lolita-19

You know, here, in Moscow, the critics do their best to show that Nikita Mikhalkov makes popular pictures which aren't to be considered serious. To hear that "The Barber of Siberia" is a stupid sentimental movie is quite common nowadays.

But the more time passes from his next in turn production, the more a "strange" effect seems to take place: his films at last are rated according to their true value and not to somebody's opinion about them. It is always hard to say that something new is really good, but some time later...

"Utoml'ennye Solntsem" is not a very emotional movie. I don't suppose you'd cry when watching it. But my opinion is that it's a brilliant one. It is historically authentic (I've studied that period of time quite carefully so I think I have a right to say so). And no-one on this site seems to notice the love story in the film, which actually brought about the whole tragedy (remember, Kotov made Mitya work for NKVD). It was marvellously played by Oleg Men'shikov (my favourite actor) and Ingeborga Dapkunaite, a remarkable Lithuanian actress. And Mikhalkov himself, of course - "Kot" means "cat", by the way. Many people endow him with the characteristics of Kotov which only shows that he played his role well. A good actor is always attributed his character's traits.

But still, for me the main feature of the film is the world of Mitya's soul created by Men'shikov. A young, talented boy with brilliant prospects is what Mitya was. He gets involved in the war, goes through many ordeals, then comes home and falls in love with the girl he knew from her very birth, Marousya. But their happiness is too short. He is given a choice: to work for NKVD or...to commit suicide. He's only 24, and he wants to live. But hope for future slowly disappears as life goes on, cruel and senseless. When Mitya appears on the dacha of Marousya's parents, his soul is almost a wreck. But the last chance is killed when he sees that, after a suicide attempt, after months of despair, Marousya has married Kotov and doesn't want to go through everything again. Therefore Mitya begins to fulfill his revenge.

When I saw the votes I was rather shocked. When I watched the "Plennik", my first impression was that it`s a very much humane, non-racist and deep movie. I was absolutely stunned by the cast and the actual performance of the actors ( well, that is my personal opinion as Menshikov is my fav actor, but Bodrov did well too ). It isn`t a story of two rude and life-hating soldiers, it`s a story of two individual personalities, of everlasting feelings. I really don`t understand, what was so wrong in it to get such low appreciation? Maybe it`s just that the western people are too different from Russians? I don`t know.

I`ve watched the very movie today. It was my dream for a long while. It`s my first film by Bertolucci, so I can`t compare. I`m only a 15-years-old teenager, but... I loved it. It had left some sort of beautiful, fascinating spirit behind. What`s more, it has quite closely matched my own feelings. I think that in this film the plot doesn`t have the key importance. The main thing is the filmography, the art of directing and operating, if I may say so. The well-played parts of Liv Tyler, Jeremy Irons and of course the late Jean Mareaux, sure thing the scenery, which I had the chance to experience, also the actual atmosphere of a rural Italian villa and the big family... And I have to admit, I enjoyed the way the love scenes were done. Well, I don`t know. I`m no cinema critic. But if you like the cast, and if you feel like watching it... go ahead!!!