February 9, 2006
A bit of an abbreviated column this week because it’s my birthday and I’m in Vancouver trying not to have a break down over the lack of my life’s direction.
But I’m still more than happy to tell you all I know about Russian cinema, which honestly isn’t that much. In the last few years only two films come to mind. The first is RUSSIAN ARK -- practically a gimmick film which is all one shot. But also it was pretty good. But Despite RUSSIAN ARK grossing $3 million in the US (which is respectable for a foreign art film), Aleksandr Sokurov’s films since then have not gotten US distribution.
In 2003, the festival world was a buzz with discussion of THE RETURN, which I have not seen. It swept the awards at Venice and won awards all over Europe. It was also nominated for a Golden Globe. Yet it was not widely released or recognized in the US.
A quick IMDB search of Russian films since 1998 yielded an intriguing list, largely made up of films I’ve never heard of. There were twelve films rated in the 7s and only one rated 8 (THE RETURN, of course). But I think this is very telling about the state of the industry, at least in the international world’s eyes. They make a couple of art films a year that make the festival rounds or get some distribution and they are largely 7’s. 7 isn’t bad, but it means ‘good’, not great.
At the beginning of cinema, Russia was a leader. Eisenstein (POTEMKIN) and Vertov (THE MAN WITH THE MOVIE CAMERA) were well ahead of their times, always innovating and impressing the world. What happened to the industry that spawned these men? Well, there was Soviet censorship (although both those men worked under it and created masterpieces). And after the fall of the USSR, many thought the industry would reinvent itself -- but both the industry and the people were too bankrupt and things actually got worse.
Since then, there’s really only been one man who’s well known on the international stage. ANDREI TARKOVSKY is a well respected auteur who created SOLYARIS, MY NAME IS IVAN and ANDREI RUBLEV among other great films. But he passed away twenty years ago and no other Russian name has become so well known since.
But now, it feels like they are starting to come to life again. And I think their saving grace will not be a couple art films a year that are 7s -- but entertaining, cult films that interest cinefiles all over the world. You guessed it, all this is just an intro to my review of NIGHTWATCH.
But before I get into NIGHTWATCH’s possible status as the savior of a nation’s cinema (although IMDB rates it a mere 6.3), let’s look to the future for a moment to see what can sustain the momentum that NIGHTWATCH has begun.
For a while now I’ve been hearing about the film MONGOL. It’s written and directed by Sergei Bodrov, who co-wrote one of Russia’s most successful outputs in recent years EAST-WEST. And like that film, this film is taking a multi-national approach. The film, with funding from several surrounding countries, will also feature several languages.
It will also have what most art films need to gain significant international attention -- an art house superstar. The film stars Japanese heartthrob Tadanobu Asano (ZATOICHI, ICHI THE KILLER). Honestly, it’s why I know about this film. I heard Asano was in it and I became interested. But whatever you can do to get your film attention....
I think it’ll be the next Russian film that will gain international attention. And like NIGHTWATCH it will gain the attention of the cult foreign film audience instead of just the art crowd. Speaking of which...
NIGHTWATCH
I’ve covered NIGHTWATCH in this column a few times before and I’m starting to feel like a cheerleader. Don’t worry, the movie is pretty good, but I fear I’m making expectations too high. But here we go again, a review, and I’ll try to be as even handed as possible.
NIGHTWATCH is directed by Timur Bekmambetov and based on the popular novels by Sergei Lukyanenko. The English version of the script was Laeta Kalogridis (ALEXANDER, Cameron’s upcoming BATTLE ANGEL).
This film is the first in a trilogy and really seems to mostly set up the other pictures. Hundreds of years ago there was a truce between the Light Ones and the Dark Ones. They are both ‘Others’ and each Other must choose a side. The Light Ones have created the Night Watch to keep an eye on the Dark Ones and the Dark Ones have created the Day Watch. You follow all that? (You’d think with the number of times I’ve covered this film I’d be able to explain all that more gracefully by now).
But now the balance will be broken when the ‘Great One’ appears. Which side this one picks will determine the future of all Others. Even though one side is called the Light and one the Dark the film does a great job of representing them both as good and flawed.
Our hero in this tale is Anton, who finds out he’s an other and choose the Light and begins working on Night Watch. As the film goes along, what begins as a normal shift of Night Watch gets more and more complicated and several seemingly unrelated elements begin to converge.
As Anton is Konstantin Khabensky, a charismatic every man. Evidently a well known and popular actor in Russia. I liked him from the beginning and I’ve seen the film a couple times now and he is one of my favorite parts of it.
The film is shot in a hip style with bright colors and inventive imagery. While parts of it are Hollywood-derivative it never loses it’s Russian soul. The film turns modern Moscow into a fantasy realm utilizing aspects of the city in creative ways.
There are a good amount of CG effects that look good enough to never distract you from the picture. Bekmambetov is a director who has worked with Roger Corman in the past, a fact which is both a benefit and a detriment to the film. He can make a dollar go a long way, but also can’t shake the B-movie feel. Although if the viewer accepts the B-movie aspects, they’ll probably be highly entertained.
NIGHTWATCH revels in Russian filmic innovations of crash cuts and montage which have all but left the other films that have trickled out in recent years. The last Russian film I saw in the theater, as noted, was RUSSIAN ARK, which I enjoyed, but was almost a parody of how far internationally known films from Russia have drifted from the mainstream. With it’s one shot, nostalgic subject matter and slow pace, it’s hardly a film for the common people.
NIGHTWATCH embraces Hollywood and revels in a kinetic and youthful energy. Some may see this commercial/music video style as a curse on any national cinema, but a thriving mainstream film industry can only help support a film industry as a whole.
The film has re-invigorated the Russian film industry, breaking box office records and grossing absurdly more than any Russian films before. And it’s gotten foreign film enthusiasts like me interested in the Russian film industry again.
Fox Searchlight, who has bought the film for distribution, also has the sequel DAY WATCH and the third film (presumably to be named DUSK WATCH like the book) will be filmed entirely in English and co-produced by Fox. They seem to be very excited about the trilogy’s prospects.
And of course, a quick note about the film's infamous subtitles. They try to do something different by working them in as part of the movie. The subtitles 'react' to the film, if you will. It's cute. Sometimes distracting. But more cute than anything. A worthwhile endeavor.
Early Russian/Soviet Cinema set the standard for the world. But since then, the film industry hasn’t been able to regain this cutting edge creativity of it’s past. And NIGHTWATCH surely doesn’t break any new ground, it’s often derivative of popular Hollywood films. But it’s more about hope for the future. And this film gives me (and presumably a number of Russians) that.
Now is the time for a Russian cinema boom. The prime movie-goers in Russia are in their teens and twenties. They have no recollection of the Soviet past. That’s why this Hollywoood-influenced film with a Russian identity was so successful there. It’s not a perfect film, but it’s a great start. And I can only hope the other films in the trilogy only get better.
IN TWO WEEKS: Probably some talk about those Japanese films I keep getting e-mails about. Whoever I promised like a year ago that I’d review SAMURAI FICTION, tune in then.
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