Russian Films & Filmmakers

A subforum to discuss film culture and criticism.
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miless
Joined: Sat Apr 01, 2006 9:45 pm

#51 Post by miless » Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:45 pm

I thought that The Return was brilliant. It was beautifully shot, meticulously composed and very emotionally enthralling. The most intriguing thing about the film, however, is its overwhelming sense of mystery.

there are a few trailers on youtube for The Banishment, but my particular favorite of these is this one. it has some amazing cinematography, but doesn't really reveal much of the story.

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

#52 Post by zedz » Wed Aug 20, 2008 5:57 pm

The Banishment is more in the same vein as The Return, so if you liked that you should be very satisfied. Zvyagintsev certainly has a great eye, and he's got terrific formal mastery and real confidence as a young filmmaker. I did find the film tailed off a little in the final half hour when it became less about atmosphere and mystery and more about plot resolution. This was compounded by the, in my opinion, rather weakly conceived central female character, who seemed more a receptacle for plot than a convincing creation in her own right. Nevertheless, a must-see on the big screen.

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thirtyframesasecond
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 1:48 pm

#53 Post by thirtyframesasecond » Thu Aug 21, 2008 8:32 am

I thought The Banishment was a bit slight in comparison with The Return and with a significantly longer running time. It's as if Zvyagintsev was unable to reach a satisfactory conclusion because he could have done so a lot quicker. Despite its flaws, in many ways it's a great piece of work. I'd call it a slight misstep, but nothing that makes you doubt that Zvyagintsev is an interesting film maker.

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Oxnard Montalvo
Joined: Mon Apr 03, 2017 3:41 pm

Re: Russian Films & Filmmakers

#54 Post by Oxnard Montalvo » Thu Feb 01, 2018 9:13 am

hey all, I have a question regarding Dark Eyes by Nikita Mikhalkov.

was Dark Eyes shot in full screen and cropped to 1.85:1? I only ask because the only DVDs available are in full screen but knowing how many Russian movies from that time were shot in 4:3, I couldn't help but wonder if they were cropped to widescreen for a more "cinematic" look when shown in theaters. some of the screenshots from the DVD show a lot of space at the top and bottom of the frame suggesting all the DVDs are open matte. but I thought this would be the best place to check. thanks in advance!

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