# Forum About Russia Russian Movies  Russian Movies

## pgmatg

Is anyone interested in talking about Russian Cinema?
If you are, what are your favorite films? actors? directors?
My favorites:
comedies:
Обыкновенное чудо / Ordinary miracle
Кавказская пленница / Prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik's New Adventures
Бриллиантовая рука / The Diamond Arm
Иван Васильевич меняет профессию / Ivan Vasilievich changes his occupation
Покровские ворота / Pokrov Gates
Тот самый Мюнхгаузен / The Very Same Munhgauzen
Кин-дза-дза / Kin-Dza-Dza
Двенадцать стульев / Twelve Chairs
Здравствуйте, я ваша тетя! / Hello, I am your aunt!
Джентльмены удачи / Gentlemen of luck
Операция Ы и другие приключения Шурика / Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures 
dramas:
Солярис / Solaris
Москва слезам не верит / Moscow does not Belive in Tears
Зеркало / The Mirror
Свой среди чужих, чужой среди своих / At Home Among Strangers, a Stranger Among his own
Звезда пленительного счастья / The Star of Fascinating Happiness
Кавказский пленник / Prisoner of the Mountains
Вор / The Thief
Любовник / The Lover 
about love:
Обыкновенное чудо / Ordinary miracle
Ирония судьбы или С легким паром! / Irony of fate or with light steam!
Вокзал для двоих / A Railway Station for Two
Москва слезам не верит / Moscow does not Belive in Tears
Жестокий романс / A Cruel Romance
Служебный роман / Business romance
Я шагаю по Москве / I am Walking Along Moscow
Чародеи / Wizards
Труффальдино из Бергамо / Truffaldino from Bergamo 
War:
Александр Невский / Alexander Nevsky
Баллада о солдате / Ballad of a Soldier
Война / War
Кавказский пленник / Prisoner of the Mountains
Отец солдата / Father of The Soldier
Сто дней до приказа / 100 Days Before The Command
Торпедоносцы / Torpedo Bombers 
Action:
Брат / Brother
Белое солнце пустыни / White Sun of the Desert
Д'Артаньян и Три Мушкетера / D'Artagnan and Three Musketeers 
Horror:
Вий / Viy or Spirit of Evil

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## Professor Marcus

I am a big Andrei Tarkovsky fan! 
Nostalghia, Mirror, Andrei Rublev and Stalker are some of the finest works of cinema that i've seen. 
I haven't seen many other films by Russian directors because Russian films are hard to get in England, but i've just ordered Russian Ark and Of Freaks and Men which I'm looking forward to watching.

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## pgmatg

Marcus, all those films are very original works of art.
On my DVD page I have some links specificaly for UK. 
I've recently started to translate my actor pages,
so far Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Aleksandr Abdulov, Yevgeni Leonov & Nikita Mihalkov.
All 4 are very good, and they also directed movies. Actually I listed them in order of how many films they directed, Mihalkov is most known in America as a director.
Tell me what you think. If you like it. I'll do my best to translate the rest.

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## astarz41

I tried to watch Kin-dza-dza yeterday but I fell asleep half way through it. It started out promisingly but then...   ::   ::   Was it supposed to be a comedy? I thought it was like a "разговор слепого с немым"   ::   
But I also rewatched Джентльмены удачи and that was goooood   ::

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## waxwing

> I  tried to watch Kin-dza-dza yeterday but I fell asleep half way through it.

 I had the same experience but I thought it was prob. because I wasn't Russian and didn't understand it. Maybe not  ::

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## Zhenya

I resently saw the move (from 2002 i think) Tycoon - about the "moneymaking" buissness of the company "Инфокар". I suppose I enjoyed it a bit, not to bad at all... 
Anyone else seen it?

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## pgmatg

Kin-Dza-Dza is not "every one's cup of tea", but I really like it.
You got to watch it with an open mind, it is not only Sci-Fi, but a Comedy, a farce really, about social-economocal (soviet) relationships. You have got to know what life was and still is in Russia to really enjoy this movie.
By the way Tycoon is a very good representation of "business" in Russia.

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## Scorpio

> I resently saw the move (from 2002 i think) Tycoon - about the "moneymaking" buissness of the company "Инфокар". I suppose I enjoyed it a bit, not to bad at all... 
> Anyone else seen it?

 If "Tycoon" is "Олигарх", why it is not "Oligarch"???

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## BETEP

> I tried to watch Kin-dza-dza yeterday but I fell asleep half way through it. It started out promisingly but then...     Was it supposed to be a comedy? I thought it was like a "разговор слепого с немым"

 If you like a kinda soup drama then Кин-Дза-Дза is not for you. There are a lot of metaphors and sophisticated jokes. It's really funny when you think about things you see. It's a movie which you can see one more time and open something new for yourself. May be you have to be ready to understand this sort of movie (for example "Паспорт"). When you will be in trouble just put this disk on tray and look at screen.   

> I had the same experience but I thought it was prob. because I wasn't Russian and didn't understand it. Maybe not

 Trust me. It's not a "Russians only" movie.

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## waxwing

> Originally Posted by Zhenya  I resently saw the move (from 2002 i think) Tycoon - about the "moneymaking" buissness of the company "Инфокар". I suppose I enjoyed it a bit, not to bad at all... 
> Anyone else seen it?   If "Tycoon" is "Олигарх", why it is not "Oligarch"???

 That's easy to explain. When I was 13 I read George Orwell's 198 4(god how depressing that was), and I encountered the word 'oligarchy' for the first time. I had to look it up in the dictionary. Until recently this word would never have been heard in everyday english discussion. They chose the word 'Tycoon' because they thought everyone would recognise it, although the meaning is not the same.
This usually happens with Hollywood films when they are repackaged for sale in other countries, btw.
Ironically, 'oligarch' is slowly coming into everyday usage via the media now - but only because of Russia  ::

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## VendingMachine

> Kin-Dza-Dza is not "every one's cup of tea", but I really like it.
> You got to watch it with an open mind, it is not only Sci-Fi, but a Comedy, a farce really, about social-economocal (soviet) relationships. You have got to know what life was and still is in Russia to really enjoy this movie.

 I found the film very difficult to understand. I'm not sure I understood what the director was trying to say. Good one for culture snobs I suppose.    

> By the way Tycoon is a very good representation of "business" in Russia.

 I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but how old are you exactly? 17? With respect, but what do you know about how business is done in Russia? Have you ever run a business in Russia? Have you ever run a business anywhere?
This is like me saying "this is how they perform brain surgery in Switzerland" - what the ...k do I know about surgery?
Mind you, I'm not saying this to start a debate about how business is done in Russia - it just amuses me how people pontificate about things they know bugger all about.

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## pgmatg

> By the way Tycoon is a very good representation of "business" in Russia.
> 			
> 		  I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but how old are you exactly? 17? With respect, but what do you know about how business is done in Russia? Have you ever run a business in Russia? Have you ever run a business anywhere?
> This is like me saying "this is how they perform brain surgery in Switzerland" - what the ...k do I know about surgery?
> Mind you, I'm not saying this to start a debate about how business is done in Russia - it just amuses me how people pontificate about things they know bugger all about.

 Well, you don't have to run a business to understabd how it works.
Also my uncle runs Buisiness in Russia, and he said that Oligarh is a lot more realistic that most people think.

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## Scorpio

> Originally Posted by Scorpio  
> If "Tycoon" is "Олигарх", why it is not "Oligarch"???   That's easy to explain. When I was 13 I read George Orwell's 1984 (god how depressing that was), and I encountered the word 'oligarchy' for the first time. I had to look it up in the dictionary. Until recently this word would never have been heard in everyday english discussion. They chose the word 'Tycoon' because they thought everyone would recognise it, although the meaning is not the same.

 I can understand the reason for name change, but yes, the meaning of the words is entirely different IMHO.
If they should translate the term "oligarch" is its present-day russian context, they should choose not "tycoon", but "corrupt mean and dexterous mega-thief" or something alike. Unfortunately, this is probably too long for film name.  ::  But it should be almost exact translation.

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## BETEP

> Unfortunately, this is probably too long for film name.  But it should be almost exact translation.

 What do think about "Приватизатор" or something politically correct like "Денационализатор"? Just imagine that picture - big big poster: "Приватизатор 2:  День суда" or "Денационализатор перенагружен".  ::

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## Der Meister

Has anybody seen The Cuckoo, or Klushka (I think in Russian?)  It's about a coward finnish sniper whose chained to rock as punishment, a courtmartialed russian soldier and a sami woman who end up living together during world war 2.  Nobody can speak the others language and the movie shows them trying to live together.  It's an excellent movie.

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## BETEP

> Has anybody seen The Cuckoo, or Klushka (I think in Russian?)  It's about a coward finnish sniper whose chained to rock as punishment, a courtmartialed russian soldier and a sami woman who end up living together during world war 2.  Nobody can speak the others language and the movie shows them trying to live together.  It's an excellent movie.

 Yep, I did. The right movie name is 'Кукушка'.

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## chinitial

I was impressed when I saw the scene in slow motion camera of the baby chart running down the stairs in Brian Di Palma's _The Untouchables_. But I was more impressed with Potemkin Battleship: http://fotolog.terra.com.br/inca:97 http://fotolog.terra.com.br/inca:98 http://fotolog.terra.com.br/inca:99
Specially Odessa's stairway chaos, hundreds of people climbing down, a baby chart, a baby hand stepped by militar boot, a crippled man about to be pressed and escaping at the last minute; the rotten meat filled with worms that the sailors refused to eat; the bullet through the glasses and eye of a person (something also imitated in Godfather); the wind filling the sails; the midst or fog..... In the particular scene of baby chart there's tension also cos the shadows in perpendicular way and camera focusing in the wheels.
I wish I could see Eisentein's work in the future. I saw a film with Russian actors and English, _Siberia_ is the name. Fine work. And we know in USA Konchalovsky had done good work. I enjoyed the tv series of Odyssey with Cuban actor Armand Assante as Ulises.

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## pgmatg

I've just watched Slave of love (Раба любви ), which I've seen before. But this time around it made much bigger impression upon me. The film is set in a southern Russian town during civil war after revolution. The story revolves around prominent silent film actress, who slowly learns what really is going on around her.
The movie made me think of how so many people, like the heroine of the feature, do live in blissful world of ignorance. But what I really enjoyed is how director Nikita Mikhalkov kept the overtone of the film very lyrical almost all the way through, and in the end to the contrast of what was happening.
Have any of you seen any of his other works? And did you like it?
The movie is far from greatness that some discribe it, but is well worth watching.

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## Zhenya

> I am a big Andrei Tarkovsky fan!  
> Nostalghia, Mirror, Andrei Rublev and Stalker are some of the finest works of cinema that i've seen.

 Finally someone who has the right opinion!!! 
I have seen Nostalghia and Zerkalo about 3-4 times in whole.... 
Tarkovsky was a great poet, artist and thinker. With Tarkovsky cinema reaches the level of art in this otherwise "abused" genre.

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## translationsnmru

Tarkovski the poet and Tarkovski the movie director are 2 different persons :P. The director was the poet's son.

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## Zhenya

Da znayu! But I think of Tarkovsky (the director) as a poet aswell, whom expresses(ed) himself in cinema.

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## TheMoonMonst3r

you forgot "иди и сматри" or "come and see".  ballad of a soldier was a romantic comedy, and i luved ever bit of it.  Great fuggin movie, made the moon monster teer up a bit when he (well i'm not gonna ruin it).

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## kalinka_vinnie

DON'T SEE THAT MOVIE (иди и смотри)! Unless you are sadistic and want to see the full horrors of WWII... Man, I still have nightmares!

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## TheMoonMonst3r

lightweight

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## kalinka_vinnie

Hey, I am from North California, we are softies.

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## DDT

I don't want to see that stuff either. Thanks for the warning, Klink old boy.

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## TheMoonMonst3r

Oh c'mon.  Are you a man, or are you a mouse?  Or are you a woman who gets scared and runs away when she sees a little cute furry white mouse with a short tail? 
'Twas war, and 'tis a great film.

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## DDT

I won't even watch CSI.

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## possopo

my favorite films so far (in no specific order): 
sibiriada (konshalovski)
anna (mikhalkov)
urga (mikhalkov)
oblomov (mikhalkov)
burnt by the sun (mikhalkov)
dersu uzala (kurosawa)
andrei rublev (tarkovski)
sajat nova (paradjanov)
horses of fire (paradjanov)
ashik kerib (paradjanov)
the killer (ormibaev)
ivan grozniy 1 (eisenstein)
aleksandr nevski (eisenstein)
the man with the movie camera (vertov)
aelita (protazanov)
kukushka (rogozhkin) 
unfortunately, very few russian/soviet/cis films are available where i live (paris).

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## net surfer

> unfortunately, very few russian/soviet/cis films are available where i live (paris).

 You can order russian movies at ozon.ru

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## Jca

> You can order russian movies at ozon.ru

 Great, I bought солярис and зеркало long ago last time I went to Moscow, though on VHS, and now I ain't no videorecorder. What about DVD zones? Can I watch a Russian movie produced for the Russian market on my zone 2 dvd?

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## net surfer

> What about DVD zones? Can I watch a Russian movie produced for the Russian market on my zone 2 dvd?

 I don't know but you can ask here - http://www.ozon.ru/?context=mailmaster

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## Moryachka

Has anyone here seen "Свои"?  There was an article about it in the paper, but having no other option but to buy it - was it any good?

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## Jim_the_bob

theres only one russian film that i like( also because its the only one ive seen FDLMAO) and thats stalingrad, excelent depiction, fantastic in its production and it wasnt really pro to any side, just showing what it was like during the siege... apart from he sub titles, great film.

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## JB

Saw Кукушка last night, good film. I also noticed The Return at the video store.  It 's also a good movie (saw it in Moscow on TV). It seems the US is finally getting some Russian movies in the video rental stores.

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## mike

> Can I watch a Russian movie produced for the Russian market on my zone 2 dvd?

 I find it much easier to not mess with the DVDs.  95% of my Russian video library is VCD from the market or BitTorrent.

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## Fantomaks

> theres only one russian film that i like( also because its the only one ive seen FDLMAO) and thats stalingrad, excelent depiction, fantastic in its production and it wasnt really pro to any side, just showing what it was like during the siege... apart from he sub titles, great film.

 "Stalingrad" is German film   ::

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## LillyLazer666

nightwatch RULES!!!! that film came over in english cinema, but it was all in russian (thank the powers above for subtitles!) lol.
that film is great. anyone else got any good russian films in mind for me to see? (preferably ones that explain/show some russian culture)

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## Zerkalo

> I am a big Andrei Tarkovsky fan!  
> Nostalghia, Mirror, Andrei Rublev and Stalker are some of the finest works of cinema that i've seen.
> 			
> 		  Finally someone who has the right opinion!!! 
> I have seen Nostalghia and Zerkalo about 3-4 times in whole.... 
> Tarkovsky was a great poet, artist and thinker. With Tarkovsky cinema reaches the level of art in this otherwise "abused" genre.

 
Ditto  ::  
Havent seen Andrei Rublev yet though.

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## MikeM

> You can order russian movies at ozon.ru
> 			
> 		  Great, I bought солярис and зеркало long ago last time I went to Moscow, though on VHS, and now I ain't no videorecorder. What about DVD zones? Can I watch a Russian movie produced for the Russian market on my zone 2 dvd?

 Some of the DVDs are produced all-zone, but in any case you should get yourself a multizone player. Most of the players (especially not major brands) can be easily hacked to play all zones. Just google for your player model... A popular non expensive player in Canada that plays pretty much everything (after a very simple hack) is Philips DVP642, but now there are many more even cheaper players.

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## MikeM

> Originally Posted by possopo  unfortunately, very few russian/soviet/cis films are available where i live (paris).   You can order russian movies at ozon.ru

 They seem to have stopped shipping  CDs/DVDs to outside of Russia... 
Dare I say you can download pretty much everything?  ::  A free copy for educational purposes is usually allowed  ::

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## MikeM

> my favorite films so far (in no specific order): 
> sibiriada (konshalovski)
> anna (mikhalkov)
> urga (mikhalkov)
> oblomov (mikhalkov)
> burnt by the sun (mikhalkov)
> dersu uzala (kurosawa)
> andrei rublev (tarkovski)
> sajat nova (paradjanov)
> ...

 Wow, you a serious cinema connoisseur! I have to admit that I didn't see some of these films. I am not a big fan of Paradjanov... Do you know that the full surname of Konchalovsky is Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky and that he is a brother of Nikita Mikhalkov? They are so different though... If you haven't seen Runaway Train by Konchalovsky it might be worth it. That's his biggest Hollywood work I think. There is nothing Russian about it, but it is a very solid and intense movie.

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## BabaYaga

> Originally Posted by Zhenya     
> 			
> 				I am a big Andrei Tarkovsky fan!  
> Nostalghia, Mirror, Andrei Rublev and Stalker are some of the finest works of cinema that i've seen.
> 			
> 		  Finally someone who has the right opinion!!! 
> I have seen Nostalghia and Zerkalo about 3-4 times in whole.... 
> Tarkovsky was a great poet, artist and thinker. With Tarkovsky cinema reaches the level of art in this otherwise "abused" genre.   
> Ditto  
> Havent seen Andrei Rublev yet though.

 Oh - DO, DO, DO!!!! 
It's fantastic. 
I totally agree with Zhenya, Tarkovsky is one of _the_ best. 
I remember sitting up all night with my sister, both huddled in a huge duvet, downing litres of hot tea, while watching first Solaris, then Andrei Rublev   ::   I know Solaris is the more famous of the two (here anyway), but I preferred Andrei Rublev. 
Have just bought Stalker, so I'm looking forward to that! 
BY

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## BabaYaga

> my favorite films so far (in no specific order):
> sibiriada (konshalovski)

 Watching that at the moment   ::     

> anna (mikhalkov)
> urga (mikhalkov)
> oblomov (mikhalkov)
> burnt by the sun (mikhalkov)

 Anything Mikhalkov I love - he can tell the most horrible stories in the most lyrical, sweet way....    

> ivan grozniy 1 (eisenstein)
> aleksandr nevski (eisenstein)

 I almost agree. Eisenstein is one of the greatest ever - but I prefer Ivan Grozniy 2 (my absolute fave; I'm not even counting anymore how many times I've seen it...) and Strike.   

> the man with the movie camera (vertov)

 Again, I almost agree - but in the same "family", I prefer Pudovkin and (especially) Dovzhenko. Beeootiful.    

> unfortunately, very few russian/soviet/cis films are available where i live (paris).

 Fnac! Try out a couple, different Fnacs have different choices. The Brussels one is shyte, there's nothing at all - but the Ghent one has a whole Russian Film Section (hurt my Visa card there....   ::   ::  ). And if you're in Paris, you're only a two to three hours' drive away.   ::   (or you could ask a Fnac in Paris to order them for you   ::  )  
BY

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## Zhenya

> I totally agree with Zhenya, Tarkovsky is one of the best.

 Yes Tarkovsky was an artist of enormous proportions. I hope you liked Stalker even though it is in many ways more uncommonly narrated than Solyaris and Rublev. Fantastic though.  
My two favourites are, perhaps, still Zerkalo (the Mirror) and Nostalghia. 
But they are all irreplacable masterpieces.

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## uno

Did you know that this post started in May of 2004 and two years later here we are!  ::  LOL

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## basurero

Да здравствуют русские фильмы!

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## Leof

Урра!
Hurrah!
Vasiliy Livanov & Vitaliy Solomin the best Holmes and Watson ever!

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## flowforever

Statsky Sovetnik
Zhmurki   ::  
Turkish Gambit

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## pgmatg

"Night watch" ("Lord of the Rings" meets "Prophecy" meets Blade meets Matrix) a very good Russian Sci-Fi / Fantasy movie is in american theaters now. Did anyone see it? The movie been out on DVD for some time, but since Fox bought all American distribution rights, they have mandated to stop making NTSC formatted dvds of it. The disk has been slowly disappearing from even Russian stores in America. And Fox kept postponing the release until recent limited release, while sequel "Day Watch" is already out in Russia on pal dvd (without subs only). Both installments beat American movies in Russia. And the studio is insisting on filming the 3rd part in English. Ain't US movie studios wonderful  ::

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## Der Meister

Has anybody seen the film Crime and Punishment, it's not related to the Dostoyevsky novel, instead it's three short plots all in one.  The only one I saw was where this business finds out that there is a new government decree that you get for embezzeling and he gets really worried.  Then a policeman comes and takes him away so his wife and her brother sell everything in the house and she divorces her husband and marries the neighbor.  Although the police only took him away to ask him to be a witness in a court.  It's rather hilarious.

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## Remyisme

> Урра!
> Hurrah!
> Vasiliy Livanov & Vitaliy Solomin the best Holmes and Watson ever!

 Oh, it's the best Holmes!  ::

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## Leof

Truth  ::

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## Lampada

Классный фильм.  Две серии. Облако - рай , Тут  кусочек из него. 
Вторая серия Коля - перекати поле

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## Dusik

я люблю "место встречи изменить нельзя".и книга "эра милосердия" - шикарная книга, да

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## kalinka_vinnie

> я люблю "место встречи изменить нельзя".

 признайся!! Ты просто любишь Выс.цкого!!   ::   ::

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## Dusik

да.     ::   
но книга к выс.цкому не имеет отношения. книгу же эту я очень люблю.

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## pgmatg

Well, Night Watch came & went in US theaters. American studio ruined chances of yet another foreign film to be seen:
waited too long to release it, didn't properly advertise it, and showed it in too limited number of theaters. Even the release of the DVD seems to be on hold.
But I guess most American viewers are just not too interested in what is going on in the rest of the world.
Even though majority came from Europe in not too distant past (1-4 generations removed).
So did most American actors, and a few have Russian roots, like Michael Douglas & Harrison Ford.
I found 45 Hollywood actors & actresses who's parents or grandparents came from Russia or Soviet Union:
Please let me know if you know of any other actors of Russian descent.

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## Vincent Tailors

Night Watch is a piece of sh*t and it's sh*t sh*t sh*t and sh*t sh*t sh*t and I hate it I can't stand it I want to bury the director I want to cut all them into pieces!!! 
"The war" by Balabanov is a masterpiece! Must watch definitely!

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## Bisquit

Have anybody of you seen День радио (The Day of Radio)? It's actually a play, not a movie, but it's available on DVDs. This comedy play depicts one day of trendy Russian FM radio station.  Funny dialogs, nice songs and loads of humor.   http://www.kvartet-i.ru/index.php?menu= ... toire_id=1

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## Pouette

Hi, 
I'm french and I'm very interested in Boulgakov's masterpiece _Master and Margaret_ adapted on russian television by Vladimir Bortko recently.
The problem is that the DVD doesn't have subtitles and I don't speack russian at all.
Is somebody able to translate this russian TV film into french or english?
It would be great.
Many people, like me, would like to find subtitles.
My idea is that we could create a team of several persons who could translate this TV film, couldn't we?
The goal of my idea is the general interest and culture for all !
Thanks a lot.

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## ST

Where is no subtitles at all? I mean, we must not only do translation, but timing too?

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## Pouette

> Where is no subtitles at all? I mean, we must not only do translation, but timing too?

 I've got this TV movie in Divx and I know how to add subtitles, don't worry.
So are you interested in translate this movie into english or french?

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## kalinka_vinnie

You are offering to do a whole movie for free?   ::

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## ST

hmm, i can`t translate whole movie, but i can join to the team   ::

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## kalinka_vinnie

> hmm, i can`t translate the whole movie, but i can join _ the team

 It's a useful exercise to learn English. Translating that is  ::

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## Basil77

> Has anybody seen The Cuckoo, or Klushka (I think in Russian?)  It's about a coward finnish sniper whose chained to rock as punishment, a courtmartialed russian soldier and a sami woman who end up living together during world war 2.  Nobody can speak the others language and the movie shows them trying to live together.  It's an excellent movie.

 "Kukushka" director Alexandr Rogozhkin. You are right, the movie is good, worth to watch.

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