pgmatg

Is anyone interested in talking about Russian Cinema?
If you are, what are your favorite films? actors? directors?
My favorites:
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

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

War:
Александр Невский / Alexander Nevsky
Баллада о солдате / Ballad of a Soldier
Брат / Brother
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:
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

Norm de Plume

Russia has a great, but limited, cinematic heritage. My faves (in no order):
I am Cuba (1964)
Come and See (1985)
Stalker (1979)
Solaris (1972)
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964)
Prisoner of the Mountains (1996)
Mother and Son (1997)
Man with the Movie Camera (1929)

Psychlowne

I have a question about Man with the Movie Camera. Does anyone know of a DVD release of the film that contains the soundtrack composed by "The Cinematic Orchestra?" If so, please let me know. Region is not an issue.

By the way, good thread. I'll definitely check some of these out!

Poink

http://www.ninjatune.net/ninjashop/i...de=ZEN78#ZEN78

That has the PAL (Region 2, I guess?) version only. Ninja Tune are pretty good with their mail order, since theyll throw in 3 or 4 free CDs with orders, so go with them if the PAL release is the only one you can get your hands on. I ordered the Region 1/NTSC one from Amazon.com last summer when it was released, but it's not available on there now for some reason.

So anyways, it exists, but might be a tad hard to get depending on your preference on Region.

pgmatg

Norm de Plume, what do you mean by "limited cinematic heritage"?
Just in my reference catalog ther more then 3000 titles (in USA).
And I'm also working on Russian Movies DataBase,
which will conatain info on around 15000 films.
I'm glad that you are aware of Russian Cinema,
but there are more great Russian movies then
from the usual film student list by Amazon.
Check some of the movies I mentioned before,
all of them available on DVD with english subtitles.

Giantrobo

I've been interested in seeing the original SOLARIS since the remake came out and since I spotted the Criterion disk at TOWER RECORDS.

I also know the one legged(only on the show)blonde Russian cutey from The Sopranos is supposed to be a well respected actress in Russia. I've also been wanting to catch some of her Russina movies.

Norm de Plume

What's the film student list at Amazon? Never heard of it. I'm just a film aficionado. I own over 200 film reference books, and, having pored over those vast and arcane resources through the years, I have inferred, perhaps erroneously, that the Russian film industry is fairly small. I pursue only movies that are well regarded and that sound interesting to me, not just anything and everything. I'm sure there are many good Russian films yet to discover. Acknowledging the smiley face, I do find your last sentence quoted herein condescending. I'm more than merely aware of the Russian film industry, and I didn't happen upon it as a film student. I have seen many more Russian films than just those I listed.

pgmatg

Norm, didn't mean to insult you, sorry.
There is a student list of Russian films at Amazon.
But what I meant is that your list is the list of Russian "classics",
that everyone that is not from Russia, is giving.
And almost always consist of rather stern dramas.
I'm not knocking them down, those movies are great.
But it just gets to me that it's usually contains
films by Tarkovsy, Sokurov, Eisenstein & few others.

Giantrobo, on my site I have some rent links, including Solaris,
TOWER RECORDS foreign collection tend to be expensive.

Giles

the multi-country produced East-West features my favourite Russian actor, the sadly now-deceased Sergei Bodrov Jr. in a wonderful role.

Also check out the astonding 2003 Russian film The Return (Vozvrashcheniye) from new director: Andrei Zvyagintsev. Kino distribution is slowly releasing this film nationwide in the coming months.

I am very much looking forward to another 2003 film entitled Koktebel this Friday at DC's International FilmFest, word is that this new film is another example of the resurrection and resurgence of classic Russian filmmaking.

Aleksandr Sokurov's follow up to Mother and Son, Father and Son is also another film that is scheduled for a summer release.

Early May see the AFI present a 70mm print of Sergei Bondarchuk's 511minute epic War and Peace - that I can't wait for!!!!

_______________________

Norm de Plume

Not a problemI'm sorry I overreacted. I like dark dramas, and avoid most comedies, other than Woody Allen and a select few others. Judging by the Russian films I've seen, Tarkovsky is clearly the best director to have come out of Russia, although he made at least one dud (The attractive but overwrought The Sacrifice), and a couple of films for which I don't really care, Ivan's Childhood, and Mirror (which was a stunning sensory experience, but impenetrable). I forgot to list Nostalgia in my original reply as one of my favourites.
As far as your point about directors being mentioned over and over, while others are neglected: I agree, but here in North America, the availability of Russian films is not great. Most of Paradjanov's work is available for video rental, but that's about as rare as it gets, generally. I would like to see several films by Alexei Gherman (Trial on the Road (1971), Twenty Days Without War (1976), My Friend Ivan Lapshin (1986), and Khrustalyov, My Car! (1996)). Nikita Mikhalkov is a good director; I liked Oblomov (1980), and have a couple of other movies by him on my to-see list. Letters from a Dead Man (1986, Konstantin Lopushansky) has been on my list for years, as has the apparent masterpiece The Ascent (1976, directed by Klimov's wife); the latter is stocked at one of the local cineaste video stores, but I haven't gotten down there to rent it yet.
I thought Kolya and The Thief were both fair, if a little too treacly.
Incidentally, anyone who hasn't seen the aforementioned "I am Cuba" is missing what is possibly the greatest visual feast in film history.

pgmatg

Norm, that was rather refreshing list of movies.
Just one thing, movie "Kolya" isn't actually Russian, even though the boy in it is.

PS: On my site I have rent links for some of the films.