Night Watch

To me this movie was just another movie that I have seen a hundred times here. I didn't notice very much about this movie because I was still shocked to see something that almost fits the description of a normal movie in the USA. I guess what I'm trying to say is I liked the fact that it was normal, but I didn't like the fact that it was exactly like every other fantasy movie I have seen. 

This movie seemed like it was just a mix of many movies that have been filmed here in the U.S.. Movies that came to mind when watching this movie were, The Matrix, any of The Lord of the Ring movies, the Underworld, and Mortal Kombat. 

The first thing I noticed in this film was the scene where he is killing the fetus. Maybe I'm just crazy but it almost exactly resembles the scene where Neo meets with the Oracle in the matrix. weird, something is successful in the United States...LETS STEAL IT AND TRY IT HERE.

Next, the fight scene at the beginning and in the end resembled the scenes in lord of the ring. everything from swordplay to the interesting details on the armor.

It is a vampire movie just like the Underworld and to me the storyline is the same. both sides, good and evil are chasing after one character because this character is the answer to their wildest dreams or something like that. 

All of the birds and lightning and tornado's and lords remind me of mortal kombat. I haven't seen that movie in quite some time though so that part of Night Watch was rather enjoyable for me

I also enjoyed the special effects....this is the first time in the term that we have seen a movie with some nice special effects.

The Return

I realized (as I sat at my desk procrastinating) that there are many similarities between Zvyagintsev's film and many of the Tarkovsky films. Many of the shots in todays film (The return) seemed to mimic the shots of Tarkovsy's Mirror. The first shot that is similar is in the second scene when Ivan's mom is sitting on the porch smoking all alone. She seems to have a concerned look on her face just as the woman in Mirror did. Actually story line the first few scenes imitates Mirror exactly. That is, to say, both films have a father unexpectedly come home. Strangely enough, both films have a young boy flipping through an old picture book. I'm not sure if the shots of telephone poles were supposed to represent the tall crosses, that are in Tarkovsky's film, but seemed to resemble them nonetheless.

Each film also featured symbolism and contrasting images (at least it seemed this way to me). Throughout the entire movie there is a lot of the color blue. At first this seemed like a coincidence but as it kept reoccurring I started to think it must have meant something. While I was procrastinating I kept thinking about this blue color and the only thing that came to mind was water. In a strange way it seemed as if this was foreshadowing of what was to become of the father. It always seemed like he was surrounded by blue (an example of this would be the bedroom in one of the opening scenes because everything was blue). It is curious that he was always surrounded by blue because he ended up in the bottom of a blue ocean.

One other example of symbolism that I feel was rather prominent was the birds. I could not get the image of the dead Sea Gull out of my head because it just didn't make sense. This was the case until I remembered the scene when they are on the dock having fun. I mean the scene where Andrey gets out of the car to take pictures of the water and his surroundings. While this is happening the father is doing something unknown and Ivan is playing (or spying) with the father's binoculars. In one of the binocular shots Ivan is looking at all of the birds flying around, very much alive. These contrast the dead Gull (obviously because one is alive and one is dead). I feel that this was supposed to serve as a warning for what would happen on that beach eventually. The bird appears to have simply fallen out of the sky and not returned just as the father falls and does not live.

One more question...What was with the metal box?

Brother

I have to admit that I found myself feeling very surprised during today's film. It was everything that I have been hoping to see during a film in our class. What I mean to say is... this film was full of action, violence, guns, and even some explosions. On top of all of the action rests a story of Danila who, in my opinion, has many characteristics that give him the right to be called a hero. I realize that this is a big statement considering Danila is a gangster. 

Danila gets into the habit of killing for money. I don't think the violent actions are meant to be approved by the audience. However, I do think that he was killing because he was led to believe that he was killing to make St. Petersburg a safer place. I think that he had good intentions and did not realize that he was killing people and that was wrong. It is for this reason that I believe Balabanov (the director) did a good job getting viewers to realize how dangerous St. Petersburg was and how hard it was to live there. The fact that Danila is killing because he wants to make it safer makes him different from other mobsters.

I would like to take just a second to touch on the filming aspect of Brother. Prior to today I had the idea in my head that film techniques in Russia were different than that of American films. Today's film had still camera shots that moved smoothly from one shot to the next unlike most films we have watched. The majority of the movies that we have watched have had camera's that move; it is just that the movements felt rushed which almost gave me an uneasy feeling because my eyes did not have enough time to take in the whole scene as the camera moved across it. This is perhaps what I liked most about the film Brother.

Vera Vera weird

I have to say that the film Little Vera was my least favorite of all of the films so far. I mean, sure I understand that it is the concept of a rebellious young girl in Russia. I simply did not feel that it was necessary to have some of the scenes in the movie. An example would be the sex scenes...the message had already been given to the viewer that Vera liked to sleep around. I also did not like the ending because it leaves us hanging. Like, what happened to the father? and what was up with Viktor and why was his profession and personal life so mysterious. These are just some of the reasons that I did not appreciate this movie.

Moscow=NO BELIEVE TEARS

I found the film Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears to be shockingly similar to Irony of Fate. I fell that it is very interesting that the main couple in each of these films met only by chance. I have begun to realize that popular Russian films are the ones that portray what many people hope for. It is, as it has been for ages, to find true love. Both of these films have a storybook ending. What I mean to say is that they both end with someone falling in love and living happily ever after. Both films also have a character that seems to mess everything up for a short period of time. This character is usually the one that triggers an argument which leads to short term separation between the main couple. As of right now I am convinced that our class could make a famous Russian film by simply telling a love story which features a random meeting between the two lovers (we would also need a character that attempts to stop the progressing romance).

The Jam Session

Today I wish to focus more on the pre-movie class time because Friday's writing assignment will be focused on Ivan's Childhood. I enjoyed listening and singing to B-2 today in class. It was nice to have a change of pace, I mean to say that the somewhat silly classroom activity got me more interested in the Russian culture. Recently my friends and I have begun playing Singstar (which is basically karaoke) and we enjoy every second of it. In a sense, class today was like karaoke...we sang, laughed, and had a great time. To top all of these things off, we were learning another language which is possibly the best starter when attempting to learn about another culture. 

The music in today's film was more apparent than in the film Mirrors. It, unlike the music in mirrors, added many emotions/feelings that would not have been felt without music. A prime example of music aiding in the feelings of viewers is when Katasonov and Galtsev are attempting to escape in the boat. The loud random chords got my heart pumping and I imagined that this is what I would experience in a situation like this. So, in a sense, the music of the film was chosen very carefully because it gave me the feeling that I was right there with them as they were escaping.

The Mirror

As I viewed this film I couldn't help but wonder what was going through Tarkovsky's mind. I could not decide whether there was one story with multiple plots or many different stories. I thought about this for a while, as I was about to come to a conclusion I was given an answer that I agree with. I believe that the woman was both the mother and the wife.

I also feel that the color movie switched  to black and white during dreams. I just got a funny feeling, every time this transition happened, that I was witnessing something from the past. Of course they could have also been epiphanies. Either way I feel that it was not a part of the present time in the movie.

Ballad of a Soldier

In the film Ballad of a soldier the viewer experiences a harsher truth of war. It is hard for me to imagine having to do whatever it takes to make the country a better, safer place, for others. It was a real "eye opener" when I realized that a soldier would be extremely lucky to even say hello to his mother, even if it was for only a minute. I didn't learn to much about war but I have learned to appreciate the time that I get to spend with my family and friends because I can not be to sure that I will see them tomorrow.

Ivan the Terrible, Part One

I feel that todays film has given me a better understanding of how Russia began its transformation into what it is today. I really like how the film portrays the difficulties that Ivan faced once named the tzar of Russia. I could not believe how consistent the Boyar's were in attempting to ruin Ivan. As of right now, in the film, he is willing to do anything to deny the Boyar's power. This leads to many interesting/entertaining scenes depicting the determined Ivan stopping the boyar's. Ivan did what he thought was best for the motherland, however, I felt that he was somewhat cruel(maybe pushing evil??) if he needed to be. It seemed to get worse as he gained more power. It got so bad that he was willing to rid the Boyars of their houses just because they would not do what he wanted them to. I am interested to see what happens to Ivan the Terrible in part two because I do not know the story.

Burnt and it Hurts

The film Burnt by the Sun does a very nice job depicting what life was like for a citizen of Russia during the 1930's. I believe that this film was directed towards Russian audiences. It reminds viewers that they need to be very thankful for what they have. We are reminded many times that there were people like Kotov who did everything they possibly  could to protect the motherland (Russia). He dreams of a world that is safer and more enjoyable for his daughter. 

Burnt by the Sun also does a very good job portraying peoples attitude's toward one another during the 1930's. It seemed as if no one could be trusted. A prime example of this is Mitya. Mitya was trusted and loved by everyone in Kotov's family. He betrayed them eventually leading to the death of Kotov and the imprisonment of Marusia and Nadya. In the film it lead to his own death from self guilt, however I do not know if this actually took place.

Circus

Alexandrov's Circus was a very unique film. It wasn't exactly a thrilling fun movie for the first half. In fact, there wasn't anything that caught my attention until the main circus event scenes (the cannon ones). I enjoyed these scenes because I got the feeling I was sitting in a circus tent watching the performance. I give Alexandrov credit for this, however I was not impressed by the love story (because it was far too predictable). 

One thing that I found interesting was the mockery of the United States of America. This film would have been an eye opener for citizens of the U.S. for it stated that they are supposedly the free country of the world yet they continue to allow segregation. It was clearly bragging because Russia is a very diverse country and it continues to accept people no matter what their skin color was.

Chapaev

The film Chapaev is one of war that depicts one of the battles between the Red's and the White's during the Russian civil war. To me it seemed quite comedic at times because of the random acts of madness from commander Chapaev. Things such as threatening people because the will not agree to his ridiculous requests. These semi-crazy acts continue until Commissar Furmanov intervenes. Somehow he gets Chapaev to realize that the things he is doing need to change. Viewers witness a transformation in General Chapaev through the film. He is changed from a somewhat grumpy evil man, into a kind hearted hero.

To me there are three characters in the film that deserve to be called hero's. The three characters are General Vasily Ivanovich Chapaev, Commissar Furmanov, and Petka. 

I feel that Chapaev is a hero because he transformed from a grumpy mean man into someone who does what he does to help others. In the final fight scene (for example) he tells the others to flee to the next town while he stayed to hold off the white army. Of course this was not entirely heroic... the general did this because of his ego, saying "Chapaev never retreats."

When General Chapaev said this Petka carried him out of the building that was literally falling to the ground. Petka also stayed behind with the general after he was told to leave. He knew that the general had a much better chance surviving if he helped fend off the enemy. It is for these reasons that I feel Petka deserves to be called a hero.

Last but not least, I believe that Commissar Furmanov deserves to be called a hero because of the changes he influenced throughout the film. He was responsible for returning the stolen goods to the peasants. He somehow managed to get the general to realize he needed to change his ways. These and many other acts of kindness came from Commissar Furmanov or someone that he influenced.

The Unique Style of Vertov

Man with the Movie Camera is perhaps the most unusual film that I have ever seen. The previous statement was not in any way criticism because Vertov was brave enough to venture into a realm of film making that had not been seen before. I am unaware of the impact it had on early viewers. It is easy to imagine them scared or confused for the film is still extremely intense (because many of the things that are shown are so unbelievable even today). However I would like to give the director (Vertov) credit for attempting to create a universal language through film. It may have been a bit unsuccessful but if a consistent attempt were to be made, I feel that it would be possible to "create" a universal language through film.

I personally prefer to watch films like Eisenstein's. I say this because there is a plot and a story line. Yes, the Man with the Movie Camera was interesting to watch for a little while. I just felt that I was seeing pointless shots over and over again. I feel that movies need a story line because otherwise the film does not go anywhere (Of course this is a personal preference). I (once again) prefer films like Eisenstein's but that does not mean I feel Vertov's film was lacking importance. Man with the Movie Camera is a unique film that will not be a forgotten movie in Russian Cinema.

Battleship's Say BOOM!!!!!

Today there seemed to be only one thing that needed to be commented on. The camera angles in the film for today gave the silent film a new spark. The films that were observed on Wednesday were not as easy for me to follow because the camera stood still virtually the whole time. By using different shots the director (Eisenstein) is able to have a much larger set for the film which results in a more attentive audience (at least in our class). 

Eisenstein also played with good and evil a little bit in this film. he did a very nice job of distinguishing between the good guys and the bad guys by simply having one wear white and the other wear a dark color. Of course, in a black and white film, the only thing that can be observed in this aspect are shades. The essence of different shades of clothing truly made this film easier to follow for me as a viewer.

The one minor disappointment for me was that the big guns were not fired. This film had the potential for a very good fight scene in the end, it is sad that this was not pursued. I understand that this scene would require more money in a budget but... boys will be boys(I still wish there was an explosion).  

Silent Films

Silent films are definitely in a league of their own when it comes to the experience one has watching them. A very good attention span is needed to truly enjoy a silent film because it is very easy to miss something (most likely from the lack of words). It was hard for me to follow The 1002nd Ruse because my mind wanders so easily and I found myself staring at my Coke bottle instead of the movie screen which, unfortunately, left me in a state of confusion for the remainder of the film. It  is for this (and only this) reason that I feel films with sound are easier to follow which could give them the advantage. However, I found myself paying more attention to the details in each scene for there were no words so one of my senses was essentially eliminated. I mean that my eyes were more attentive because I did not need to focus on hearing anything. So I personally like movies with sound but films without it seem to credit the crew and their film making skills.

The first movie of the class has concluded. I feel that the movie was a great starter for, what looks to be, an amazing term. I am beginning to realize how lucky I am to be a part of this class. Why?... because I get to watch movies!! I am beginning to understand how important it is to view films from another culture (such as Russia) because films give the audience a broader view of a country that books can. Of course, the book written by Peter Kennez is essential to our understanding of Russian culture as well. Our reading today gave me a short history of how film making started. I find it very interesting that France seemed to be the leader of film production in its earliest stages. This is somewhat comical to me (not sure why). It is also funny that France seemed to invade the Russian film industry. This did not seem right to me and I am glad that Russia took over their own industry.