not uncommon to switch on the TV and watch a family film. You've seen the classics many times, but the films from the second series and especially the newer productions are usually more of a torture than a nice, cosy watch together. But there are also insider tips, lesser-known treasures, and this is definitely one of them. A magical fairy tale, ideal for the current times. And magical really hits the nail on the head, something like this cannot be reproduced today. The colours, Bava must have been delighted, the timeless tricks, it works without CGI, it works better without CGI, the backdrops, as if sprung from a dream, the surreal yet realistic atmosphere and last but not least the pleasant running time.

Add it to your programme, every year.

It's hard not to fall in love with the visual aesthetics here. Yes, they're right in line with those of similar titles - works of fantasy from central and eastern Europe in the 60s, 70s, or even early 80s - but in some capacity one is also reminded of the whimsical creations of French pioneer Georges Méliès. The sets alone are terrific with some lovely fine detail, to say nothing of the costume design, hair, and makeup. The stunts and effects are very simple, betraying the inauthenticity, yet there's a charming whimsy to them that's magical and endearing. This pointedly goes even for Kseniya Blinova's editing, and for Arkadi Filippenko's flavorful music, and the use of lighting at select times is just as delightful. Not to be outdone, the whole cast give spirited, animated performances that accentuate the fancifulness. With all this firmly in mind, the storytelling in 'Evenings on a farm near Dikanka,' alternatively known as 'The night before Christmas,' is largely visual. By all means, one will be stymied if one isn't fluent in Russian, or has the benefit of subtitles, or at least has Nikolai Gogol's original story as a point of reference. Yet between Aleksandr Rou's scene writing and direction, and the players' expressive acting, the dialogue almost serves as a rounding facet and finishing touch, like a song that can be appreciated by considering the vocals as another instrument rather than as purveyor of lyrics.

The narrative, meanwhile, is a minor joy, and distinctly follows Gogol's 'Christmas Eve' very closely. What we're given is a fantastical tale stirring together the mischief of The Devil, sorcery, the goings-on and social dynamics of a small rural village - and, of course, love - all at Christmastime. It's not a fiercely gripping saga that demands our eyes and ears, yet it's quite enchanting in and of itself, with clear influence from and reference to the culture in which it was written, and associated folklore. With that short story serving as solid foundation, all those working on this 1961 adaptation had the chance to let their creativity flourish, and the result is ever richer for the splendid work that all turned in, even down to Dmitri Surensky's smart cinematography. This won't appeal to all comers, and as suggested there are certain limitations on who will get the most out of it, but it remains an inviting, duly absorbing picture that's as enjoyable as it is lighthearted. Whether one has a particular interest in Russian cinema, Gogol, atypical holiday flicks, or is just looking for something good to watch, 'Evenings on a farm near Dikanka' is an excellent little movie that's worth checking out.

The name of film was taken from Mykola Hohol's famous tales collection. The story chosen by Aleksandr Rou exist originally in that collection under the name of "Evening before Christmas".

The tale is beautifully made to show the amazing verity of traditions in culture in the middle between Europe and Eastern part of the world. How does people managed to have fun, love, laugh and be open to each other as well as to cherish the holiday's sacred meaning . And it is obvious how Hohol wanted to show it in the best light he imagined it to be while reading story-letters from his Ukraine - rooting mother.

Disappointment hit me hard when I took a look on the most funny moments of the tale filmed by Aleksandr Rou and found it made up disgusting. So than you can't normally relate yourself to most of the characters. Maybe that is why no empathy towards characters was born in me. Speaking about actors - none of the filmed personalities hadn't found their piece of fame through the life of their . The visual part of the movie correspondingly to the era it was filmed in - nothing special behalf a Devil and man who manipulates varenyky with the help of mindforce.

Director knows how to work with hyperbola. It goes out of the picture that Ukrainians are drinking 24/7 , loud, rude people who are always hungry. It grew into nowadays stereotypes.

To sump I would rather recommend to watch it without presumption that all depicted is true but to enjoy the tradition. As for me it interesting to compare how my homeland was seen by land over the border and how I was hearing and feeling it was.

I have seen a few Russian fairy tales and adventure movies from the same time which I enjoyed watching. This one about a blacksmith/painter and the devil and their struggle with each other I did find quite lackluster though.

The movie has nice color pictures for this sort of story. But the story feels like it moves in slow motion. The movie is only just over an hour long but I was bored before it ended. Things like special effects were handled by showing the movie backwards all the time. 10th time you see the movie going backwards it is not cute anymore.

You can find much better Russian movies and fairy tales from the same time period. I would suggest watching Mariya-iskusnitsa (1960) instead that I found more entertaining.