# Forum About Russia Russian Movies  Москва слезам не верит.

## waxwing

On a whim last week I bought a DVD of 'москва слезам не верит'.  
Spectacularly good acting and a big dollop of Russian culture. Has Russian subtitles (well this version did anyway). 
Masterpiece!   ::   ::  
Very moving   ::   ::   
Anyone else like it? Any others you can recommend? 
By the way it seems to be available on Amazon under the title 'Moscow doesn't believe in tears' (a proper translation for once!).

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## drew881

I saw it in a film class a couple years ago.  Out of 10 films we watched, this was probably the second or third best one that the class liked.  The other ones that people liked were Burnt by the Sun, The Cranes are Flying. and Brat.

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## begemot

Через двадцать лет ничего кроме интернета не будет--не театра, не книг, не телевидения.

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## waxwing

ну .. через двадцать лет всё по-другому будет!  ::

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## Friendy

> Через двадцать лет ничего кроме интернета не будет--не театра, не книг, не телевидения.

 *ни* театра, *ни* книг, *ни* телевидения

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## begemot

> Originally Posted by begemot  Через двадцать лет ничего кроме интернета не будет--не театра, не книг, не телевидения.   *ни* театра, *ни* книг, *ни* телевидения

 Cпасибо, Френди!  Может быть, через двадцать лет у меня не будет ошибок на русском языке. 
На РТВи(нтернационал) я видел несколько серий программ "Прогулки с Баталовым", в которую он бродит по Москве и разговаривает о достопримечательностях города.  Я не сразу его узнал....он сильно менялся!  Ну, время.

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## VendingMachine

> On a whim last week I bought a DVD of 'москва слезам не верит'.  
> Spectacularly good acting and a big dollop of Russian culture. Has Russian subtitles (well this version did anyway). 
> Masterpiece!    
> Very moving     
> Anyone else like it? Any others you can recommend? 
> By the way it seems to be available on Amazon under the title 'Moscow doesn't believe in tears' (a proper translation for once!).

 Just another puke video. Just another distortion of the Russian culture. Goga, a stinking wino and miserable poofta. Watch these vomitized brainfarts to consolidate your stereotypes about this country. Might do your listening comprehension a lot of good though. The above is nothing more than my IMHO. 
P.S. And a pretty incorrect translation too - не верит в слёзы would be your 'doesn't believe in tears' - but that's a totally different shade of meaning for you than the film's original title 'слезам не верит'.

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## Friendy

> Может быть, через двадцать лет у меня не будет ошибок на русском языке.

 *в* русском языке   

> На РТВи(нтернационал) я видел несколько серий программ "Прогулки с Баталовым", в которую он бродит по Москве и разговаривает о достопримечательностях города.

 программ*ы* (родительный падеж, ед. ч.)
в котор*ой* (предложный падеж) *говорит* о достопримечательностях или *рассказывает* о достопримечательностях.   

> Я не сразу его узнал....он сильно менялся!

 сильно *изменился* (you need perfective form here)

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## JB

My teacher in Moscow made us take it home and watch it because it is her favorite film. I fell asleep and my hubby probably turned on football.  Total chick flick.

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## drew881

> Originally Posted by waxwing  On a whim last week I bought a DVD of 'москва слезам не верит'.  
> Spectacularly good acting and a big dollop of Russian culture. Has Russian subtitles (well this version did anyway). 
> Masterpiece!    
> Very moving     
> Anyone else like it? Any others you can recommend? 
> By the way it seems to be available on Amazon under the title 'Moscow doesn't believe in tears' (a proper translation for once!).   Just another puke video. Just another distortion of the Russian culture. Goga, a stinking wino and miserable poofta. Watch these vomitized brainfarts to consolidate your stereotypes about this country. Might do your listening comprehension a lot of good though. The above is nothing more than my IMHO. 
> P.S. And a pretty incorrect translation too - не верит в слёзы would be your 'doesn't believe in tears' - but that's a totally different shade of meaning for you than the film's original title 'слезам не верит'.

 Is this your opinion just because it won an academy award for best foreign film?  Because it was accepted by the west so therefore it must be bad because it acheived some sort of mainstream status?

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## Линдзи

> Is this your opinion just because it won an academy award for best foreign film?  Because it was accepted by the west so therefore it must be bad because it acheived some sort of mainstream status?

 d00d, don't even start with the VM-baiting.  He'll just be like  

> SWEARING [some obscure political philosopher] VAGUELY DEMEANING NAME a la "my boy" [historical event] GRRR [some stuff in a "Scottish" dialect] Do you want to have a fistfight?

 So let's skip it, eh?  Back to that silly chick flick.  It was entertaining enough, as far as chick flicks go.  I like movies with more explosions.  If there had been some explosions in it, it probably would have been a better film.  Ooh, or a tank chase.  A tank chase would also have improved it immensely.

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## Tu-160

I just saw a movie “Сибириада” by Андрей Михалков-Кончаловский, 1978. Cool movie, it's a masterpiece! I was watching in for more than 4 hours and it worth it. The music of Эдуард Артемьев is just amazing! Now it's my favorite movie, maybe even more favourite than “Кин-дза-дза.”

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## waxwing

Tu-160, can you tell us more about those films? What are they about?
And .. 4 hours??   ::   I thought the Seven Samurai was long..

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## Friendy

> Goga, a stinking wino and miserable poofta.

 Well, I can't say I am a fan of Goga (my feministic mind can't put up with his attitude to women and some other macho tendencies  ::  ) but I don't think that a single occasion of being drunk makes somebody a wino (of course there could be some other similar occasions in his life, since the movie shows just a little piece of it, but he doesn't make that impression).  

> Watch these vomitized brainfarts to consolidate your stereotypes about this country. Might do your listening comprehension a lot of good though. The above is nothing more than my IMHO.

 I don't think that the aim of this film was to promote some stereotypes about Russia. It's just a simple story that could happen in any country. More than that I think it contained an anti-stereotype, showing a woman who had wholly made herself (the stereotype being all Russian women are worshiping-their-husband housewives).
And the above was MHO also.   ::

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## BETEP

“Кин-дза-дза” is a really cool film! Actually, it is a comedy film with an underlying meaning. Take a look at this site. There are quotes from this film with mp3 files. 
IMHO, the films you have to see: 
Many of these films are comedy one but don’t be amazed when you found them a little philosophical. I didn’t include many popular films (for example Брилиантовая рука) you could not get them without deep knowledge in Soviet cultural layer. It’s really hard to get the joke when one parody jeers other parody.  _Кин-дза-дза
Иван Васильевич меняет профессию
Гардемарины, вперед
Тот самый Мюнхаузен
Джентльмены удачи
Двенадцать стульев
Золотой телёнок
Кавказская пленница или новые приключения Шурика
Белое солнце пустыни
Гусарская баллада
Ирония судьбы, или с легким паром
Служебный роман
Москва слезам не верит
Большая перемена
Собачье сердце
Курьер
Паспорт
Место встречи изменить нельзя
Жестокий романс
Тени исчезают в полдень_  Films about officers or soldiers  _Война и Мир
Дни Турбиных
Батальоны просят огня
Небесный тихоход
Офицеры
Два бойца_  Soviet films based on foreign books 
First of all, the films are really perfect; secondly, you can compare them with Hollywood films about USSR and Russia.  ::   _Приключения Шерлока Холмса и доктора Ватсона
Дети капитана Гранта
Мэри Поппинс, до свидания_

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## waxwing

Wow! Spasiba bolshoye! I'm gonna print this out and head down to Telemir next week after I get back from the mountains.  :: 
ни водка ни пиво, денги на *ветер*  ::  
@ Friendy, about the Goga character: in what way did you find his attitude to women offensive? I guess my language skills were not really good enough to pick up on that..   ::  ) . About stereotypes and culture, I think this film was successful in showing culture precisely because it wasn't trying to do that at all. cf 'the Barber of Siberia' - rather poor IMO, despite all the money they threw at it.

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## VendingMachine

> Originally Posted by VendingMachine        Originally Posted by waxwing  On a whim last week I bought a DVD of 'москва слезам не верит'.  
> Spectacularly good acting and a big dollop of Russian culture. Has Russian subtitles (well this version did anyway). 
> Masterpiece!    
> Very moving     
> Anyone else like it? Any others you can recommend? 
> By the way it seems to be available on Amazon under the title 'Moscow doesn't believe in tears' (a proper translation for once!).   Just another puke video. Just another distortion of the Russian culture. Goga, a stinking wino and miserable poofta. Watch these vomitized brainfarts to consolidate your stereotypes about this country. Might do your listening comprehension a lot of good though. The above is nothing more than my IMHO. 
> P.S. And a pretty incorrect translation too - не верит в слёзы would be your 'doesn't believe in tears' - but that's a totally different shade of meaning for you than the film's original title 'слезам не верит'.   Is this your opinion just because it won an academy award for best foreign film?  Because it was accepted by the west so therefore it must be bad because it acheived some sort of mainstream status?

 Did it really? I didn't know that. But tell me, why do you assume that if a film wins an academy award (who the hell started this farce anyway), we should automatically cream our pants and consider this film a 'quality' one? Just goes to show the real value of your crappy academy awards. Have you ever wondered why the only kind of films that get nominated are usually those that only bogstandard sheeple would watch? In fact, to me an academy award is more often than not a reason to ignore a film. But anyway, in this case it's irrelevant. It's a crappy film about gay bogstandard sheeple. And I did say that was my IMHO - I'm entitled to one, aren't I? Thank you.

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## VendingMachine

waxwing, I hope it wouldn't put you out if I asked you what exactly you had in mind by 'culture' when you were talking about the film in question? how did it show the Russian culture? what have you learnt from this film about us and our culture? 
@Friendy: Despite the fact that Goga is a wino and a poof, he does the right thing treating a lady as one would treat a whore. That's what you ladies want, believe me, I wouldn't lie to you - a lady wants to be treated as a whore and a whore wants to be treated as a lady - has stood me in good stead, this little golden rule.  
@Линдзи, must you always argue with me? I know you secretely admire me. It's OK, Линдзи, you know I'd be good, you know I'd treat you as a lady.

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## BETEP

> ни водка ни пиво, денги на *ветер*

 Водка без пива - деньги на ветер!  ::

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## Линдзи

> @Friendy: Despite the fact that Goga is a wino and a poof, he does the right thing treating a lady as one would treat a whore. That's what you ladies want, believe me, I wouldn't lie to you - a lady wants to be treated as a whore and a whore wants to be treated as a lady - has stood me in good stead, this little golden rule.  
> @Линдзи, must you always argue with me? I know you secretely admire me. It's OK, Линдзи, you know I'd be good, you know I'd treat you as a lady.

 Har har har.  Sorry, VM, even someone as whorish as I has no interest in having anything to do with a reactionary chauvanist in the throes of a serious midlife crisis.

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## drew881

I for one am pretty picky about movies, and usually do not like the films that win academy awards so I definately do not think that an award validates a movie.  I was questioning you on if that was a possible motive of you not liking it, but I guess you didnt know it won the award.

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## Friendy

> @ Friendy, about the Goga character: in what way did you find his attitude to women offensive? I guess my language skills were not really good enough to pick up on that..   ) .

 I'll answer your question but first answer mine (kind of a small comprehension test  ::  ): "Почему Гоша ушёл от Кати?"(Of course, don't answer this question if you don't wish, but I thought it might be interesting for you.)
And I agree about "The Barber of Siberia", it was very disappointing. Вот уж здесь деньги точно пошли на ветер.  ::  It's indeed a stereotypes collection.  

> P.S. And a pretty incorrect translation too - не верит в слёзы would be your 'doesn't believe in tears' - but that's a totally different shade of meaning for you than the film's original title 'слезам не верит'.

 And what about "Moscow doesn't believe one's tears"?
Personally I think even if it's closer to the original it's less sounding for a movie title.

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## waxwing

> Originally Posted by waxwing  ни водка ни пиво, денги на *ветер*    Водка без пива - деньги на ветер!

 heh i knew the saying, it was just my little (very bad) Russian joke  ::

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## waxwing

Well, Friendy, thanks for the question, I just looked at that bit again and it helped me to understand better... so, if I understand correctly, he left her because she hadn't told him that she was the director of the 'plant' or whatever the right word is... and he felt emasculated in some way by her having a higher social status. 
But it seems a little harsh to judge him on that? Anyhow, there are probably several other important points I didn't understand on first viewing.

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## Friendy

> Well, Friendy, thanks for the question, I just looked at that bit again and it helped me to understand better... so, if I understand correctly, he left her because she hadn't told him that she was the director of the 'plant' or whatever the right word is... and he felt emasculated in some way by her having a higher social status. 
> But it seems a little harsh to judge him on that? Anyhow, there are probably several other important points I didn't understand on first viewing.

 You understood it correctly, waxwing (though most likely the fact that she lied to him upset him more than the fact she was a director). There are several moments in the film when his rather conservative views on women issue are shown. He thinks that the woman should be a housewife and her place is in the kitchen, that there's man's work and women's work. If I am not mistaken he talks about his views at the picnic (the one with his friends) when he is talking with Александра, but the last time I watched it was rather long ago so I can confuse things. And that episode when he said he won't tolerate being ordered "На том простом основании, что я мужчина" thus implying that for a woman being ordered is OK. 
I neither judge him nor blame him (a lot of men have such views, it's not only their fault, that's the way they were brought up), I actually think he is a good person, I'm just pointing out his features I consider negative and that are too emphasized (IMHO) in the film. 
And I don't agree with VendingMachine that Gosha treated women as whores. I'd say he was authoritative and domineering but "treating women as whores" means something different IMO. 
Btw, VendingMachine, do you really think that he is wino? Or you chose this word only to make it sound more expressive and emotional? But if you *do* think that he is a wino, it would be really interesting for me to know the reasons.

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## waxwing

Well, I just finished watching служебный роман. What a hoot! I love the repartee between the two leads. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing at one or two points. Like: 
- Вы утверждали, что я чёрствая!
- Почему? Мягкая.
- Бесчеловечная! - Человечная.
- Бессердечная! - Сердечная.
- Сухая!- Мокрая.  ::   :: 
And then he's like .. Mokraya? I didn't mean mokraya, I meant dobraya!
And I also liked the bit with это не лошадь, это пони!  ::

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## Friendy

> - Вы утверждали, что я чёрствая!
> - Почему? Мягкая.
> - Бесчеловечная! - Человечная.
> - Бессердечная! - Сердечная.
> - Сухая!- Мокрая.  
> And then he's like .. Mokraya? I didn't mean mokraya, I meant dobraya!

 Yes, I like this moment too.  :: 
I also like that Bublikov "resurrection" and "она дёргает цветы из Бубликова". And that one is also very famous: "мальчик и ещё мальчик"

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## waxwing

You know that song in служебный роман, : _
где найти кого-то?
Могу весь мир я обойти,
Чтобы найти кого-то
Могу весь мир я обойти._ 
It seems like they've just made some kind of new pop-version   ::  
I quite like it .. good lord I have no taste at all..

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## Indra

Моя любимая цитата из "Служебного романа", наверное, неточная: "Ну что Вы, мы Вас любим. В глубине души. Где-то очень глубоко".

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## waxwing

Indra,
I do remember that line! Do I understand it correctly?:
"What are you talking about?! We all love you! From the depth of our hearts (souls)! Somewhere very deep"
Is there a better colloquial translation (especially of that last line)?

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## Alware

> "What are you talking about?! We all love you! *From the depth of our hearts (souls)!* Somewhere very deep"

 I'd translate it like "*In* the depth of our souls" or "deep in our souls" , "Somewhere very deep"(so deep that it's hardly noticable   ::  )

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## TexasMark

I just saw the movie.  I liked the first segment more than the rest and, yes, I did find Goga to be a unreconstructed chauvanistic jerk.  In addition to his views about a woman's role, what about that ridiculous charade of the picnic -- get all your friends together to spontaneously extemporize about what a wonderul person you are to impress the new girlfriend with the depth of your brilliance and gererosity of spirit.    
Still, in the context in which it was made, not a bad flick. Interesting couple of tounge in cheek criticisms of the state.  E.g., when the one character pointedly states that "you know we have the best medical system in the world" in a way that somehow manages to convey the opposite (while, presumably, getting past the government watchdogs).

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## TexasMark

I just saw the movie.  I liked the first segment more than the rest and, yes, I did find Goga to be a unreconstructed chauvanistic jerk.  In addition to his views about a woman's role, what about that ridiculous charade of the picnic -- get all your friends together to spontaneously extemporize about what a wonderul person you are to impress the new girlfriend with the depth of your brilliance and gererosity of spirit.    
Still, in the context in which it was made, not a bad flick. Interesting couple of tounge in cheek criticisms of the state.  E.g., when the one character pointedly states that "you know we have the best medical system in the world" in a way that somehow manages to convey the opposite (while, presumably, getting past the government watchdogs).

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## Lampada

*Москва слезам не верит. Серия 1* :: Мосфильм

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## Lampada

*Москва слезам не верит. Серия 2* :: Мосфильм

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## Lampada

*"Фильм «Москва слезам не верит» глазами американки*   _Посмотрела фильм "Москва слезам не верит" со своей американской подружкой Крис. Всё таки оскаровское кино, как ни крути. Мне захотелось, чтобы моя подруга, обожающая русскую классическую литературу, ознакомилась с этим шедевром нашей киноклассики. Смотрели с английскими субтитрами. Под конец фильма Крис сказала, что у неё есть много вопросов.  
- Оксана, я не понимаю, почему если Катья была директором такой крупной фабрики и у неё в подчинении было три тысячи человек, она жила вдвоём с ребёнком (!!!) практически в дырке в стене. Это же невероятно: два человека живут в однобедрумной квартире. Директор крупного предприятия спит в гостинной на раскладном диване! Как это понимать? 
- Ну, Крис, дело было же ещё в Союзе, тогда мы все так жили. Я жила в однобедрумной квартире с сестрой и родителями. Мы с сестрой спали тоже в гостинной на раскладных диванах.
- Да, но твои же родители не были такими большими боссами, как героиня Катья? 
- Но у нас тогда было всеобщее равенство и братство... 
- Но ведь ты сама говорила, что коммунисты имели намного больше, а разве Катья не была коммунистом, имея руководящую должность? Кстати, почему там мама Николая произносит фразу "Разве в ресторане прилично накормят?" У вас что, кормили плохо в том числе и в ресторанах, но тогда как же они существовали и подолгу не выходили из бизнеса? 
Я почесала затылок, но Крис продолжала свои вопросы на засыпку. 
- почему она, будучи таким крупным боссом, ездит на таком факинг пис оф шыт, который постоянно ломается? Её зарплаты директора не хватает на приличную машину? 
Мой рассказ о многолетних очередях на автомобиль и о том, что жигули вовсе никакой не пис оф шыт, а очень даже приличная машина по тем временам, Крис не убедил. Она продолжала задавать вопросы: 
- Оксана, я не понимаю. Вот Катья- она такая красавица и умница, добилась всего сама, дочь воспитала, но она похоже никак не может почувствовать себя счастливой только потому, что рядом нет мужчины? Этот пис оф шыт Гоша, у которого комплекс неполноценности, потому что его любимая женщина больше зарабатывает, бросил её по-хамски, а она вместо того, чтобы забить на него, ищет его по всей Москве, потеряв всяческую гордость и достоинство? А потом она его со слезами на глазах принимает обратно, но она что, не понимает, что у них отношения всё равно не сложатся: она же больше него зарабатывает, а для него это- проблема. А значит он- говно-мужик, isn't he? Разве я не права? Почему создатели фильма красной нитью проводят мысль о том, что женщина, чего бы она ни добилась, всё равно- неполноценна, если у неё рядом нет "штанов"? Что это за булшыт, объясни мне, плиз?  
Кстати, если у кого возникли тёмные мыслишки по поводу бэкграунда Крис, не подкопаетесь, сразу говорю. Крис- ослепительная красавица-блондинка размера small, обладательница чёрного пояса каратэ, в свои 58 без единой пластической операции выглядит на 45, состоит в счастливом браке со своим красавцем мужем- преуспевающим хирургом-ортопедом, живёт с ним в замке спален на десять, с прислугой и на берегу озера, и сама при этом доктор наук, имеет успешную частную практику клинического психолога. Мать троих детей. Говорю же: не подкопаетесь.  
Я было задвинула лекцию для Крис, начиная копать ещё с 17-го года, но она меня просто сражала наповал своей незамутнённой логикой успешной и счастливой американки. Каждый исторический пассаж, который я пыталась выдвинуть, она тут же задвигала. Так мы и скоротали вдвоём томный вечер, согласившись, что на всё ответом есть загадочная славянская душа. Только Крис ещё добавила под конец белого вина в бокале: 
- Как хорошо всё-таки, Окси, что ты оттуда уехала. Ну не могу я тебя представить сидящей на табуретке и жующей собственные сопли: "Как долго я тебя искала! Как долго я тебя искала!" Какой же это булшыт, ну просто противно! Хотя в целом фильм не плохой и я много нового узнала из вашей истории советского периода. А что ещё интересненького из русского у тебя есть посмотреть?"_  http://uainfo.org/blognews/403433-fi...merikanki.html

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