Thread: NonRussian films (work in progress)

@Ramil --- Thanks! Kokoshka and Graffiti seem really excellent!
I look forward to watching them - the Kokoschka storyline is particularly interesting and I can't wait to hear that Finnish actor (Ville something) speak Russian...
Thanks a lot for the tips!

@Studyr: I couldnt find subs for Блокпост either... Other than in Polish! So I'll save this film for later, when my Russian has improved. The plot sounds interesting and I definitely want to see this one.

@Coffecup --- haha; Arnold Schwarzenegger as Russian policeman. I never saw that film...
Here's one that I'm pretty sure has plenty of bad Russian in it: "Red Dawn" from mid 1980s. Plot: USSR and Cuba invade the USA, but some schoolkids fight back.. (This film was actually banned at first in Sweden and Finland due to being too extreme, politically. Which of course meant that all kids wanted to see it, and did.. ) Are there any old Russian cold war "paranoia" films like this?
[video:2yknbn6l]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_I4WgBfETc[/video:2yknbn6l]

Американские "Неуловимые мстители"

I checked Неуловимые мстители - another one to add to the list of interesting Russian films!

I doubt this one has subs, but you never know...

Originally Posted by Johanna

the Kokoschka storyline is particularly interesting and I can't wait to hear that Finnish actor (Ville something) speak Russian...

He doesn't speak Russian in that film. :P Although he speaks perfect Russian in life.
By the way, I think the English spelling of the movie title should be "Kookooshka" or even "Kukushka". Or do you just use Swedish spelling?

Olya, I keep making mistakes with the transliteration...

I'm sorry! I just find it a bit confusing and I keep being too lazy to take time to check it. But I'll be more careful. It could cause unnecessary confusion. Or I'll just start writing the names in Russian. (I type 10 times faster in English though...)

The reason for the mixup: Germany uses the same transliteration and there is rather well-known artist called Oskar Kokoschka -- Also I remembered the old Victor Tsoi (right spelling, I checked!) song was translated as "Kokoschka". Link to the Kukushka song below for those who have never heard it!

[video:3ulxrqt4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNp9SBW4xTA[/video:3ulxrqt4]

Originally Posted by Johanna

@Ramil --- Thanks! Kokoshka and Graffiti seem really excellent!
I look forward to watching them - the Kokoschka storyline is particularly interesting and I can't wait to hear that Finnish actor (Ville something) speak Russian...

You'll be disappointed He doesn't speak Russian there ))). The whole plot rotates around the fact that all three main characters don't understand each other. Ivan speaks Russian, Anni speaks Saami (I think that's how her language is called), and Veiko speaks Finnish. Well, you won't hear him speaking Russian but the film itself is just wonderful.

P.S. And although I was (and still am) a great fan of Kino and Viktor Tsoy I like this cover version by Zemfira more:

[video:1mr33g6i]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pgc0ZYDzazY[/video:1mr33g6i]

Originally Posted by Johanna

I checked Неуловимые мстители - another one to add to the list of interesting Russian films!

I doubt this one has subs, but you never know...

Yes, wonderful movie, especially this song:

[video1m7vfrs]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qi5rmutQXIw[/video1m7vfrs]

This music is very good for ANY chase :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFAC3niz6og

Does anyone have any suggestions where I can find English subtitles for Granada TV series "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes"? Precisely for this episode (A Scandal in Bohemia): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0506445/

Try this
http://www.divxmoviesenglishsubtitle...n_Bohemia.html
http://www.allsubs.org/subs-download...buncle/370537/

Thank you, Johanna!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Johanna

I checked Неуловимые мстители - another one to add to the list of interesting Russian films!

I doubt this one has subs, but you never know...

Another film (miniseries) set during the Civil War in Russia that you might want to check out when you know enough Russian is "Адьютант его превосходительства". It's on youtube, but no subs.
I always thought of it as the predecessor to "17 Moments of Spring".

RUSSIAN MOVIE REVIEW

"The Lady with the Dog" (Дама с собачкой, Dama s sobachkoy), 1960
(Drama/Romance)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lad...the_Dog_(film)
(see page 13 of this thread for how to watch this movie either via download on Yandex or online at YouTube)

For those of you who would like to read the story:
Story in Russian
Story in English

Awards
Winner Diploma of Merit, Foreign Actor (Aleksey Batalov) at the 1962 Jussi Awards (Finland)

Review
I must admit I have been wanted to watch this movie for MONTHS! Ever since I read and saw “The Reader” which the story “The Lady with the Little Dog” plays a pivotal part. I also wanted to see a good old fashion romance, so I really needed to be in the right mood to watch this and I knew that Hubby would not watch this “chick flick” with me!

I very much enjoyed the opening of the film more than the rest of the film, sorry to say. At first I thought “Oh how sad that I had waited so long to watch this as this is going to be just the kind of film I like,” yet, the witty one liners like “I had a good sleep for no reason” soon went away and were replaced with the melodramatic tale of our star-crossed lovers, Dmitri and Anna.

I can’t say enough about the acting of Aleksey Batalov. He had me fooled from the beginning. I truly thought his character to be the lowest pond scum alive. A total cad and a Dorian Gray to boot. The leaving of Anna’s glove at the train station before it is even cold from her hand and the train has even finished pulling out, was low. For all he knew, she could have seen him! Men! So, so, uncaring. At more than one point I was positive that Dmitri was going murder our poor Lady with the Dog!

And Anna! She was just as Dmitri had described, PATHETIC! She had no backbone whatsoever! Woman, don’t have an affair if you can’t handle it. “Don’t do the crime if you can’t pay the time,” or at least don’t go on and on and on about it ad nauseam.

Now the ending… So our lovers get back together for their little rendezvous with destiny in full view for anyone passing their hotel window to see. Especially the wife who received Anna’s letter. “Hello, here’s a clue…close the curtain if you are having an affair.” And the ending shot of Anna at the window leaving us to just assume that this romance continues for the next 20 years or so. Or does it? Was that the last time he saw her???

Now, with all that said, there were things I did like about the movie. Amazingly!

The cinematography was beyond beautiful. This is one movie where I wished it were in color and if you have read my other reviews you know I normally do not feel that way about black and white films. This time however, I felt myself longing for the color of the ocean and the marvelous costumes. The sunrise Dmitri and Anna watch together. I wanted to see it all and in Technicolor! I found it interesting to see Yalta after reading about Hangernaid’s visit there and seeing his photographs from there. I also remembered the slippers discussion we had in wintertime and thought about that while watching the snow scenes in Moscow.

The little directorial character gestures were great as well. The piano scene with the candle was brilliant. Dmitri seeing the white dog again was not bad either.

I do have some observation type questions and I hope someone will help me out.

1. What was with the scale at the ocean in Yalta? The only time I have seen scales around the beaches here are at the boardwalks and you try to fool someone by asking them to guess your weight and hope they guess wrong and then you win a prize.

2. Both Dmitri and Anna have their wedding bands on their right hands. Here in the States we wear them on the left. Do you all still wear them on the right?

3. Why was Dmitri in Yalta without his wife and kids? They never explained that one in the movie. They explained why Anna was there (due to her health, a lie) but never said why he was there for a month.

For what to watch next...I'm thinking about "The Cranes are Flying", "The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed" or get back to watching "The Master and Margarita."

A long time ago on this thread I talked about the movie and book series Twilight. The second movie from this series, New Moon, is scheduled to be released November 20th.

Now a group of people out on YoutTube did spoof trailers of the first Twilight movie and the other day they released their spoof trailer of New Moon. It is not as good as their Twilight one (it has had over 8 million views); however, it is pretty funny

Here are links to the real trailers and the spoofs from Evil Iguana Production. Make certain you watch the real ones first, duh! Let me know if you need clarifations on anything as I have read all the books and seen the first movie (remember, I have teenaged daughters!)

Older daughter really likes the part where she is describing him (his skin is pale white, he is really strong and fast and so on AND the part where he tries to go outside and the door is closed).

Real Twilight Trailer #1
Real Twilight Trailer #2
Evil Iguana Twilight Spoof

This one the ending is the best part!
Real New Moon Trailer
Evil Iguana New Moon Spoof

Oh my god.........
Rockzmom, I'm afraid I will be reading your review for two days or something, to understand it properly. What a hell!!
It's just that I can't wait to tell you what I think about that movie! Some time ago, I was my favourite movie. Now I only want to say that "Дама с собачкой" is a great masterpiece from all possible points of view!
Also, it's not a love story at all!! It's not supposed to have a happy end. It had not to have and "end", or to give any explanations to a viewer. First of all, it's literature (I mean it's just a short story Chekhov wrote). It's not for entertaining a viewer! And there's no place for "liking" the film, in the simplified sense of the word "like". It's rather to make a viewer think, feel, ask. Not for entertaining or giving answers. Actually, as is well-known, art never gives answers. It only asks questions.
I'll probably write some more when I completely read and understand your post.

"The Lady with the Dog" (Дама с собачкой, Dama s sobachkoy), 1960
Yet another awesome film review rockzmom!

I found myself being careful while reading it, because I haven't seen it and I didn't want to read any spoilers...

After reading this I will try to get hold of this one plus decent subs and watch it when I get a chance.

What a pity with the lack of colour. I always prefer it although some films are so good that it doesn't matter.

Speaking about black and white films: I saw a comment from someone who said they never seen "CASABLANCA" . This is film is the classic of classics. I really recommend that you watch it... I doubt there are many adults in Europe or the US who haven't seen it. It's got some classic lines (things that the actors say) so it's best to watch it in English.



I have to say the older Russian movies re much better than newer ones for learners... Not sure why but they seemed to keep it simpler and speak more clearly...

Originally Posted by Оля

Oh my god.........
I'll probably write some more when I completely read and understand your post.

No, I beg of you, write more once you have calmed down and are no longer stabbing pins in your Voodoo Doll of me.

Originally Posted by Оля

First of all, it's literature (I mean it's just a short story Chekhov wrote). It's not for entertaining a viewer! And there's no place for "liking" the film, in the simplified sense of the word "like". It's rather to make a viewer think, feel, ask. Not for entertaining or giving answers. Actually, as is well-known, art never gives answers. It only asks questions.

What is the purpose of a film? Why is it made in the first place? Is it to educate? To Inform? To suspend reality for a short period of time? To take us from our own lives and troubles and transport us to someone else's? To make us laugh and forget our troubles? To let someone who has not or can't read famous literature see it and hear it or maybe understand it in a new light? To bring people of different cultures, backround and languages together?

Yes, a film can make a viewer think, feel and ask...There are many reasons for films and "entertainment" is a BIG one. Because even for a short story such as this one, if a film does not entertain, even on some miniscule level, then no one would finance the production of it and it would not be made and then no one would ever see it.

oops - just saw Olya's comment...
I simply can't add anything here. You two are in a league of your own....
I'm simply not observant or intellectual enough....
I sort of agree with both comments...

Originally Posted by rockzmom

No, I beg of you, write more once you have calmed down and are no longer stabbing pins in your Voodoo Doll of me.

Please don't react so. If I seemed rude to you, it could be so because of my bad English. I didn't mean to write anything bad about you as a viewer (I feel it's another clumsy sentence...), and I thought you knew that.

Because even for a short story such as this one, if a film does not entertain, even on some miniscule level, then no one would finance the production of it and it would not be made and then no one would ever see it.

Please remember that the film we're discussing was shot in the Soviet time, and at that time the government financed cinema, and it financed the production of a lot of films that did not entertain, believe me

I think there are more than one meaning for the word "entertain"... As well as for the verb "to like". What I mean... well, I think you understand what I meant when I wrote "entertain", don't you? You see, for example, there is a documentary "Обыкновенный фашизм", a great post-war film about fascism and nazism in which a famous Soviet director Михаил Ромм expressed his own view on it, and it's full of terrible details. Well, what I mean, is that one can't say that he likes this film. "I was shaken by this film" seems more appropriate...
The same about "to entertain". Probably it's not the same as the Russian verb "развлекать". Maybe it's "to amuse", "to divert"? In Russian, "развлекать" means something light, not serious, light-headed, frivolous; something you can enjoy eating icecream or chips.

Also... Please believe me and please don't feel hurt, but I can assure you that the language used in this movie is extremely important, and unfortunately, many nuances of what heroes say is just lost in translation. Also intonation means so much in it! How she pronounces, "My husband is.... a lackey..."!
As for the plot... I don't know why you thought it was an "old fashion romance". But believe me, it's a very bad description for this film.
I can tell you, for example, that one the most important episodes is when Gurov is trying to start a conversation about his summer romance with an acquaintance, and this acquaintance says to him (completely missing Gurov's words): "You know, you were right: the flesh of sturgeon was stale". What do you think about that episode?
Chekhov wrote about banality and mustiness of life, and about impossibility to break out of it. The plot line is a romance, true. But the main is not about love.

As for your question about the rings - all orthodox believers wear them on the right hand, so it's a tradition in Russia.

Originally Posted by Оля

Originally Posted by rockzmom

No, I beg of you, write more once you have calmed down and are no longer stabbing pins in your Voodoo Doll of me.

Please don't react so. If I seemed rude to you, it could be so because of my bad English. I didn't mean to write anything bad about you as a viewer (I feel it's another clumsy sentence...), and I thought you knew that.

Oh, Olya.. I do understand you so much better than I first did almost a year ago. I know you are not being rude to me. I was trying to tease you back.

And as for your English... it is just fine!

Olya,

I know, this is long again...I'm sorry and if I could wave a magic wand or take a pill and write and think in Russian just so I could have these discussions with you - I would! Please read this as if I am sitting with you sharing a cup of tea and chatting with you as that is how I am typing it, with my cup of tea next to me.

I have had time now to read your second comments and you make excellent points and I agree that maybe we are having a discussion here about word choice and understanding.

Another good set of film examples would be some of Steven Spielberg' work - Saving Private Ryan, The Lost Children of Berlin, Schindler's List , So Very Far From Home. Some of these films were main stream "blockbuster hits" while others were smaller films that are more educational; however, all of these are about topics most people would not usually pay money to go sit in a theater and watch a movie about. Why would we subject ourselves to saddness and seeing images on the screen that would upset us as we know these are about events that actually happened in life? Yet, in order for anyone to watch an entire film and not fall asleep or tune out it's message (whatever that message might be) it has to on some level reach us, grab us, hold our attention - in simpelest terms, for good or bad - entertain us.

The script, actors, cinematography, editing, soundtrack, costumes, director and so on must all work together for one magical momment in time to make us stop thinking about our own lives, our jobs, our cellphones, our problems and focus instead on that big silver screen in front of us. This magically woven spell can easily be broken by one small second of bad continuity, a small unrealistic character decision, or an entire movie of bad accents. Even if the rest of the film is fabulous, one slight wrong step along the way and it can be spoiled.

It is the same with literature. Why do you select a book to read? The title? The cover art? The writing on the book jacket? Word of mouth? And once you start to read it, what keeps you reading it? Why do you want to finish a 700 page novel when there are so many other things you could be doing with your life? It is once again, no matter the topic, death, distruction, romance... on some level the author has sucked you in and woven a spell that compels you to finish or the author has not done a very good job and that book sits on shelves. Or by chance you finish the book anyway and swear never to read another book by that author again!

Originally Posted by Оля

I can tell you, for example, that one the most important episodes is when Gurov is trying to start a conversation about his summer romance with an acquaintance, and this acquaintance says to him (completely missing Gurov's words): "You know, you were right: the flesh of sturgeon was stale". What do you think about that episode?
Chekhov wrote about banality and mustiness of life, and about impossibility to break out of it. The plot line is a romance, true. But the main is not about love.

This part I did atually watch more than once! I was trying to understand it as I felt there must be something missing in the translation into English or I was not understanding the scene. I was thinking, "Is there a hidden meaning in the sturgeon?" And then I thought that the friend was trying to tell Gurov, in his own way, to forget about Anna. That it was was a form of symbolism. The sturgeon being bad and the idea of him thinking about the summer romance being bad.

Originally Posted by Оля

As for your question about the rings - all orthodox believers wear them on the right hand, so it's a tradition in Russia.

Thanks! I can once again tell Hubby that I learned something from a movie!!!