polishanya

This movie has many Russian fairy tale elements. The story is all about getting a Christmas tree in time for Christmas. Of course, it's not as easy as it seems... The man's frustration is hilarious as well as the mess he gets into due to his incessant daydreaming. His wife is always there to remind him of his task and wipe the daydreams away. This is a good film for children- they will laugh and sympathize. The humour is not too subtle but is perfect for kids. Not that adults won't like it. If you like Russian fairy tales- Baba Yaga and the rest, you will probably enjoy this short movie. The clay animation is quite endearing. Another similar movie I enjoyed by Aleksandr Tatarskiy was Plastilinovaya vorona (1981) also using clay animation. I recommend watching it although I, myself, preferred Padal proshlogodniy sneg.

This movie is rather difficult to understand unless you know some background. Those people who don't want to think while watching a movie should not watch this. Some say that there is no plot but if you read about the movie background you will see a plot. My advice is to read about it before watching the movie. Although this film has almost no action, it is very beautiful with many references towards cultural traditions and rituals. It's probably not the movie to watch on a sleepover with your friends, but I recommend watching it when you have time to sit and think. The beginning, I must admit, was rather confusing and therefore boring, but if I had read some background previously, I would have found it more comprehensive. Otherwise, the filming is absolutely fascinating and very beautiful - it's less of a movie than a set of paintings.