Thread: Films & TV: Russian & Non - Q&As/Reviews/Links all in here!

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, even inside single quotes.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/quotes.asp

This only applies to American English. With British English the punctuation only goes within the quotation marks if it was present in the original quote.

Лёва, thank you so much.
You guys can't even imagine how much I *LOVE* that book, but unfortunally I am not eloquent like Лёва, so I even don't know what could I add... I only want to say that there are few people who read this novel, and that's sad. I read it at least three times, the latter time I did it recently, and everytime it was a great pleasure. Now I intend to read it in English... some time.

I am very honoured hearing such words, Оль, from you, it was very kind of you.
Спасибо.

Leof,

I truly hated to correct or change any of your review as it was most eloquently written.

Your review makes me want to stop reading all the other things I have bookmarks in and stop watching all the movies I have waiting for me and put Vanity Fair on the top of my pile.

I hope that the liberties I took with my changes were correct. Please let me know if I misunderstood any of your meanings. Additionally, I did make spelling and grammatical changes to be "American" style and not British. Rockzmom

Originally Posted by Leof

I loved it! [s:3ei14u3m]Alot[/s:3ei14u3m] A lot . Though, my for all time[s:3ei14u3m]s[/s:3ei14u3m] favorite author is Dickens. I appreciated Thackeray's special bitter humor and his sharp look at [s:3ei14u3m]the[/s:3ei14u3m] life very much. So many times I have thought why do all these books end so [s:3ei14u3m]happy[/s:3ei14u3m] happily, and smoothly and [s:3ei14u3m]logycally[/s:3ei14u3m] logically (which [s:3ei14u3m]was[/s:3ei14u3m] according to [s:3ei14u3m]the[/s:3ei14u3m] real life is quite [s:3ei14u3m]ilogically[/s:3ei14u3m] illogically and far from [s:3ei14u3m]life[/s:3ei14u3m] reality)? Many times I [s:3ei14u3m]tought[/s:3ei14u3m] thought why has there never existed [s:3ei14u3m]the[/s:3ei14u3m] a book where [s:3ei14u3m]the[/s:3ei14u3m] evil wins, where good is shown with all its drawbacks (недостатки)[s:3ei14u3m].[/s:3ei14u3m]? So, The Vanity Fair (as a real [s:3ei14u3m]peace[/s:3ei14u3m] piece of [s:3ei14u3m]the[/s:3ei14u3m] [s:3ei14u3m]crytycal[/s:3ei14u3m] critical realism) was for ten steps closer to this my [s:3ei14u3m]idea[/s:3ei14u3m] ideal: Nobody is perfect. But this makes us people. Both [s:3ei14u3m]darck[/s:3ei14u3m] dark and bright colors. The way we love and betray[s:3ei14u3m],[/s:3ei14u3m]; the way we show the generosity and then show [s:3ei14u3m]how cowardly[/s:3ei14u3m] cowardliness, how we can actually be. People who are completely sunny or [s:3ei14u3m]completelly[/s:3ei14u3m] completely dull and [s:3ei14u3m]storming[/s:3ei14u3m] stormy, [s:3ei14u3m]and[/s:3ei14u3m] windy and grey like rainy days are very rare. Most of us are changing, moody, like the day where clouds and wind close and open like the sun [s:3ei14u3m]contantly[/s:3ei14u3m] constantly. [s:3ei14u3m]No one[/s:3ei14u3m] None of Thackeray's heroes (I [s:3ei14u3m]rerad[/s:3ei14u3m] reread only one of his books) are perfect or однозначны, односторонни. Becky is sparking and beautiful, smart and witty, strong, she is a fruit, but she is a heartless mother and a [s:3ei14u3m]betraing[/s:3ei14u3m] betraying wife. Amelia Sedley is sweet and tender[s:3ei14u3m],[/s:3ei14u3m]; but, she is silly and simply a simpleton because she loves the wrong man and doesn't appreciate the love of the most generous man of her lifetime. And Dobbin is fair and generous and so loyal to all his principals of honor and love[s:3ei14u3m],[/s:3ei14u3m]; but, even he understands (and too late) that he was stupid and lost his best years in vain in sake of the woman who unlikely (doesn't?) deserves his love. Becky's husband is a natural [s:3ei14u3m]full[/s:3ei14u3m] fool[s:3ei14u3m],[/s:3ei14u3m]; but, he is a man of honour (American spelling is honor) and [s:3ei14u3m]bravity[/s:3ei14u3m] bravery and he loves her truly and with endless [s:3ei14u3m]loyal[/s:3ei14u3m] loyalty.

But [s:3ei14u3m]as[/s:3ei14u3m] the more I see how fair and [s:3ei14u3m]cinycal[/s:3ei14u3m] cynical is the Life [s:3ei14u3m]to[/s:3ei14u3m] of the heroes [s:3ei14u3m]of[/s:3ei14u3m] in the book, then the more I [s:3ei14u3m]feel[/s:3ei14u3m] felt how deeply I [s:3ei14u3m]am[/s:3ei14u3m] was attached to [s:3ei14u3m]it's[/s:3ei14u3m] its action. I feel how true is Thackeray. Life is the mixture of the salt and [s:3ei14u3m]suggar[/s:3ei14u3m] sugar and we are supposed to eat this blend [s:3ei14u3m]untill[/s:3ei14u3m] until we die. When I think about wild animals which eat the [s:3ei14u3m]flach[/s:3ei14u3m] flesh ([s:3ei14u3m]wolfes[/s:3ei14u3m] wolves or lions) I [s:3ei14u3m]thing[/s:3ei14u3m] think how much dull and similar is their daily meal without fire, salt and spices. But they have to eat it, tasteless, only [s:3ei14u3m]taste[/s:3ei14u3m] tasting of blood. So are we [s:3ei14u3m]are[/s:3ei14u3m]. We have to eat what the life gives us. [s:3ei14u3m]Happyness[/s:3ei14u3m] Happiness and bitter of disappointments and grief, эйфория and pain of love, we have to feel the taste of our deeds. We betray our friends and make the new ones. We make our relatives feel beloved and unhappy. It's a life[s:3ei14u3m],[/s:3ei14u3m] ; it is the real taste of life. The man [s:3ei14u3m]which was count[/s:3ei14u3m] who is known as the most reasonable person of his gender makes the biggest stupidity. We are the причудливая mixture of virtues and sins (добродетелей и пороков). And we love it.

Nobody is perfect. Nobody is hopeless. We all are bad, we all are good. There is no [s:3ei14u3m]winn[/s:3ei14u3m] winning without the loss and no good without bad. Our world - the human's world - is a vanity fair, [s:3ei14u3m]colorfull[/s:3ei14u3m] colorful range of events. The greatest events which stood unseen and stupid events which turns on everyone's tongue.

He was very, very true in his viewing of the life. Dickens can lie and hide the evident [s:3ei14u3m]thruth[/s:3ei14u3m] truth, he is an idealist. He is true but [s:3ei14u3m]untill[/s:3ei14u3m] until some border where Thackeray [s:3ei14u3m]speped[/s:3ei14u3m] stepped over this border. There are no more just good or just bad heroes. They all are good and bad.

Here is what I can tell in "English" (I would be more constructive talking in Russian though)

Arr! You did your best corrections while I was so intempering as to ask you about it!
Thank you for leaving the overlined words, it makes the correction more helpfull!
I am about to investigate what you kindly corrected.

...
Now if you let me I shall take your redaction almost without changings.
Thank you a lot for it!

Лёва, а ты не мог бы сказать на русском, что ты имел в виду вот здесь:
But as more I see how fair and cinycal is the Life to the heroes of the book then more I feel how deeply I am attached to it's action.
Особенно слово fair.
Может, ты имел в виду "But the more I see how nice(ly?) or cynical(ly?) Life treats the heroes of the book..." ?

О господи! Оля, пожалуйста, не разбирай меня при жизни!
Что же я хотел сказать-то. А то, что обстоятельства жизни героев Ярмарки складываются ни по какому-то всеблагостному закону провидения, ни по воле автора, склонного к морализаторству или самообману ради человеколюбия (как у Диккенса, за что я его всё-таки очень люблю). Я думаю, что герои и события книги подсказаны самой жизнью, тем, как нам возвращается при жизни. Здесь нет ни лишнего, ни недоокрашенного - хорошее или плохое настигает героев, мы чувствуем, что это справедливо, что так и должно быть, что так рассудила жизнь, а значит это верно, и нам становится спокойно. Даже зная о несчастье Доббина и позднем озарении Эмилии, зная о внутреннем противоречии Бекки, которая верит в свою правоту и _знает всё же, что она заслужила то, к чему пришла - зная о разочаровании героев, я чувствую, что оно кажется им справедливым. А справедливость произошедшего (даже наказания), соответсвтвие нашему внутреннему ощущению правды - это главное то, что даёт нам спокойствие и уверенность. Если я несправедливо счастлив, например, я не счастлив - происходящее не вкладывается в моё понимание правды. Если, допустим, я справедливо наказан, я пережив несчастье, всё же успокаиваюсь, так как понимаю, что всё это согласно с правдой (моей внутренней правдой в том числе). То есть всё в романе справедливо, и я ощущаю спокойствие, так как мне явлена справедливость в жизни этих людей. Я автоматически перекладываю события и чувства героев на свою жизнь и, чувствуя совпадения, испытываю приятнейшее сопереживание героям. То есть то, от чего мы любим или не любим какую-то книгу. Я больше и больше проникаюсь прочитанным, понимая (иногда сквозь выступающие слёзы), что написанное - правдиво, справедливо. То есть, я верю, что даже человек. осуждённый за преступления на смерть, может испытать удовлетворение от неминуемости казни. Так как глубоко в душе это действие соответсвует его подлинному пониманию правды. Если с ним поступят справедливо, а он исполнит то, что заслужил (умрёт), значит он правдивый человек, значит он получил право на мир со своей совестью.

Знаешь, Андрей Болконский плохо кончил, но те слова, что он сказал, мне близки как никакие - что счастье есть лишь то, когда мы свободны от болезней и угрызений совести. Вот я считаю высшим благом жить в мире с самим собой, соответсввовать той правде, в которую ты веришь самым искреним образом.

Так вот, возвращаясь к Ярмарке. Теккерей циник, но он честен, правдив, он не скрывает от себя и от нас (как Диккенс) то, что следут произнести по-совести. Если Диккенс спешит спасти наши чувства под сенью сентиментального переживания, сострадания, то Теккерей не выражает осстрадания. Он беспристрастен, как природа, и в этом его высшее милосердие. Так как он в высшей степени правдив и справедлив. По крайней мере в Ярмарке (а больше я пока ничего его не читал).

Вот, Оля.
А ещё ужасно неловко, когда мы с тобой при людях разговариваем по-английски, но тут уж ничего уж...

corrected

Oh no, Лёёёёёёваааааа! I understand all your thoughts about Thackeray, I just wanted to make clear one phrase... Because I didn't understand it and especially the word "fair". Because judging by the whole structure of the sentence ("is the Life to the heroes of the book") it seemed to be "жизнь цинична/жестока и [что-то, что-то] к героям романа" in Russian. I just wondered about it since rockzmom corrected it in another way.
Well, I see now that my curiosity was a fatal error.

P.S. Тьфу, дошло. Fair - это "справедливый".

А! Да? Я последние годы начал подозревать, что словао справедливый пишется по-английски не совсем так, как я привык его писать...



PS О господи!

( )

Originally Posted by ski-ops

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, even inside single quotes.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/quotes.asp

This only applies to American English. With British English the punctuation only goes within the quotation marks if it was present in the original quote.

ski-ops,
So you mean for ONCE, American English has an easier rule to remember???? This is truly amazing!!!

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Originally Posted by ski-ops

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Periods and commas always go inside quotation marks, even inside single quotes.
http://www.grammarbook.com/punctuation/quotes.asp

This only applies to American English. With British English the punctuation only goes within the quotation marks if it was present in the original quote.

ski-ops,
So you mean for ONCE, American English has an easier rule to remember???? This is truly amazing!!!

I would say that American English has simplified rules in general -). The Leof's review was a really touching thing! Great job!

Originally Posted by Оля

Now I intend to read it in English... some time.

If you have not already located a copy online, here are some links to the English version of "Vanity Fair." This book is available without copywrite now.

Vanity fair : a novel without a hero
Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanity_Fair_(novel)

http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/599 - This site has it in Plucker (for Palm™ organizer or smartphone), HTML, and Plain Text formats.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/5092532/Vanity-Fair - This site allows you to read it online in a great format and even lets you adjust the font size (which is really nice). You can also download it in PDF or Plain Text. If you want to download it, you will need to establish a free account, if you do not have one already.

Thanks, rockzmom. I've seen it also on http://www.bartleby.com
But I actually mean that I'm going to buy a "paper" book in English. It's not that hard, but I just need to get rid of some problems and "tune up" myself for such hard but interesting reading.

Originally Posted by Оля

P.S. rockzmom, your thread somehow is standing still now... When can we hope to read your new review about some movie (if you don't mind me asking)?

Yes, yes, yes... I know I have been delinquent, a thousand apologizes.

I can tell you that the girls have been keeping me busy with Shakespeare (A Midsummer’s Night Dream and Romeo & Juliet), Cleopatra (Her lasting Legacy), Zheng He (China's most famous navigator) and The Ear, the Eye, the Arm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ear...ye_and_the_Arm.

Shakespeare’s Midsummer has been completed and R&J is just starting. The Ear... I have read before, so that should not be too time consuming. Within the next two weeks, Cleopatra and Zheng He should be completed as well! If anyone studied these or has thoughts on these topics, I would be pleased to hear from you!!!

Also, I have learned that sadly, “Russia, the USSR and the Commonwealth of Independent States” (currently the main areas of study to be …. “Identify the major physical and cultural characteristics of the former Soviet Union” and “Describe the evolution of the Russian civilization from czarist Russia through the end of the Soviet Era”) will not be studied in 7th grade as the curriculum had indicated.

It has now been moved to 11th grade. Of course this means that you all will be stuck with me for a good three or four years because I am counting on EACH AND EVERY ONE of you to help me with this when the time comes.

All this means, that I hope to get back to watching films within a week, two tops!

"You're gonna need a bigger boat."
Jaws, 1975
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073195/quotes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkl3eXAHTRM&NR=1

I LOVE this movie, can quote to distraction. Russian connection? I invite some of the Russian kids I work with in summer to go fishing, then watch this movie on a slow night at the motel. They don't go swimming after work for a couple nights

"The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming" 1966
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0060921/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_nGW7pWBDY

Russian connection? Every summer our peaceful New England community is invaded by Russians, I don't mind though.

While waiting for my next review (or anyone else’s review… thanks, capecoddah for yours) I would like to throw out a topic for discussion to the group here.

Why do you think, even now after many years have passed… American movies and television portray Russians (almost always) as mobsters, spies or thugs? Why never as the heroes? Now I must admit, in the examples below, “Life” did have one of the Russians, “the Architect” be a good guy, but overall, the rest were just the same stereotypes as not "nice" people.

And in Russian movies, how are Americans portrayed?

Here are two very recent examples:

Thick as Thieves (2009) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1112782/
Release: 17 April 2009, but out now here http://movie25.com/thick-as-thieves-2009_4065.html
Description: A veteran thief (Morgan Freeman) recruits a younger crook (Antonio Banderas) to help him pull off one final job in order to repay his debt to the Russian mob and save his god-daughter (Radha Mitchell).

Life (NBC TV Series) Dec 12, 2008 http://www.hulu.com/watch/49449/life-trapdoor
While investigating a triple execution-style homicide, Reese and Crews go up against an old nemesis, a Russian mob boss who has woven a deadly and wicked web.

Thanks!

Originally Posted by rockzmom

And in Russian movies, how are Americans portrayed?

Mostly, as big children, I think. Who speak very loudly and always smile. Never as "bad guys". But actually, you wouldn't find many Americans in Russian movies.

Originally Posted by Оля

Mostly, as big children, I think.

I think I would say "big babies" instead of "big children."

Originally Posted by Оля

Who speak very loudly

Oh, yeah, we speak loudly so that we can get a word in edgewise. Otherwise your thoughts/vote/idea will never be heard and you end up with the worst chores in the house or getting blamed for something you did not do!

Originally Posted by Оля

and always smile.

Of course, even when hula hopping, eating watermelon or just blow drying our hair!


we can't help it !!!!!

Originally Posted by rockzmom

Life (NBC TV Series) Dec 12, 2008 http://www.hulu.com/watch/49449/life-trapdoor
While investigating a triple execution-style homicide, Reese and Crews go up against an old nemesis, a Russian mob boss who has woven a deadly and wicked web.

Thanks!

Unfortunately, hulu.com site allows to watch its video just to the users from USA. (

Originally Posted by Scrabus

Unfortunately, hulu.com site only allows users to watch its video [s:239jod0p]with[/s:239jod0p] who have US IP addresses. [s:239jod0p]just to the users from USA[/s:239jod0p]. ( OR.... Unfortunately, hulu.com only allows people in the USA to watch videos posted on their Web site.

I think I have found a site which will let you view a number of US TV shows and I have bookmarked it for the episode in question. Click the play button and then a pop up screen with an ad comes up that you simply need to click the "skip this ad" button and it will return you back to the first screen and then hit the play arrow again.

Sorry, no subtitles for these programs. But they are very current and they also have back seasons as well.
http://www.ninjavideo.net/video/16148

Let me know if you have any other problems...