Romance à Moscou

It seems as though people generally see this movie as a symbol of hope and freedom in the Soviet Union. This would make sense judging by the western music that the characters listen to and the somewhat rebellious nature that they have. I'm writing this because it's important to establish that I wasn't alive in the Soviet Union and that I didn't watch it with any kind of nostalgia. I also feel it's important to establish that I am aware of how people feel about the film and the film's historical context as a symbol of hope and freedom in a totalitarian state, before they shrug off my review by saying that I missed the point. The movie sees a group of late teen to early 20s friends all reunited in Moscow. It's a pretty basic story and while it can be done well I don't think it was particularly well executed here. They just sort of go around Moscow with their own ambitions, sometimes getting into trouble, and try to meet women. The film also plays in a series of vignettes, vignettes that only sometimes go somewhere. I didn't find the story particularly engaging nor did I relate to any of the characters. It's only an hour and 18 minutes but it felt longer than that. There are things I like as well. The cinematography was excellent and there are a lot of really good shots of Moscow to boot. The music's also good too. But generally, I just found it kind of boring.

"Walking the streets of Moscow" is a cultmovie in Russia but not in the rest of the World.

The film was made in the period of the cultural thaw after the deat of Stalin. In this period much was possible leading to films that are also cult in the rest of the World, like "Soy Cuba" (1964, Mikhail Kalatozov) from the same year.

Much was possible, but not everything. Just like in the West in the first half of the '60s a post Second World War generation grew up and raised his voice. Screenwriter Gennady Shpalikov wrote a script about this generation featuring friends returning to Moscow after their military service. The script was not received warmly by the censors although it ultimately became the film "I am twenty" (1965, Marlen Khustsiev).

"Walking the streets of Moscow" is the more innocent version of "I am twenty" written by the same screenwriter. Its protagonists are younger (17-18 years of age) and their rebellion more innocent. Helpful too would have been that Moscow is portrayed at his most advantageous side. Look at the metro stations, the GUM department store, Gorki park and the brandnew airport.

"Walking the streets of Londen" is about two boys and a girl doing exactly that what the title describes. Apart from the rebellion of the post war generation it is also about a love triangle. Comparing it with Western counterparts as "A hard day's night" (1964, Richard Lester, rebellion of the post war generation) and "Jules and Jim" (1962, Francois Truffaut, love triangle) we understand why the film never became a World-wide cult movie.

The movie contains an iconic scene in which a girl walking barefoot in the rain is accompanied by a boy cycling next to her and trying to hold an umbrella above her head. Comparing this iconoc scene with for example the scene from "La dolce vita" (1960, Federico Fellini) in which Anita Ekberg is wading in the Trevi fountain there is again one word that comes to mind: innocence!

Why did the film became cult in Russia? I think one explanation is that the cultural thaw disappeared in the Brezhnev years and that there is a lot og nostalgia connected to the early sixties.

The film is a well-executed attempt to record the transient youth impressions of the aging generation of the Soviet baby-boomers. Or rather the inevitable fantasising about them 20+ years later. Not that it makes it any different from any other generation which has ever lived.

Just as in the end of a news hour, there's a 60 second feel-good segment, in every generation, there's its own feel-good story. The scrutiny of how realistic those dreamy fantasies of the past are is beyond the point. Relaxing in the backyard's arm chair with a glass of well-deserved glass of wine reflecting on the past is of course a part of the drill.

In the end, this patriotic narcissistic drivel could have been "Ya shagayu po Berlin (1964)" or "Ya shagayu po Hiroshima (1964)" full of love, spring vitality and romanticism. Which is of course fine as the life obviously goes on.

And perhaps it's fine. It depends on the viewer's outlook. But for some, the film will be clearly interspersed with visual and conceptual references aggrandising and beautifying what the country has gone through in the preceding 50 years. A sort of the Soviet Union of Amnesia that is. A common propaganda "feel-good" trick in a wide range of other tricks in the toolboxes of various Ministries of Truth across the globe.

One thing is for sure: this is a movie done by the power which won the war, so history is written accordingly. Small but curious detail.

There is some kind of hackneyed opinion in the world that Moscow is a city of almost everlasting winter. Unfortunately there is a lot of truth in such words: we live in cold and rather dark city for 5-6 months a year. But if you'll come to Moscow in May or maybe in last April, it is most likely that you'd fall in love with this city. The film of G.Danelia brings you this delightful and intoxicating scent of spring Moscow, a fresh and brilliant scent of youth, beauty and first love.

I think it is a best role of well-known Russian actor and director Nikita Mikhalkov - and it's of no doubt the most sincere work of him. And I also should say about sparkling supporting role of Vladimir Basov - his clever Floor polisher is really wonder :))

Film critics and viewers familiar with Russian cinema know about Nikita Mikhalkov as the brother of director Andrei Konchalobsky who has directed successful films in Hollywood, a leading director who has brought tremendous success to Russia as a major film making nation. He has also been noticed as a remarkable actor in films made by himself and other directors. Walking the Streets of Moscow is one of his early films with a youthful appearance. It was directed by Georgiy Daneliya who has an amazing of repertoire of charming comedy films. For this film, Daneliya chose to film Russian realities in a light manner. For example: serious issue of war has been briefly discussed in order to concentrate more on things which have an everlasting effect on youngsters. As there are many good views of Moscow, Walking the Streets of Moscow appears as an unofficial tourist guide of Russian capital. Russian youngsters of the sixties emerge as the true heroes of this film as one day in the life of a young soviet citizen who has come to Moscow is meticulously portrayed in order to reveal that Russian youth too was interested in flirting, learning English and buying LP records of classical music.