A Gentle Creature (2017) User Reviews (13)

From Russia without love

[rubenm · 8/10 · 21 August 2017]

After having watched the trials and tribulations of the lead character in this film for more than two hours, I realized I didn't even know her name. Did I miss it somehow? No, I didn't. Her name is not mentioned even once, and in the credits she is referred to as 'the gentle creature'.

This is symbolic for the dehumanization of the Russian society, which is the main subject of this film. Citizens are not seen as human creatures that need help, assistance or simply a kind smile, but as inconveniences, causes for trouble and objects for complaints. The whole society seems to consist of bitter, demoralized and cynical people.

The film shows how the nameless woman travels to a huge prison in an isolated town in Siberia, to visit her husband. The package she sent him was returned to sender, so she wants to find out what happened. During her long search she has to confront rude prison officials, corrupt police officers, greedy pimps, drunk lodgers, nostalgic nationalists and a disheartened human rights activist. The woman endures everything with admirable patience. Her facial expression remains completely even, whatever happens to her, and she only speaks when strictly necessary.

The movie is filmed in slow, almost contemplative scenes. The audience has to be patient, just as the woman. But the film is far from boring. The viewer completely identifies with the woman. After every deception, you're asking yourself: what next? What can be worse? An important aspect is the very clever cinematography. In several scenes, the director starts by showing a conversation or an event that is seemingly unattached to the story, only to show the connection after several minutes. A good example is the scene in the train taking the woman from her village to the prison town. We see four train passengers discussing the fate of the Russian state, until the camera turns, showing the woman sitting in a corner of the compartment, silently observing the goings-on.

The situations sometimes get so absurd that the viewer hesitates between laughing or crying. When asking for directions, the woman is told: 'Just look out for a burned house. A friend of mine died there.' It's something this film has in common with the films of Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, who also shows ordinary men and women struggling in their daily existence. At times, even David Lynch comes to mind. That is particularly the case in the last part of the film. This dream sequence takes a quite different turn, and it is open to question if it makes the film better or worse. There's something to say for both, but in any case it adds an extra dimension that is worth thinking about. In this dream sequence, the Ukrainian director seems to hammer home his point: Russia is a deplorable country.

Keep in mind, Ukraine is still at war with Russian-supported militia over the control of its Eastern parts. As an insult to Vladimir Putin, this film doesn't miss its target.

Tragedy in Russia...

[Xstal · 8/10 · 2 June 2020]

A woman struggles to access her imprisoned husband, to get him a parcel, to check on his wellbeing: not in the 19th century, but modern day Russia - a damning film about corruption and the devastation it leaves, the tragic effects it has on the innocent and the sour taste it leaves behind.

Very good directing, unique concept, but a little two long

[shusei · 7/10 · 23 May 2018]

I've read other users' review and noticed that the director could make some of the audience convinced of the seriousness of this film and make them think of "real" situation of contemporary Russian society. That may be one of main intentions of the director. But I think I's better to look back the whole story and to remember many ambiguous points intentionally left by the author. This film is not so simple as it seems to be. I tell you why.

First, the title of the film: everyone who studied Russian literature knows that "Krotkaya" is the same title of F.Dostoevsky's famous novella, and every true lover of author's cinema knows that novella was already made into a film by Robert Bresson. So I,not being too informed of this film, expected that its is Loznitsa's new adaptation of Dostoevsky's story. We can soon realize that it is not. There's nothing in common with that. This is probably the entrance for audience to go into a play with the author.

Second, this film seems full of stereotyped "uncivilized" and "anti-human" images of Russia. Those who are only funs of art-house cinema, not too interested in Russian literature and without deep knowledge of Russian language and habits, probably will take them as "realistic" details. So they will also think that there's really such "Siberian" prison camp near the station named "Otradnoe"(which means "joyful").By the way, there isn't such a prison town in Siberia, as far as I searched on Russian "Wikipedia". Then we enter the second stage of the game. The place is not "real" in any way. When heroine asks an old man the way to the office where she is allegedly be able to address her complaint to the authorities, he tells her a complicated way with streets' names with Lenin, Marx and Dzerzhinsky(Felix Dserzhinsky was the first leader of Soviet secret police). On the wall of that office we can see a portrait of Stalin. It will be impossible in contemporary Russia for such office for defending citizen''s human rights.Well, anti-humanistic nature of contemporary Russia is "symbolized" in such a way?

"Stalinist" theme was orchestrated even before heroine's arrival to the prison town, when she was in the train. Two war veterans sing "The song of 3 tank drivers" form Stalinist film "Traktoristy"(1939) . It's not the single case of reference to old Soviet and Russian cinema. The town which gradually began to look unrealistic and the neighbouring forest with a kitsch house where costume party is held, provide clear reference to one of Kafka-like films of "perestroika" period "Zero city"(1988). And the following violent rape scene within prison car is a reference to "Khrustalyov, mashinu!"(1998) by Alexei German. So the third and the last layer of the game with audience is that of pure association, of cultural memory of Soviet period. This layer also includes the music for celebration, formulas of patriotic speech, etc.

As a whole, "Krotkaya" betrays expectations of those who got into the first and second layers of the film and want to find in it any reference to "concrete" situation within or outside Russia. No one of its characters talks about other countries or areas, except Russian Federation,, as the film turns out to be that of cultural memory and association of Soviet and of Russia. I think It's a very unique film with an unique concept, but a little too long for that kind of a game.

Worth watching - masterful, efficient and rich storyteling

[Humphreywashere · 5 January 2018]

'A gentle creature' defies categorisation, it is rich with both metaphor and realism. A Russian woman, depicted as 'gentle', searches for an explanation about the seeming disappearance of her husband who should still be in a Siberian prison. Her emotion during this journey is blunted and she gradually weakens further from lack of sleep and tiredness, until she is entirely and completely vulnerable. A courageous woman, she experiences the most extreme bureaucracy and corruption, the type that is the stuff of nightmares. This is masterfully depicted throughout, in scenes that no Hollywood movie is able to match. The viewer feels entrapped like the woman, and her emotional bluntness is understood completely.

Described by other reviewers as bleak, I found the dark mood of this story somewhat balanced by the humanity shown by others, strangers to the woman, who also suffer similar if not worse dilemmas than the woman. Her journey is her own, solitary and with great risk, but she is never invisible to others. Life in this Siberian town may be cold and harsh, but is life in any modern city any less warm?

Good movie ,, with a mysterious, somewhat distributing ending ..

[Aktham_Tashtush · 7/10 · 8 September 2018]

First i gotta commend the cinematography ,, really impressive and montage just transition you into those miserable moments "gentle creature" experience ,, i mean her facial expressions were on point, for an amateur actress, and this is her first lead (big screen) ,, but it is apparent she is professional in "theater" ..

Anyway,, the story is emotional ,, and even though the script was not that strong, the events just keeps on pulling you to engage more and just try to find whether she gets to meet her husband or not.

final thought, recommended , but don't get bored from the first 20 minutes ,,, keep on watching ,.

Reminds me of a few different things, but I've never seen anything quite like it.

[GiraffeDoor · 7/10 · 9 March 2020]

When I first read the premise of this movie (the returned package) I wasn't sure if this would be a horror movie or not.

What I got is decidedly not a horror movie but it is indeed terrifying in its own way.

An ineffably strange and atmospheric odyssey of one woman through a prison town, meeting vivid character after vivid character, each cartoonish in their own way yet at once, almost too real, like a sort of modern day urban Alice in Wonderland.

Valentina Makovtseva plays this unfortunate wife with a quite, smouldering intensity that makes me sure I would recognise her in anything else I see. Even in her resting face she is hard to forget. The candid, episodic narrative tells a story of modern Russia in the numerous people that make it up; a world composed of those desperately trying to make the best of a system that no one seems to have seen coming and those who are part of the system and where the petty criminals and the law enforcement are alike in brutality and apathy.

Although it is not a horror movie, it is envisioned exactly as one should be: the seductive cinematography, the candid angles, the way it always lingers on action even when the scene is effectively at its close; I hope the director of this does direct a horror one day. No need to write it, just give a good script their treatment.

This movie is sort of like a Russian turnip. Not sweet and definitely unsavoury, but on some level I suspect its good for you. Though it's never aggressive, it never relents, it takes no short cuts yet it never drags. It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth that I don't think I'll ever forget.

Prison reform

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 13 August 2020]

No that's not what this is about. Well on the surface it is about prisons. But generally speaking it's about a goverment, about a land keeping their citizens at check. And them going along with it. We see our main actress who just wants to send something. But the package never gets delivered. So she goes and tries to solve that issue, so the male this is supposed to reach gets it.

It's not even about the package or what is in it. It is about everything working against the ordinary citozen. In this case a woman who seems determined to get answers, but also easily swayed to not to. But circumstances don't let her go, even when she is warned and accepts to leave. This is harrowing and quite draining. To call its pace slow would be quite the understatement. Like saying, the main character doesn't talk much. She probably is us - the viewers ... viewing! Watching and trying to figure out what's going on.

Get out - one may think multiple times. But as I said that's easier said than done. And leads us to quite the memorable ending - even though expected - is it actually what happens? Do we know? And how dreamy does it get after it is quite "real" at the beginning. There is dreadfulness, there is pain and there is horror of the mind (and body) ... and there is maybe also the question: how come the director has not been arrested yet? Did he get lucky? Maybe Putin isn't aware of this or does not think this will reach a lot of people anyway ... and even if ... it's just a story, righ? Right?

Not a movie for everybody

[corceiro · 7/10 · 20 January 2019]

I never read Dostoyevsky's short story that inspired the 2h20 film, so I'm not sure if the written story also reveals a large country where corruption is the dominating rule. If you are the usual movie fan, be prepared for long quite shots, raw characters, sophisticated narrative and humor. The story takes the viewer through a Kafkaesque and labyrinthine sequence of incidents and misfortunes where promises are broken and hope lives faraway. I guess it's all about Putin's Russia but also about Czar's and Stalin's nation. I like the movie but some creative solutions are a bit excessive.

Unforgettable Film

[surendrapatkar · 10/10 · 16 November 2017]

A thought provocative, very engrossing film. Though it is slow & boring at times, it rewards the viewer in the end. Hats off to the director.

Good acting, good screenplay, minimal dialogues. I will cherish this film for many years.

A Not To Be Missed film.

It isn't a Krotkaya

[vasesm · 1/10 · 21 February 2021]

I'm sorry, but I'm sure that even Dostoevsky wasn't be able to call this movie Krotkaya. I think they used this name only because of willing to do something more significant that they could. But it wasn't a good attempt. I not recommend to spend your time. Better call Saul.

An Impressive Movie

[attilatormus · 10/10 · 6 April 2018]

I must confess this. Till the last 20 minutes I had some doubts about this movie. I was questioning some scenes and I was about to see this movie as an average try to make a good movie. But the last 20 minutes completes the whole movie perfectly and all my doubts were erased and I was totally wrong on my questioning. It is like a puzzle and the last big piece comes at the end. I found a piece of Fellini's festive language and Tarkovsky's mystery in the movie but it is totally a brand new approach, not an imitated way, contrarily very fresh approach. Very impressive movie, very impressive direction and performance of all artists. All I can say is just to thank to them. It must be watched!

Film about modern Russia but there are far more better!

[johnpierrepatrick · 3/10 · 22 August 2020]

When reading the reviews, this movie seems to get dithyrambic or at least rather good critics. I unfortunately did not enjoy this movie.

First, when it comes to the movie itself, it is far too long and the last part seemed to me completely unnecessary. Ok the police car is worth it, but that's all. Where's the need to hammer again story, message and characters come from? On top of that, if the approach is quite original, it did not take me anywhere. And I could'nt manage to relate to the apathetic main character, who's showing the same beaten look the whole movie and seeming only to follow without a second thought what the last person may advise her to do.

Secondly, when it comes to movies speaking of modern Russia, its bureaucracy, and life in small cities, there are far better ones. Take Durak from Yuriy Bykov. Or Zvyagintsev's movies for instance.

Finally, having an ukrainian making a fiction movie on Russia seems quite strange to me knowing the recent history between the two countries... Overall with such an unmoving and hammered vision (which - to be clear - I do not criticize in its content or conclusion, but this is a fiction and a film that was shown in Cannes on top of that. It ought to propose more than a critical point of view)

Ordinary woman against the state system

[Zhorzhik-Morzhik · 10/10 · 8 March 2020]

"A Gentle Creature" is in my opinion the best Russian film of the last decade and one of the best films of world cinema in 2017. A small but proud woman against an unjust and corrupt state machine. The brutal shots from the real prison life fantastically mixed with the surreal scenes of dreams of the main character of the film. Bravo to the Slavic director Sergey Loznitsa, the Moldavian cameraman Oleg Mutu and the Siberian actress Vasilina Makovtseva!