drbagrov

We are all one family, as the Latin saying goes, and THE VILLAGE is an excellent proof to it.First,cheers to the script writer!Mr. Moffat has managed to tell us the simple things of everyday life of simple people without being banal;he presents heart-breaking stories without making them cheap melodrama;he is very meticulous in showing the historical background of the events without making them text-bookish boring.Second,excellent acting!True, nowadays, the British school of acting is the best in the world.Not a single false note or a gesture;perfect(as is a rule in all British films)enunciation and intonation in the speech of all, socially and educationally very different, protagonists.Third,a very good direction:all episodes are logically and emotionally connected,giving the viewers the complete understanding of the motivation of the heroes' actions. I just wish THE VILLAGE a long and successful screen life!

A beautifully acted and directed love story, pure and simple, and very complicated at the same time: a twelve-year-old boy grows to love a young and very handsome (and masculine-looking )teacher.Mind you, it is not a fickle falling in love - easy to come, easy to go - but a deep and amazingly mature feeling.Of course, any boy dreams of a hero in the shape of an older brother or friend (just remember, what Sigmund Freud said about juvenile sexuality),but in the film it is deeper, more meaningful.Both, the teacher and student are very well aware of the nature of their relationship.It is the younger one, who is not ashamed or embarrassed of his love,and it is the older one, who runs away, possibly, from the biggest love in his life. My heart-felt compliments to the makers of this beautiful and sad film.The rare nowadays sense of tact and measure has never left them. It is a pity, there is no information about the careers and lives of the films' leading actors in the recent years.

Brilliant cast, excellent director's work,and the social problems (career,family and cultural issues,immigration,etc.)viewed with a bit of irony and just humour (at times),make this film a real masterpiece not only of Italian , but of the world cinema.We all take ourselves too seriously and suffer a lot from that distorted-mirror reflection.The film just reminds us that nobody and nothing is perfect in our world, and we should take a more forgiving and understanding attitude to the faux pas of our fellow co-travellers on this planet. The film also shows the typical traits of an Italian national character, which is another advantage of this piece of cinematic art.

This great film , made by a famous European director,has,in fact, no precise geographical anchor.It is all about us,Brits, French, Italians, Americans,etc.A wonderful study of human psychology,the "mob mentality" against an individual one.Hypocrisy has deep roots in any society, at any age:people pretend to live "correctly" and even "piously", but when it comes to saving their skins (like in the film,a feeble hint of a threat from police)makes people betray,humiliate,torture others - all in disguise of good, law-abiding citizens'"loyalty". Once again (especially, after starring in "Birth"), Nicole Kidman proved to be a very talented actress.But the plot does not give her credit:in the end, when she claims she has forgiven those poor Dogville citizens, she - all of a sudden - approves of the annihilation of the place and its inhabitants.It seems a little illogical and not in the heroine's character.This film is a good mirror to watch ourselves critically.

The much underestimated and overshadowed by other masterpieces by Federico Fellini,"Juliet and the Spirits" is , nevertheless, another landmark in the brilliant career of Fellini himself and his wonderful wife, staunch supporter and source of inspiration, Julietta Masina. She plays a role of an ideal wife: devoted to home , caring and loving companion,loyal ( to the extreme)spouse,etc.But the point is, she always feels inferior to those , who surround her,be it her beautiful, but iceberg-cold mother,her glamorous sisters,or just people with whom she rubs shoulders.More than that, everyone tries to "help" her with advice to enjoy life to the fullest, to try something new and exciting, etc. And she tries her best to change herself, to be on par with her companions, and she does not realize that she is ten times better than all of them.Their lives are empty and fake ( even the way they hug and kiss each other when parting is the best example), and she is , though naive and simple,quite real. At last she leaves that world of hypocrisy, liberating her true self, shedding the bonds of illusory marriage and fake friendships.

Lindsay Anderson is undoubtedly the greatest film director in Great Britain, and of his famous trilogy ("If..." ,"O Lucky Man!","Brittania Hospital" ) the "Lucky Man" is the best:it is not only a bold and grotesque picture of our society today,but a warning of the worse to come... The adventures of a young coffee salesman is just a frame to show different aspects of life:corruption,lack of moral values,cynical manipulation of human lives, the absurdity of the military,power of money,etc. The protagonist, Mike Travis,is not a victim, but an avid participant in "all that jazz".He wants to get his "room at the top" at all costs, but his naiveté (which is akin to stupidity, at times)throws him into the most unbelievable, indeed, dream-like and surrealistic situations.

A special mention should be made of the brilliant cast and superb soundtrack.

The main value of the film is that it makes us, the viewers, ponder the simple and inevitable question:"How to live decently and with dignity in this mad,mad,mad,mad world?"

This film is a real feast for the legion of Federico Fellini fans.It has everything: the dream-like Felliniesque atmosphere, the nostalgic soundtrack by Louis Bacalov (Fellini's constant composer and co-creator of his masterpieces, Nino Rota, died in 1979),the scathing satire on the feminism and male chauvinism, and on the society at large,in which Fellini grew more and more disappointed (the best and final example is his last film "The Voice of the Moon").Perhaps, the great director is a little more bitter than ever, a little more sarcastic and nostalgic,but as a piece of art, "The City of Women" is one of the best films he has ever made.Needless to say that all the actors are superb,including the incomparable Marcello Mastroianni, Fellini's alter ego in "Otto e Mezzo". The great Art of Federico Fellini is timeless: even today, in my Cinema Class,my students appreciate it as much as their Professor did thirty years ago.

Do the words in the title contradict each other? It is a definite "yes" ,if we cast a glance at the nowadays impotent and soulless productions, which are akin to computer games;it is a definite "no", if we look a few decades back, when Hollywood was not bound hand and foot by political correctness. In the 70ies, Hollywood's audience could be surprised, shocked, made gasp and - most important- ponder over the films by very talented directors and brilliant cast. "Harold and Maude" is the most characteristic example.It makes us all think not so much of the weird (as some think) plot,twisted characters,but of simple and natural things without which we cannot live,i.e. love and understanding. Maude,a dinosaur by the measure of the younger people, happens to be much more "alive" than her teenage friend; more than that, she manages to breathe her vivacity into the withered soul of the boy,who lacks that sense of real companionship and mere attention from adults around him.Speak of the generation gap after that! True, they come to love each other, but this is not a romantic infatuation , but a deep-rooted friendship of soul-mates - a rare happening in our world, which is absolutely "out of joint". Cheers to the makers of this timeless cinematic treasure!

The film "Magician" ("Fokusnik" in Russian) was made by one of the best Russian directors, Pyotr Todorovsky.It stars the unique and pretty much underrated Zinoviy Gerdt (also known as the leading actor in the world famous Obraztsov puppet theatre), the young and vibrant Olga Gobzeva (who later changed her career and life having become a nun),Alla Larionova (the then greatest star of the Soviet cinema),and the late Evgeniy Leonov in a small role of the protagonist's boss.

The plot is simple: a professional second-rate conjurer , kind-hearted and not very much down-to -earth middle-aged man, raises a daughter and finds consolation and fulfillment doing his regular tricks and just talking to students in their dormitory.He does not seek fame,nor does he seek money: he wants people to be happy.

The material well-being is the last thing he cares about.So, when he meets a charming lady intrigued by his unusual character, he succumbs to her charms at first, but soon realizes that he cannot and does not want to change himself for her sake.

The unusual thing for the Communist propaganda was the fact that the hero was not a "builder of Communism", neither was he ideologically poisoned by the reds.No wonder, the film was hushed up by the censors at that time and almost forgotten by now.

The mention should be made that the 60-ies of the XX-th century were the happiest years for the Soviet cinema, no matter how monstrous this statement can seem.Just remember "The Elder Sister", 1966, starring the gorgeous Tatiana Doronina,"Let Us Live Till Monday" 1967 with the great Vyacheslav Tikhonov,"The Wild Dog Dingo" 1962,with Galina Polskih,"My Little Brother"1961, etc.The remarkable thing was that in spite of heavy pressure from the Communist ideologists,the talented directors did make great films not conceding an inch of their artistic freedom.

These people and their films deserve to be remembered lovingly: they are part and parcel of the recent past of the "evil empire", which has now been reduced to a third world corrupt princedom with the petty thieves at the helm.

A Magic Mirror For All of Us...

Right from the start ,I beg the readers of this to drop all the labels,like "gay", "straight","neurotic","social outcast","religious phony", etc.The film is about ALL OF US, irrespective of our social status, sexual identity, religious beliefs,and that is the reason it will never be outdated,though it was made exactly forty years ago.REAL TALENT NEVER AGES!

Like the famous British film "Victim", it speaks not only of homosexuals and their problems, but of the right of any human to be himself,of the right to be accepted and respected.Otherwise, we cannot ramble of Democracy, and little by little we will get back to the times of Hitler, Stalin and Mao, when one ended up in a concentration camp, if he dared to behave or even think differently.This is a strong social message not to forget.

"The Boys in the Band" also has a great humanitarian charge: it makes us think ,why we can't take a little step to better understand each other,take responsibility for our own actions,accept different from ours lifestyles without hysterics,overcome petty jealousy and possessiveness.Th film speaks of our loneliness in this world, inability to communicate.But the problem (as well as its solution ) is within us , not without.

I can't but applaud the makers of the film for their bravery, both social and artistic (today,in the Age of Political Correctness Inquisition we have no such films in Hollywood).

Let us just remember those of the film's actors who are not with us any longer and wish the very best to those who are still alive and kicking!

Mr. Mitch Albom is the author of one great book ("Tuesdays with Morrie")and a few good books,of which "Five People..." is one.The same concerns the screen adaptations:the former (starring the incomparable Jack Lemmon)is a great one , though much, much underestimated by critics and audience;the latter is just a decent effort to illustrate the book.

The difference is obvious: "Tuesdays" is a true story of a real life, wonderfully ( and simply) written, wonderfully ( and without that cheap Hollywood sentimentality) and simply put on the screen, while "Five People" is a piece of fiction with quite a bit of sentimentality, which was (quite naturally for Hollywood!)made into a tear-jerker.

True, the acting is good (just good ),the colours are disgustingly bright and suggestive (believe me, the audience are not all fools to be reminded every minute , which part is Heaven, which is the good old Earth,etc),the plot line is not broken, the characters are more or less recognizable ( compared with the book),but there is always an after-taste of something inappropriately sweet that has been swallowed, and this diminishes the otherwise good work of the team of true professionals.While"Tuesdays with Morrie" was in many ways an eye-opener ("Wow, we still have great teachers of life among us!","What a magnificent life lived!","What a wonderful lesson of complete self-sacrifice!"))and a challenge to all Hollywood clichés,"Five People" deals with a pretty banal idea of interconnection of all things and people in the Universe and - as a film version - follows all the traditions of the Hollywood melodrama.

And yet,in our age of extinct kindness and sympathy, such books and films should be more than welcome- just as a reminder that we still belong to the human race.

First, the film was completed in 1941, just a few days before the USSR entered the WWII.Its first official screening was scheduled and astonishingly carried out on July 6th 1941. Second, the role of Tomash Kruticky was played by VALENTIN Scheglov, a relatively unknown actor, who died in 1948 and, naturally, has no connection with VICTOR Scheglov mentioned by IMDb All the above information is quite available and is contained in a wonderful book by Alexey Scheglov (Valentin Scheglov's son)"Ranevskaya" on the life and career of the brilliant Russian actress and on the time she lived and worked in. Thanks for reading my commentary. P.S. The film itself deserves much credit ,but is now totally and undeservedly forgotten.Oh Tempora,oh Mores!

A very unusual and inspiring film by the prominent Czech director, who had the misfortune to live and work under the Communist regime.And yet...We know so many Russian,Polish,Bulgarian films of the greatest artistic value made and produced in the Evil Empire camp in spite of the brutal and relentless censorship, in spite of the horrendous ideological pressure. The film is very simple:a touching bitter-sweet summer-time love story of a young man (played with vibrant tenderness by Jaromir Hanzlik)and a girl from the travelling merry-go-round team. The boy is coming of age and is also interested - quite naturally- in the mature charm of another, older local woman.But his heart is stolen by the young and innocent girl. It smacks of a cheap melodrama... but there is a twist: Voita (the boy's name) has to take care of his dying grandfather. And here comes the clash between responsibility and passion.What will prevail in the boy's heart? The film breathes of poetic images, visual and musical.The hero's flashback of his first love echoes with our own recollections of our youth. It is an amazing and unexpected gem of a film left to us (over 40 years ago) by the patriarch of the Czech cinema.Bravo, Maestro!

My deep and heartfelt gratitude to the makers of the film and the actors:superbly done! What makes this film really UNIQUE among others of the same genre ( friendship between an adult and a teenager) is the sense of MEASURE and TACTFULNESS.Not for a moment do the viewers believe that there might be something 'dirty' about the relationship of a grown-up soldier and a boy of thirteen.And not for a moment does the film descend to the level of cheap sentimentality.Bravo!It shows love,true love (which is proved by the later recollections of the older Jeroen)that never ends, and that the boy can be proud of. I am an American and am ashamed to admit that such a film is a 'mission impossible' for my compatriot film makers to accomplish,the feat they would never have guts to do: we still live in the Middle Ages of Political Correctness Holy Inquisition.How sad...

Yuly Karasik is ,definitely , not a household name in the West, but in the 60ies he was one of the most promising ( and ,no doubt, talented)film directors in the Soviet Union. " Wild Dog Dingo" is an unpretentious story of first love.What makes it special is the wonderful performance of young actors (G Polskih and V Osobik) and non-professional amateurs (T.Umurzakov as Filka, the only role ever played by that boy) and total absence of Communist ideology, which was so surprising,if not unbelievable, at that time. Galina Polskih (Tanya)was 23 at that time ,and her heroine was only 15!Nevertheless, she played her role very convincingly.Her later years' career had many ups and downs, but the role of Tanya is ,probably,her best. The director is very true to the tiny details of everyday life of the Russians at that time.So,hopefully, those who did not entirely forget their teens'infatuations and first love will enjoy the film , as well as those,who love recent History and are especially interested in life of common people behind the Iron Curtain.Believe me, they also lived and loved , and the ugly totalitarian regime could not kill natural human feelings...

Right away, I must warn the future viewers:DO NOT EVEN TRY TO WATCH "IL GATTOPARDO", if you do not like Theatre or History.Many younger viewers whose attention span is no bigger than a fly's and whose knowledge of history is limited to their birthday will find this film lengthy and boring, as they will any classical music, opera or ballet.Well, we live in the age of all-pervading ignorance...

Visconti is a genius of Theatre, of the setting, costumes,choice of actors ( in his hands any boy or girl from the street could become a brightest star , as is the case of Alain Delon, Helmut Berger,Annie Girardot), and IL GATTOPARDO is the living ( and breathing for over 45 years now!)proof to it.

To make a film version of any historical novel is a risk: the public may not be aware of(or interested in ) the time and situation;the costumes and manners ,if not meticulously chosen, can make the director a laughing stock (as is the case with most of Hollywood "historical" soap operas).

But Visconti finds himself in his element.History is not a boring textbook for him , but a reflection of what is happening in the world today :social systems ,political liaisons,economic formations change quite rapidly and painfully ,at times.

Visconti laments the outgoing genuine culture,nobility, and dignity that were part and parcel of true aristocracy (not only in Italy, and not only in the 19th century).Nouveau riches of various shapes, forms and fashions have conquered the world, and it is a sad fact.

Indeed, after the Leopards have come the Jackals , as one of the protagonists says.

As always , Visconti's taste is impeccable, be it the costumes, landscapes,faces,or soundtrack (special credit must be given to Nino Rota, Visconti's and Fellini's genius composer companion).

Burt Lancaster is definitely the right choice for the leading part: in the USA his talent has never been revealed completely, but in Visconti's films (the other being "A Conversation Piece") he has his hey-day.

Alain Delon as Tancredi,on the contrary, shows the signs of decline ,if compared to his brilliant performance in "Rocco and His Brothers" by the same director.Still, he is good and solid , but no more.

The beauty of Claudia Cardinale is beyond reproach and she is a good student: she has followed all director's suggestions (if not orders!).

The true lovers of BEAUTY can enjoy every single frame in this film: each can be a lovely picture to put on the wall. Bravo, Signor Visconti!

"Io La Conoscevo Bene" or "I Knew Her Well" in English translation is a somewhat different film from the rest made by Antonio Pietrangeli and one of his last before his premature death. The theme of loneliness and alienation is not new in cinema,but Pietrangeli takes it from a different angle: his heroine,the naive countryside girl Adriana,who dreams of a career as a star in Rome, is not an escapist or introvert;on the contrary, she tries her best to socialize and befriend people , but the results are most disappointing and frustrating - people just ignore her, use her, make fun of her,exploit her body and her good intentions.Nobody is taking her seriously.Is it our cruel modern world's trademark?Seems to be true.INDIFFERENCE also kills. The magnificent cast of the greatest of Italian stars , each of them playing very small episodes,give distinctive CHARACTERS, blood and flesh ,to their protagonists,though their screen life lasts no more than five minutes each. The soundtrack by Piero Piccioni,like the sound of a torn string in the middle of a tune, suggests a young life broken before it has blossomed. Stefania Sandrelli, still a TEENAGER(!!) ,performs in an amazingly mature and confident way.Though she had some experience of working with great directors before (Pietro Germi), her psychological portrayal of a silly girl mesmerized by the glitter of the big city is very deep and convincing. Of course, this film was the labour of love of Antonio Pitrangeli, a very experienced director, but somewhat underrated ( nobody would put him on a pedestal alongside Fellini or Visconti).This film, undoubtedly,would make film critics and the audience reconsider the hierarchy of the Italian cinema Olympus dwellers.

The famous film "Breakfast at Tiffany's" is supposedly based upon a brilliant novel by Truman Capote.Excellent music by Henry Mancini, the striking elegance and charm of Audrey Hepburn, the big name of Blake Edwards as the one of the best Hollywood entertainers promised an unforgettable picture.Alas! It turned out to be the most disappointing film versions of all the times.First, there is no trace of the original message of the novel(I hear that the author was not very happy about film version either), which gives no hint of any sugary-sweet romance at all, and the character of Hollie had been grossly transformed (if not mutilated).Second, the actors and their protagonists are a horrendous mismatch:Audrey Hepburn (with all my sincerest admiration and love for her)plays some girl poor Truman Capote had never dreamed about of putting into his novel: too naive and pure, too high-class and too sweet to be a "real phony" as one of the film's characters (O.J.Berman )calls her.Mr Peppard is absolutely wooden, so he looks and sounds the phoniest of all with his love confessions.Mickey Rooney is a bad (really bad!) caricature of a Japanese ( forget about political correctness, it is just bad taste!)man. It is a great pity that a really wonderful piece of writing has had such a disappointing destiny in Hollywood! Though for those who know Hollywood tastes and culture it is no surprise at all.

The world of Federico Fellini was ,is and will be holding us captives as long as Cinema as Art exists. "The Nights Of Cabiria" is no exception.Though chronologically it belongs to the 50ies of the 20th century ,it is a strong message to us all, to our children, to those who will come after:hope against hope;never give up;the darkest moments in life will pass, blind and irrational (as it seems)belief in human goodness always prevails, whereas blind religious fervor always fails ( we should not forget that Fellini had always been critical of the Catholic Church). Julietta Masina is a superb actress who had actually sacrificed her might-have-been outstanding career(in fact, what she had accomplished is remarkable,but she could have done much much more as an actress) for the sake of her husband, and that makes her even greater as a human being.Of course, her "smile through tears" is unforgettable. Nino Rota's music does not just add to ,but co-creates the atmosphere of the film , the rarest case, when two genii(Rota and Fellini)found each other as wonderful partners-in-art, never trying to overshadow each other. I teach a course in European Cinema at a university in Taiwan, and I always show my Chinese students "The Nights of Cabiria".Their reaction and feedback are amazing:they FEEL the characters of different time and culture with an amazing intensity.It just proves once again that true ART has no boundaries.

Congratulations to the makers and the cast of "Birth"!It is a really artistic film, disturbing and provocative,giving a lot of food for thought(sorry,lovers of the Hollywood sugary chewing gum,there are no good and bad guys in the film,no happy end).The viewers have to answer many questions (sometimes, challenging and uncomfortable), reflect on their own lives, revise their own relationships of the past and present. The plot spins out unhurriedly ( another tribute to European artistic cinema and a challenge to the Hollywood prefabs,which can only cause hiccups and heartburn)and the characters are not chewed up to extinction, but are just tactfully sketched - these are people from real life:vulnerable and unpredictable in their emotions,illogical in their behaviour, erratic in their actions. About the "bath scene":only a very dirty and utterly perverted mind can see in this tender, subtle and emotionally charged episode the elements of paedophilia. I can only hope that the viewers would watch this film without the traditional Hollywood "blinkers" and would open their hearts and minds to the film's messages.

It is a great film by a great director.Kira Muratova has never been given her due in the Soviet and post-Soviet Russia.In the "Long Good Bye" she depicts a seemingly banal story of a jealous and possessive mother (brilliantly acted by Zinaida Sharko) and her poor aloof and lonely son (the only cinematic role by the talented O. Vladimirsky). The story - which is nothing extraordinary in itself - grows into the wonderful and frightening analysis of alienation between genders and generations on the background of the even more frighteningly bleak and dehumanized Soviet reality.Kira Muratova shows the tiny details of everyday Soviet life,and, again , banal as they are ,they are a hair-raising horror.The dialogue is deliberately laconic and void of any sense, showing the ever-growing people's inability to communicate and understand each other.The sound track ( by another under-estimated talent, Oleg Karavaichuk)adds to the atmosphere of hopeless and meaningless existence.Of course,Sasha (the name of the protagonist),will leave his despotic ( but loving!) mother sooner or later, but where for?...

This is a wonderful poetic search for the Truth that reveals itself through mistakes, betrayals,suffering,death... A wonderful lesson for the West that lives by the old adage VANITAS VANITATUM ... I cannot put in words all gratitude to the makers of this film.They have an excellent taste in choosing the location (the lake and surrounding hills ,in their serene beauty,make a viewer speechless).The acting,laconic in expression, and yet powerful,is awesome.The film makes one ponder on life and its meaning,on the worldly fuss we are all immersed in,on our true calling in this life and our fulfillment. I would love to give the director,the cameraman,the actors and the rest of the film crew a deep bow of my humble appreciation.