Soviet Films

121. The Cranes Are Flying (1957) Kalatozov. WW II drama about 2 Moscow lovers Veronica and Boris. When war comes, Boris volunteers while Veronica awaits his return. A fast paced 97 minutes with some great acting and cinematography. The final sequence is heart breaking. Like "Ballad of a Soldier" I wished I had liked the characters more. They just seemed shallow despite the great acting and the plot is somewhat melodramatic. Perhaps if I spoke Russian they would been more engaging. Still very enjoyable Rating *** 


129. Ballad of a Soldier (1960) Chukhrai. After destroying 2 enemy tanks a young Russian soldier goes on a 4 day leave to visit his mother. The movie focuses on the trip home and the various people the soldier meets. Pros: The lead actor is fine, the film is humanistic (at times heart rendering), and the cine-photography striking. Cons; Some characters were stereotypes, too much melodrama; and some bad supporting acting. Also, the beginning scene was simply silly, with our hero outrunning 2 German tanks. Summary: I wish I'd liked it more - but definitely above average. Rating ***

122. Man with a Movie Camera (1929) Vertov. Fascinating silent movie documentary documenting urban life in the USSR. I assume its Moscow ( & maybe another city?). Doesn't tell a story, more like "one day in the life of Moscow." Of course, the "darker side" of socialist Moscow is not emphasized - so the movie is upbeat. Being a history nerd, I found the film fascinating - but I doubt the general public would care. Rating **1/2

183. Que Viva Mexico (1931) - Eisenstein's Documentary/Story about Mexico. Some great individual scenes (the Bullfight scene was very well done) but any semblance to the real Mexico is completely coincidental. The first part is a surrealistic Soviet view of Mexican history & its people. The second part a laughable Mexican Peasants vs. Nasty Bourgeois. The 3rd part is about "dia de finados" An interesting oddity Rating **

130. I am Cuba (1964) Kalatovoz. Four unrelated stories show the decadence and corruption of Batista Cuba and the rise of the Revolution. This movie has several things going for it, the cine-photography is simply fantastic, especially the shots of the Cuba countryside, the opening sequence, and the pool party. And some scenes are also interesting including the firebombing of the drive-in and the story of the Cuban prostitute. However, the last two stories about the armed struggle in the hills and streets of Havana are simply boring and the "action" scenes badly done. The "fire hose" sequence has to be one of the worst I've ever seen. Overall, this a simplistic communist propaganda film with bad dialogue and worse acting. But I give it an average rating for the great cine-photography. Rating **