Zavist bogov

This is a film about the life of a journalist in the Soviet times, when the intellectuals wanted secretly listen to underground radios and watching Western movies which were banned by the Soviet Government.

At first, this woman was very conservative about sex. However, things rapidly changed for this woman. She met one of her husband's friend, and quickly fell in love with him. However, her lover broke the law and had to be deported. Her affair had to stop, and she went back to her husband. She was forgiven by her husband, but things were never the same again.

I think the theme of this film was not only applicable to the Soviet times, but to any country and any time point. This film is about the social and family values, and how the modern culture is having an impact on the traditional social and family values. Nowadays the meaning of a family is rapidly breaking down, and people become lost in the rapid change. In this film the woman is also lost, she became very confused about what she was doing. She kept blaming herself for cheating on her husband, and yet she was compelled to carry on.

I am quite interested in this movie, even though it was a bit boring in the beginning. The change of the woman from conservative to a temptress was interesting. In the film the change occurred quite suddenly. I would have liked to see the change elaborated more.

This story has been told many times. Married woman with half grown/up son falls in love with stranger and prepares to leave everything behind for this - last ? - great love. But the acting in this film is great, especially Vera Alentova, and the ending is heart-breaking. I also like the way in which the life of non-underground intellectuals in Moscow is depicted and the settings, the dream-like quality of the environment when life is like a dream. Like all Russian films, it tends to be a bit to long and the love of the absurd sometimes threatens to take over the story (again, when the main persons live their dream) but all in all it is such a well made and acted film it will 'stay with you' some days after you've seen it.