Brother

This was by far the best film we have watched so far. It really captured the lifestyles in Russia at that time which was really interesting to see portrayed on screen. The way Danila shows up and basically takes over St. Petersburg within a week. He is so calm cool and collected it leads me to believe that he was not just based at HQ when he was a in the army. Also all the homemade flash grenades and nail shot gun shells are quite impressive for someone who pushed papers around in the war.
Someone who intrigued me the most was "the German," Nemets. Even though Danny is the one who kind of gets his feet back on the ground yet Nemets turns into somewhat of a father figure to him towards Danny. He warns Danny of what people that lead his lifestyle end up like and at the end of the movie Danny takes his advice. He takes over St. Pete's...then headed to Moscow.

So moscow doesnt cry...they didnt show that

This is the perfect love triangle, where the hell are they going with this kind of movie that we (western film viewers) love to see. I enjoyed how the film had two parts to the film to with the 15 year jump to kind of through us off and see if we could piece it back together. It makes me think about what all the people i know are going to be like in 15 years

Mirror

I got so mad at this movie. I was trying so hard just to put it together, relate the scenes, and it was nearly impossible for me. What I actually did was wiki the movie and tried to make some sense of it. It said that it was loosely autobiographical and that he mixed childhood memories with his fathers poems then threw in som old news clips. Im sure if we studied the film more we could make some sense of it yet I feel it would take a very long time.

Ballad of a Soldier

This movie reminded me of Saving Private Ryan for some odd reason. Not that it was the best war movie ever like SPR or anything like that but the way the story line was. The progression of traveling during war and the conditions endured. What made this different from other epic war films like Saving Private Ryan or Thin Red Line was that there was very little glorification of the soldier as in other war films. The only part really was in the very beginning after he beat the tanks by himself, other than that there were no other fight scenes. Also, I am not sure if this accurate, but I do not think they show any soviet soldier casualties.
What I liked though is that Alyosha was someone that was able to relate to any soldier really. He is just a young man wanting to go home. It's not like there were American, German, Japanese, etc soldiers that wanted to do the same.
During his travel when he meets Shura it was obvious that they were meant to fall in love. But whats interesting is that in a time that is so restless and worrisome that there is a possibility to find love.

what?

Today felt like everything was forced. That they almost had to say glorious things now that they could use sound. Personally I think that Eisenstein's silent was better than this one.
What i did find relavent though is that Russia was portrayed as the best nation around and when this film came out it was definitely the mind set that the soviets were trying to drive into the minds of its citizens.

Burnt by the sun

So I found myself actually a little sad when Kotov, a communist, was taken away by Mitya, a KGB, member. It was weird how someone that we know by his title and his residence would not normally mix well with our beliefes. Yet he was shown as just a simple man who stood strong for his town and family. What's not to love about that.
What I would like to mention thought is the guy driving around looking for that one town that nobody has heard of. I think he is put in the movie to shoe hat in a contry that is though of as so structured and organized when it comes to an individual it is very obviuos that it is extremly easy to be lost and left behind. It is like he's the black sheep in society.
I do not think the russians wwould be prou when this movie was made that their country acted like this. I feel an international audience would find the movie much more entertaining. For so long there were so many secrets on what exactly went on inside the closed off country. Ans espescially at the end when it was revealed that this was based on a true story it really hit me hard at least that something like this could happen to someone who is jsut doing their job and then also take the family away as well too.
Also at the end when they say it was dedicated to all those who were burnt by the sun during the revolution. In the film I now realized that when the sun was around something bad was going to happen due to the communist government. It is also interesting that while at the beach or riverbank or whatever Kotov kind of forshadows that the military will be coming by when him and Nadya are on the boat when he tells Marusia to cathc some sun.

circus

Circus was not a particularly breathtaking film for me. Although I did enjoy the introduction to singing as a main theme to the movie. I feel it was in a weird way the only way they got a point across. It felt they were just rambling and just trying to tie songs together to make a story line.
It was interesing the way the russians portrayed an american in their film. I was expecting maybe a dumb selfish girl yet they actually praised her, even when they found out her secret about her prioir love life. Yet they use her accemptence as almost black mail to state that they are such a great nation to breath so free in a nation that loves all children
Its also very obviuos why Isham pointed out to us that Stalin enjoyed this movie. Mainly because there was 5 minutes "Stalin is God" time at the end of the movie, which totally killed it for me. Was the director really trying to kiss this much ass to the powerful leader. This to me is a good example why Stalins beliefes did not survive, the way to live was forced into the daily lives of his people.

chapaev

Today's film, Chapaev, was very simiular to the war and western movies that we are used to. It was almost like I have seen so many films like this before i could have guessed that Chapaev was going to die but his glory and beliefes would live on. This also the reason that he is so successful in winnning over the Russian public. He is brave, strong, and willing to work and fight for. It came really aparent that he was like that to me when he was in the rafters with Petka and Anka and tells them to leave and go on with out him. Earlier we see Chapaev get a little personal with the couple when he tells them what a great life they are going to have with eachother. Almost like he can relate, that he too had love in his life but maybe the military wouldn't allow love or he had to move on without her. Going back to the rafters he is very simpathetic and seems that he wants to live his yerning for love through the couple. Yet Petka cannot not let his teacher and guider fight alone so I think it was very brave and Chapaev like to send her off and go back and fight.
Comparing this movie to Battleship Potemkin I feel that this was by no means as byist or like a propaganda as B.P. was. It was more for entertainment and did not portray the enemy as harsh as B.P. did. The sound in the film also played a huge role in the development of the story. NO longer was sounds of instruments played but now sounds that the audience could relate to and were familiar with were now in harmony with what is on screen. I do not think that this film could be portrayed as inspirational without the sound. I Chapaev is not nearly the leader he would be if he was not able to speak his mind.
Overall it was definitly a very original film at the time that seems to have paved the way for films of the future. It would be interesting to see how many directors found inspiration from Chapaev.

Slide Show

This movie was obviously not we were used to seeing. I found myself questioning ots reason yet very drawn to it. I mean it was the silent movie form of Seinfeld; a movie about nothing yet you have to watch it. It sin it as struck me as a documentary yet I could also see an action or adventure as well. The scenes of when he was standing on a car that has a pure metal frame with a wood body flying around corners. not gunna lie, that was pretty amazing. The shots of the athlets were probably the most impresive for me because i thought of sportcenter. Really, showing sports with music in the background is like my morning routine.
With that though I dont really think that there was a point of view of the movie. I really feel the view was indifferent. They made a movie because they could it seems like.
This is also why it is hard to compare Vertov's and Eisentein films just because of the type of films they are. I feel they are comparable in the fact that the scenes are short yet very full and utelized to express a full scene.
I would actually want to watch a see another film by him

revolution!

What a jump from yesterday's films. Today we had action and adventure. I totally agree and now deeply appreciate the introduction of the montage technique in this film. It is very apparent that Sergei Eisenstein was quite revolutionary with the way he made his films. In comparison to the films yesterday it clearly showed. The management of his characters was perfect. everyone helped to create the scene while yesterday we had our main characters and then it was just like some extras were thrown in there to fill the background.
As we watched further into the film i realized this is the famous scene of Odessa Staircase Sequence. Last year, my senior, I was in a film studies class and we studied this scene. Its impressive in the fact that it shows, on the verge of a revolution, the laborers trying to work their way up, up the stairs yet the military opressing them from the top.
Also I could be totally wrong but i believe my teacher said last year this was the first time that a camera was placed on a track to film a scene. Like i said i could be totally wrong and please tell me if I am.
Nonetheless I can see and totally agree that this movie wasa quite inovative for its time and really paved the way movies as we know it.

The good ole days

So today was quiet to say the least. It really puts today's technology into perspective when there are myths of people running out of the theatre when they see a train coming at them on a screen. I probably would have been a little taken back too. What was really interesting to see is the purity of peoples emotions when a shot was being taken at various cities. They were able to capture peoples curiosity of the camera along with the people just going about their everyday lives. Today if anyone sees themselves in the view of the lens we must get on our cell phone and call a friend and then wave are arms like were flagging down a rescue ship. I enjoyed those document films greatly.
I can't say the first acted films really awed me. There was just so much over acting. I understand that with the lack of sound they must really exagerate their actions but it felt really fake pretty much the whole time. I guess it would have kept people on the edge of our seats and probably myself if i were there as well.
Evgeni bauer in my opinion is a brilliant director. His ability to keep a storry going using no sound and minimal subtitles really shocked me. In all three films was I never like what is going on or like why are these people doing this right now. I could only imagine if he had the technology today what he would be able to produce.

End of film...Irony of fate, or enjoy your bath

So this was a very different film. I was not sure what to expect when this started. Right away with the school house rock type cartoon it threw me off. I thought it was going to be some sort of anti-government/communist film that would be super controversial. Then we meet this really shy, weird, older, guy, who still lives with his mom and haves her make this huge meal for him and his girlfriend. That struck me really wierd. I don't know if it is a culture thing or what but is it really a shocker that this guy is still single? It was pretty obviuos from the beginning that thay Zhenya was going to have some women problems though. The cliche happy go lucky couple in the beginning never stays that way for a whole film.
What i thought was really odd was the way russia celebrates the new year. I know we talked about it in class but they were really pushing it with the trees and decorations. It was very unexpected.
Something that really annoyed me in the film was the 20 minute scene of someone constantly knocking and interupting Zhenya and Nadya while they are trying to figure out if they are going to be together or not. I guess that was the purpose to build the suspense but still it was a bit much. Other than that though the length of the film did not really bother me. I think it flowed very well and it had minimal unneccesary scenes and the story was very interesting, kept us guessing, and funny.

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