This is a fairy-tale about two professional thieves Vaska and Vanka who seek out the sky-scraper tree and acquire from a bird's nest the bloodied sardine can key and the ball of guiding thread. Armed with these the pair are able to steal the Tsar's treasures from the National Bank of St. Petersburg. Life becomes easier from then on. They live like lords.The beautiful colour photography is intercut with scratchy black and white film of the changing of the guards giving the fairy-tale an authentic "newsreel" touch of reality. The two rogues are a likeable pair oozing with charm and personality as they set out on their adventures. At one point Vaska is beheaded and Vanka preserves the head in a large pot of strawberry jam. With the aid of the sardine tin key Vanka is later able to re-attach the head. Impossible plots like these are made possible through our flights of imagination and the magic of cinema. And why not add a little magic to our humdrum lives? The film satirizes life under Communist rule- the drunken orgies, the church, the Government and the red tape of its departments. The scenes after the discovery of the theft are quite hilarious as the Red Brigade is thrown into hopeless confusion. Vodka flows in copious quantities throughout the story with much hugging,shouting and singing. The atmosphere is well developed in the very original story-line. Like most fairy-tales there is a happy ending. In the film the narrator quotes: "Words fly quickly but deeds fly quicker" Well, there is plenty of action in the film and as for the words the narration is excellent almost poetic at times. And yes, there is a message: "One good turn deserves another". I thought that at times Vaska looked incredibly like Johnny Depp or is it just me caught up in this bewitching magical tale where anything can happen.
