Let me start by expressing my deep respect to the producer and screenwriters. Yes, the movie is about "Pushkin, our everything" (a phrase deeply embedded in Russian identity.) But that's just the surface.
Prophet tells the story of one of Russia's greatest poets and how he fought to preserve his voice amid imperial censorship and political oppression. The title itself is already a message - not only a reference to Pushkin's famous 1826 poem (The Prophet), but also to his cultural role as someone who saw deeper truths and dared to speak them.
For those unfamiliar with Pushkin's towering significance: he is considered the father of modern Russian literature. His poetry and prose brought the language to life with emotional depth and stylistic brilliance.
But Pushkin was more than a literary figure - he was a thinker, a rebel in spirit, and a perceptive critic of his times. In his youth, he sympathized with revolutionary ideas, which brought him into conflict with the Tsarist regime. Much of his work was censored or published only posthumously (!!!).
The film's title poem, The Prophet, tells of a man who receives divine vision and is commanded to "burn people's hearts with the Word". It's a powerful metaphor: the poet as prophet, called to awaken a sleeping society. This becomes the film's emotional core. We see Pushkin surveilled, silenced, censored - tolerated only so long as he remains safely within the imperial narrative. But he cannot stop writing. The truth burns within him. The film paints him not only as a genius of letters, but as a symbol of resistance - someone shaped, and ultimately broken, by his unshakable need to speak out.
One of the film's strongest themes is the tension between freedom and safety. Pushkin could have written harmless romantic verse like Eugene Onegin and lived securely and in wealth. Instead, he tested the limits, choosing to live in intellectual and emotional peril. The film asks: what does it cost to speak the truth in a country where truth is punished?
And here lies the brilliance - and boldness - of Prophet today. In an era where censorship has returned as a powerful force in Russia, the filmmakers walk a dangerous tightrope. On the surface, they present a patriotic biopic about "Pushkin, our everything." Who could object to that?
But Prophet is not just a film about the 19th century. It's a layered, emotionally resonant work that speaks volumes without ever saying anything outright. The way Pushkin is monitored, isolated, emotionally cornered - these choices are too deliberate, too emotionally precise, to be missed by a sensitive viewer. They echo the experience of many contemporary Russian artists, writers, and journalists. The parallels are striking - and unmistakable.
Like many powerful works born under censorship, Prophet operates on multiple levels. Some viewers will see a beautifully shot historical drama about "our everything". Others will feel something deeper - a quiet but urgent commentary on the human cost of living and creating under authoritarian rule.
I am confident that this layered construction is not accidental. It's a survival strategy - a way to bypass rational defenses and speak directly to the heart. The film's impact is not diminished by what it can't say aloud. In fact, it may be more powerful because of it.
Some will leave thinking they simply watched a story about Pushkin. Others will leave feeling they've just watched a story about today.
Some trivia:
The Prophet absolutely broke the Russian box office in 2024.
Yura Borisov is really good here. The one who was nominated for Oscar for Anora.
