Tag: soviet

Rocky IV

Rocky IV is a 1985 movie directed by Sylvester Stallone.

Rocky IV continues the saga of heavyweight boxing champion Rocky Balboa. In this sequel, Apollo Creed takes on Russian Ivan Drago in an exhibition that tragically ends. Rocky agrees to an unsanctioned fight in the Soviet Union, where he emerges triumphant.

THE BEST – Rocky Basically Ends the Cold War

If you’re tracking Rocky’s post-fight speeches, you’ll notice a huge leap. He’s convulsing like a wounded animal in the early movies – making non-sensical, guttural yelps. After defeating Drago and winning over the Soviet crowd, he turns political by noting the unifying quality of brute American strength. It’s pure Reagan-era propaganda and prodigious American ego.

And of course, it’s brilliant.

THE BEST Part 2 – Coked Up Training Montages

The evolution of Rocky training montages is a beautiful phenomenon. While the first two movies involve Rocky using his natural surroundings, Rocky IV finds our hero chopping down trees, outrunning KGB cars and climbing mountains. Stallone’s own transformation from beefy club boxer to chiseled action hero is on display – some of the herculean exercises he performs seem to be a love letter to his own ego.

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Solaris

Solaris is a 1972 movie directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

WHAT HAPPENS?

A psychologist is sent to investigate strange occurrences on the Solaris space base. He discovers the remaining scientists have communicated with a mysterious alien intelligence that somehow extracts their thoughts and memories.

ONE LINE REVIEW

Solaris is a moody, patient, spectacular exploration of memory and reality.

THE ACTORS

Danatas Banionis plays psychologist Kris Kelvin – he imprints the character with a heaviness and loss that ultimately drives the movie. It’s a demanding role as Tarkovsky patiently allows his dialogue-heavy scenes to unfold. Much of the movie sees Banionis defending both science and humanity. The emotional aspects of his character evolve once his memory of his former wife materializes into an alien form.

Natalya Bondarchuk plays Khari, Kris’ wife who has been dead for ten years. Her role is fascinating as the character is essentially forming memories into a life form. As Khari, she doesn’t know herself beyond Kris’ conception of her. It’s fascinating to see the different versions of the character appear and interact with Kris. Bondarchuk skillfully navigates Khari’s tenuous emotional hold on her husband.

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The Ascent

The Ascent is a 1977 movie directed by Larisa Shepitko.

WHAT HAPPENS?

Two Soviet soldiers are captured by Nazis. The first, Sotkinov, refuses to cooperate and is tortured. The second, Rybak, is more forthcoming. Their respective actions determine their physical and emotional fates.

ONE LINE REVIEW

The Ascent is a bleak but gorgeous study of survival.

THE ACTORS

Boris Plotnikov is tremendous as Sotkinov, the wounded soldier coming to grips with the reality of a desperate situation. Plotnikov effortlessly displays a range of emotions. He’s timid and shell-shocked before accepting his fate. Suddenly, Plotnikov grows stoic as he physically deteriorates. His final scenes reveal a tender embrace that suggests a spiritual stillness. The performance is subtle yet somehow commanding.

Vladimir Gostyhukin offers a contrast as the ascerbic and hardened Rybak. Gostyhukin layers the character with a cynical edge, which often belies the intense fear he carries. It’s an intriguing character – his instinct to survive clashes with Sotkinov’s acceptance of his fate. The movie’s best scene occurs as Gostyhukin launches into an explosive tirade against Plotnikov, accusing him of expressing hope for their situation.

Anatoliy Solonitsyn portrays Portnov, the Nazi investigator. Solonitsyn is brilliant in his exchanges with the soldiers – he is emotionally numb and a bitter realist given his role. He cruelly rips apart Sotkinov’s morality, suggesting that nothing in the world holds such value.

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Stalker

Stalker is a 1979 Science Fiction movie directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.

Stalker tells the story of a journey to find a mysterious forbidden area known as The Zone, where a secret room can grant visitors their deepest desires. The Stalker guides a Writer and Professor to the area, where they each confront their greatest insecurities and fears.

Stalker may be the most desolate, desperate, depressing movie ever that is somehow incredibly hopeful.

The opening scene perfectly sets a bleak tone. The Stalker quietly arises from bed in a grim apartment, trying not to wake his wife and crippled daughter. The wife knows he’s abandoning her again. She confronts him, he relents. He leaves and she crumples to the ground, thrashing her body and cursing her fate.

Tarkovsky’s choice of color is fascinating. The entire scene – along with the first 25 minutes of the movie – are painted in a monochrome sepia. The smoky, smudged windows and broken wall plaster in the apartment are vividly defined. This is a broken down place filled with hopeless people.

The early exterior scenes amplify this atmosphere. Factories are seen in the background and a haze of industrial smoke floats by. We meet The Writer, who is trying to seduce a young woman by lamenting the lack of the supernatural in society. “Don’t hope for flying saucers. That would be too interesting.”

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