Taxi Blues

*Please note: This review discusses many key events of the film, including the end. Do not read if you have not seen the movie!!!

Taxi Blues is a film about control. It isn't, however, as simple as it initially seems. At the film's conclusion, the audience is left to ask, "Who's really controlling whom?"

At the beginning of this film, Chlykov has complete control of his life. He manages his cab, and his side job of selling alcohol, with an iron fist and the facial expression to match. He is the master of his domain and no one in his or her right mind would dare to question his authority in any way.

The problem is that Lyosha is not in his right mind. His life is careening out of control and he has one priority. Alcohol. From the minute that he requests his first bottle from Chlykov, their lives become irrevocably entangled. In the beginning, it is very clear where the power lies. As the film continues, however, it becomes harder and harder to tell who is controlling whom. Although he does not seem to realize it, Chlykov's life begins to revolve around the very man he seeks to reform. As a result, aspects of his own life start to slip from his control.

For example, when Lyosha begins to seduce his girlfriend, Chlykov, in a desperate attempt to prove his authority, smashes Lyosha's saxophone and then engages Christina in an aggressive sexual act against her will. For those few minutes, Chlykov is free of his self-induced commitment to Lyosha. However, his freedom is short-lived. A few minutes later the phone rings and he is soon back at the jail to meet Lyosha, once again putting his own life on hold.

By the end of the film, the roles have reversed. Lyosha gets his life together, at least temporarily, and is on top of the world as a beloved, world-renowned musician. Chlykov's life, however, is reminiscent of Lyosha's at the beginning of the film. He severs connections with his girlfriend, his friends and his once structured existence. It is no coincidence that in the last scenes of the film, Chlykov is in a speeding car, spinning wildly out of control.

A post Perestroika film like "Taksi-Blyuz" must be viewed in the context of Russia after 1990s.It is a landmark film in the history of Russian cinema.It speaks about an independent Russian state which might be a little difficult for some non Russian people to understand.It must be mentioned that it is not all an American Taxi Driver.The core issues of this film are masculinity,music and patriotism but still our hero grapples with numerous emotional conflicts.In today's modern day Russia,I am sure that so much has changed ever since it was created in 1990.The taxi is old in this film and decline of Russia is becoming a sore sight for natives as well as foreigners.There are many black markets where everything can be purchased.One such street vendor sells old stuff such as a saxophone,some old clothes. This is a short story of oppressed and oppressor.This film is not for you if you are expecting to watch a modern day Russia."Taksi-Blyuz" is not a film about poverty but about all factors known for making people come to terms with poverty.Pavel Lungin has made his film with a tinge of sadness.It is a nice thing that women have a minor presence as most of them lack strong will power."Taksi-Blyuz" is a true perestroika film to be admired for its inherent Russianness.

This film shows the conflict and forming of a friendship between two opposites: Shlykov, the hard-working patriotic cab driver built like a tank, and Lyosha, the thin, panhandling urban Jew.

A taxi driver in Moscow named Shlykov gets stiffed of his fare by the Jewish saxophone player named Lyosha who calls himself a genius who "speaks to God". Shlykov tracks down Lyosha and takes his saxophone and that is when the fun begins.

Lyosha fails to make money fast enough to pay Shlykov back but Shlykov decides to give him back his saxophone anyways. Lyosha, sensing Shlykov's soft heart, tries to further take advantage of him by begging him for money. After Shlykov lets Lyosha in his apartment, and after Lyosha causes him great trouble costing him even more money, Shlykov takes Lyosha to jail.

After a violent outburst by Shlykov he decides to go back to the police station to drop the charges against Lyosha. He has decided that sending Lyosha to jail would accomplish nothing. He wants to show Lyosha what life is like for honest hard-working people. Shlykov makes Lyosha come to work with him. The "intellectual" breaks down when forced to do what millions of other people in the country have to do everyday of their lives. Both characters show impulsive and unpredictable behaviour, but for different reason. Lyosha is simply a drunk. Shlykov is a patriotic ex-athlete full of proletariat angst and senses his nation is dying because of the "rotten" westernized hooligans he sees everywhere in the streets who lack any work ethic.

I will not reveal the ending to you but I will tell you this story is not a fairy tale.

I think this film goes much deeper than just showing what life was like in the USSR; the two characters can be found in almost every culture in the world today.

Excellent performances by both Zajchenko and Mamonov.

This film is more deeper thats you can imagine. This film is about 2 Russian souls, two tragical souls in the 1980xx( at the end of soviet union). This men are the parallel to the soviet - both are tragical, needs new oxygen, new energy to survive!

I think that only Russians can understand that cinema, its very hard to see this film, if you are not living in Russia. Unreal playing by actors, amazing Vladimir Cherkasin soundtracks

If you like this film, you can see all the films with Petr Mamonov or films by Pavel Lungin.

I think that this film is more than 10/10

Besides this, I have only seen one movie by Pavel Lungin, namely Luna-park, which also comes off highly recommended. Taxi Blues is an excellent work all in itself. Lungin very well transcends the chaotic atmosphere in Russia during the late Perestroika period, and prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union itself. The tumultous relationship between two main characters represents bipolar parts of the Russian society, and shows degradation of the social fabric. Piotr Mamonov (who is also the leader of the well-known Moscow rock-band Zvuki Moo) turns in an impressive performance as Lyosha - a westernized, alcoholic Jewish mucisian. The rest of the characters are equally picturesqe, be it the strong willed, conservative, nationalistic taxi driver, or his neighbor, an old man of the Stalinist generation. The film's unsettling pacing and incessant moodswings further contribute to the overall picture. An excellent film from one of Russia's leading directors.