Siberiade
I watched Siberiade long ago, and only once, in 1985 or ‘86 when Doordharsan telecasted it. Thereafter I wanted to watch it again but I was not that lucky. Although I watched it almost twenty years ago, still the beauty of its frames and the faces of its leading actors linger in my mind. And I think that makes it great. Nowadays we watch a lot of stupid action packed movies, and after two days we don’t remember the cast, the scenes, and even the storyline. Siberiade enchanted me, got into my bloodstream, so I love to place it as the best movie I have ever seen.
This movie was released in 1979 and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival.
It is about a small village in Siberian Russia whose history throughout most of the 1900s reflects that of Russia. The first generation in this small town concerns itself with building a road so they can travel to the rest of the world; the second generation works on perfecting its communist principles; and the third becomes obsessed with exploring oil on the land. The quest for oil leads to the destruction of an ancient cemetery, which symbolizes the loss of Old Russian culture and tradition for the sake of financial gain.
The climax scene is the success of oil exploration in Siberia. However, there is an explosion, in which the hero is killed. The fire catches on the nearby cemetery and there follows the surrealistic finale. All the people buried (including the deceased characters in the story) come out running as each tomb catches fire. It’s a great scene superbly photographed and directed. The emotional thrust is reverberating. Don’t hesitate to watch this movie if you ever come across a copy. You won’t regret it.
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky
I don’t remember the names of the actors but I remember their faces.
The Last Emperor
This movie was released in 1987. It won nine Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, best screenplay, and best cinematography.
It’s about the life of Henry Pu Yi, the last emperor of China. Pu Yi was the nephew of the previous emperor and was chosen to succeed to the throne in 1908 by the Empress Dowager Cixi. The Republican Revolution of 1911 ended imperial power in China and Pu Yi was forced to abdicate in 1912. For some years the Republican government allowed Pu Yi to stay in the Imperial Palace in the Forbidden City, in Beijing, where many servants pampered the child, although he was a virtual prisoner of the new government. At 16, following the imperial tradition, Pu Yi married two women, but his concubine divorced him nine years later and his wife died of illness. In 1924 he was forced from the palace. Pu Yi moved to the Japanese concession in Tianjin, an area of the city under Japanese control. In 1932 he accepted a Japanese offer to become chief executive of Manchukuo, which became a Japanese puppet state. In 1934 Pu Yi was crowned emperor K’ang Te. In 1945, following the Japanese defeat in World War II, a Soviet army unit captured Pu Yi in Manchukuo. The Soviets transferred him to a prison in Communist China, where he was taught to look after himself and to be of some use to the new society. He was pardoned in 1959. He spent the last eight years of his life as a gardener in Beijing.
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Actors Characters
John Lone Henry Pu Yi as an adult
Joan Chen Wan Jung, ’’Elizabeth’’ (His wife)
Peter O’Toole Reginald Johnston (His teacher)
Wu Jun Mei Wen Hsiu (His concubine)
The acting of John Lone is a memorable one. He surpassed the real Pu Yi as Ben Kingsley did in the Gandhi film. It’s beautiful especially in the section as a prisoner. It arouses empathy.
The set is real and great though nowadays we are amazed by the virtual sets made by computer graphics.
I don’t want to comment on the photography, as anything that I write about it may diminish its real value.
The film altogether builds up catharsis. Of course, a great one.
Out of Africa
This movie was released in 1985. It won seven Academy Awards, including best picture, best director, best writing, and best cinematography.
It is the dramatization of the life of Karen Blixen, who was later known as author Isak Dinesen, based on the books Out of Africa (1937) and other writings by Isak Dinesen; Isak Dinesen: The Life of a Storyteller (1982) by Judith Thurman; and Silence Will Speak (1985) by Errol Trzebinski. Meryl Streep stars as Karen Blixen. She marries Baron Bror Blixen-Finecke out of convenience and moves to Kenya to write and live as a plantation owner, hoping to escape the rigid European social structures of the time. She finds shortly that her husband is an irresponsible playboy. She meets and falls in love with adventurer Denys Finch Hatton and has an affair with him after she stays away from her husband. In addition to her romantic intrigues, Blixen also deals with several other dilemmas, including contracting venereal disease from her husband, life in Africa as a European outsider, and war. Her dream to raise a plantation fails when the new coffee harvest catches fire. Penniless, she sells her possessions and loses her lover in a plane crash before she returns to Denmark. Her farewell scene with her faithful servant Farah is an unforgettable one.
Director: Sydney Pollack
Actor Character
Meryl Streep Karen Blixen-Finecke
Robert Redford Denys Finch Hatton
Klaus Maria Brandauer Baron Bror Blixen-Finecke
Mallick Bowens Farah
Meryl Streep is my beloved actress. So any comment on her acting would be a bit biased. It’s superb. Watch her. The acting of the other three whom I have mentioned above is also remarkable.
The frames are beautiful with backlight, which they employed to reduce overexposure in Kenyan terrains. I have written a review on this movie, please read it for a deep analysis.
Doctor Zhivago
This movie was released in 1965. It won Academy Awards for writing, art direction, cinematography, music, and costume design. It didn’t get the best picture or best director awards. Both were snatched by “The Sound of Music” that year.
It’s the story of a Russian poet-doctor, based on a novel by Boris Pasternak. Yuri Zhivago marries Tonya, the daughter of his adoptive parents, and becomes a doctor. Later, he falls passionately in love with the nurse Lara but the lovers are torn apart during the Bolshevik Revolution. Yevgraf tells the story of his half brother to a young woman who is supposed to be Yuri’s daughter.
The photography is excellent. You don’t have to recall the frames. They would remain evergreen in your mind. It’s astounding in panoramic shots.
The score by Maurice Jarre is superb, especially the repeated tone of Balalaika.
Direction is fantastic. It’s very sad that David didn’t get an Oscar for it.
Omar Sharif didn’t do anything in the movie. He is just an onlooker. He is advised to do so. However, you can’t forget him. So does Geraldine, though her role is short. I don’t like the cast of Julie Christie in this movie. I read the novel first and then saw the movie. When I read the novel I imagined Lara in a better way. More beautiful and loveable. Julie didn’t come up to my expectations.
Director: Sir David Lean
Actor Character
Omar Sharif Yuri
Geraldine Chaplin Tonya
Julie Christie Lara
Tom Courtenay Pasha, Strelnikoff
Alec Guinness Yevgraf