Burnt by the Sun
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Movie Reviews of Burnt by the Sun
Movie Review: 'Everyone was burnt by the sun of the Bolshevik Revolution'
Summary: 5 Stars
Clearly one of the most visually stunning, intelligent, sophisticated films about life in Russia during the Stalinist years, BURNT BY THE SUN is an experience all lovers of fine filmmaking should see. Directed and starring Nikita Mikhalkov who also co-wrote the screenplay with Rustam Ibragimbekov, this film allows us entry into the inside stories of Russia under Stalin. It is an emotionally devastating tale.
On the grounds of his dacha in 1936 revolutionary hero Colonel Kotov (Nikita Mikhalkov) cavorts in his sauna with his young daughter Nadya (Nadezhda Mikhalkova) and his elegantly beautiful young wife Marusia (Ingeborga Dapkunaite). Outside on the lawn is the rest of Kotov's family in a peaceful, sun-drenched summer garden, drinking, singing, and blissfully enjoying life in the country. On the vast horizon is a group of men assembling a balloon to honor Stalin, and a group of army tanks treads onto the wheat fields threatening to destroy the crops. The townsfolk workers run for Kotov to rescue the situation, underlining the fact the Kotov is their hero from the revolution, much loved and respected. Abruptly onto the scene comes the handsome young cousin Dimitri/Mitya (Oleg Menshikov), an ex-lover of Kotov's wife. He ingratiates himself with Nadia and the rest of the family as a pianist and singer, but there is a note of evil lurking. Kotov understands the threat that Mitya's arrival indicates, that he has been betrayed and has become one of the many to be purged by Stalin. But the life in the dacha remains leisurely and elegant until the fateful end when Mitya's mission is fulfilled. The film ends with phrases telling us about the destinies of Kotov and his family up to the end of the purge after Stalin's death.
The story is history: the telling is art. Blest with a cast of extraordinary luminosity, Nikita Mikhalkov directs this tale of repression with style and leisurely pacing, such as allowing for moments at table when one of the grandmothers sings an aria from Puccini's 'Madama Butterfly', an aria whose text foreshadows the future of the story. It is this contrast between the residual classy elegance of Russia before the revolution and the gritty reality of the cruelty of Stalinism that makes the film so resonant. The cinematography by Vilen Kalyuta and the musical score by Eduard Artemyev enhance the film immeasurably. In Russian and French with English subtitles. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, March 06
Movie Review: Emotional Shock
Summary: 5 Stars
I find a lot of reviews presented in this forum unsatisfactory. They either debate whether or not "Burnt by the Sun" deserved an Oscar or criticize the controversial figure of the film's director, Mikhalkov, his political stances, deficiencies, faults, etc. A few if any reviews talk about the emotional power of this picture, which affected me tremendously."Burnt by the Sun", or "Drained by the Sun" (a more accurate translation from Russian) has impressed me with its depth and subtle nuances in portraying people's inner psyche, their desires, fears, hopes and illusions. It is a very humane and cruel movie at the same time. It's hard if not impossible to choose sides, e.g. in the beginning I found myself sympathizing with Mitya, the antagonist, who was forced to leave his home, who lost the love of his life to Kotov but survived the horrors of wars, only to find out later for me that he is in fact just a merciless murderer and betrayer, burned out and empty as a carcass of the corpse, cynical enough to befriend and play with a six-year old daughter of his victim.
Starting with the opening scene, the movie grabbed my attention and never let go. A young, handsome man returns home to his apartment close to the heart of Soviet Russia - the Kremlin, exhausted, apathetic, and drained emotionally and physically. We presume that he is a big shot in a new Soviet government, for he has a big place all to himself and his French servant. He turns on the radio, doesn't answer the phone calls, pulls out his gun, and takes out all but one bullet. Classical Russian roulette. What is it that makes a man cross that line? Is it fear? Is it necessity? Is it the last escape before the path from which you cannot steer? Is it the last noble thing that you can do?.... <ok, I'm giving out too much here already..>
The movie is "heavy" for an average viewer, and, yes, it is somewhat hard to keep track of all characters and developments in the beginning. You'll have to go trough lots of innuendos, hints, and subtlety. But the ultimate shock in the end is worth the wait. It will leave you thinking about what is good and bad and about the entire spectrum of morality in between. It will teach you what a human tragedy really is. And, hopefully, it will leave you some room for hope. Which is what every great movie should do, anyway.
Movie Review: History has determined their tragic fate
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie is about the most desperate and tragic situation in the human life. This is when our life is determined by external forces. Even the most basic form of happiness - being with you family, enjoying your child - were often impossible in the Russia of Stalin.
Sometimes I think about people who were borne 20 years before World War II in Germany, Poland or Russia. I wonder whether they had a feeling that the life was extremely unfair to them. The feeling that your fate was determined by the time you were borne in, and that you couldn't do anything at all to somehow change it. If Mitya, Kotov and Marusya would not die then, they would have to wait for 50 years to be able to truly understand what happened to them and who was to blame for it.
I was puzzled why Mitya picked up the phone and agreed to arrest Kotov. Why didn't he stop his suffering immediately, as he knew that he had no other option than ruining lives of the people he loved. Was it his hatred towards Kotov and the opportunity to take revenge for being expelled for 10 years? Was it the last hope that his love to Marusya would reverse her marriage?
After watched the film again I decided that he knew from the offset there was no way out. Mitya went to his old home because he wanted just one thing - to say farewell to his dream that the old times would ever return. The dream that made him betray his comrades in the 20th, and come back from France in the 30th.
Movie Review: A Great Tragic Masterpiece by Mikhalkov
Summary: 5 Stars
Stalin....was there anyone in the Soviet Union, during the 30's, who's life was not ruined or touched by tragic events, to some degree, in his relentless cleansings and purges? I seriously doubt it. Here we have a truly great film masterpiece by Nikita Mikhalkov...that of General Serfei Kotov, a great hero of the revolution. He has always tried to live like and ideolize himself as a true upstanding communist and respected revolutionary war hero. He is with his family at his dacha, where other guests are present, vacationing, also. However, his bucholic lakeside "visit" moves from one of restful bliss to sheer and utter terror as he realizes he has become another victim of Stalin's supreme spying league. Interwoven are other details and bits of the lives of other characters. Absolutely one of the most beautifully filmed movies ever committed to film (think of the photography of "Days of Heaven")... just breathtaking to look at. The nature of the story makes it somewhat hard to discuss, in review here, without giving away more than one should, and I do not intend to make this review a "Spoiler". Just trust me, it's a "keeper". (I love this film so much, that I replaced my VHS tape with Laserdisc, and then my Laserdisc with the DVD release...if it wasn't really great, believe me, I would not have kept upgrading a copy of it.)
......Another little nudge here would be "Kolya"....get it and watch it, also! It's wonderful.
Movie Review: Worth Every Minute
Summary: 5 Stars
If you don't like to watch foreign films because of the subtitles, then you're depriving yourself of great tales such as this one. Every minute the viewer gives to this film is more than repaid.
Under the rays of a Stalinist sun, a story of tragic heroism becomes illuminated against the "fertile" landscape of communist Russia. The threads of a few seemingly disconnected lives weave together to provide a portrait of characters in various stages of maturity: the pitiful self-destructive bitterness of a talented young man, the guarded confusion of a young wife preoccupied with doubt, the grace under fire of an anti-hero learning to accept and savor life, and the innocent precocity of a little girl caught in the middle of it all. The stark brevity of the language, which is utilized masterfully by an excellent cast, lends a heartbreaking poetry to the backdrop of a "common wealth" among comrades. The director then brings this script to life with scenery choices and visual tricks that would make any baby filmmaker drool. All in all, this was one of the films that helped to form me as an artistic person, and I am certain that it will move anyone who draws breath.