I feel a little awkward being the ONLY viewer thus far to give this a positive review, but I loved it ... I was riveted to the screen for the full 3 hrs, and absolutely can't wait for the final chapter, due out next year. Granted, this thing is a bit awkward, seen as a sequel to the great first film, but I feel that, viewed on it's own merits, it's good , possibly even epic, storytelling, very engaging and well produced. This is not "great art", and doesn't compare to the original,which I regard as quite monumental in it's subtly powerful depiction of Stalinist totalitarianism .. but I don't see that as a justification for ridiculing this one. I've long been an avid fan and collector of Russian cinema, with over a hundred DVD titles in my collection, and, in my humble opinion, this one is at least above average, overall, despite some flaws. I'm having a difficult time understanding the almost visceral revulsion shown towards this film by other reviewers ...
This one has a plot, a separated father and daughter searching for one another amidst the insanity and horrors of war ... It's a bit old fashioned, but I find that refreshing. Frankly, I'm appalled at the way so many critics these days are eager to praise a film, based entirely on it's textural and stylistic oddities, with virtually no apparent consideration of whether the movie has any real substance or content, at all. I went into this with very low expectations, believing that Mikhalkov had sold out and just lost it, after the horrid "Barber of Siberia", and the disgustingly bad "1612", to which he had attached his name. However, I was pleasantly relieved, and now consider that this could truly be his Magnum Opus, although, since "2" is really only half a film, final judgement will depend much on the third and final instalment.
There are moments of surreal beauty in this, as when his daughter is nearly killed by a falling Stalin bust after a ship explodes, and the scene wherein his daughter bares her breasts to a dying tank soldier amid a vast snow covered wasteland of wreckage ... I found that almost unbearably poignant. All the reviewers laugh derisively at that scene .. Why ???? I can well imagine that if I were a young, inexperienced boy dying a lonely death, attended at the last moment by a lovely young girl, my last wish might be the same ... Isn't this human ??
The acting is good, and generally restrained, .. Menshikov puts in a strong performance, as opposed to his clownish overacting in "Barber" and his rather weak understatement in Dr. Zhivago.
Other criticism mentions that there is is a bit too much emphasis on the Orthodox faith in evidence here .. but that is far from historically inaccurate ... When faced with possible defeat Stalin did take the reins off for awhile, and there was a strong resurgence of the church, as there is today in Russia. Many newer Russian films suffer from a blatant , overt patriotism ... but this film is not thus guilty, neither side is depicted as perfect, and the sense of patriotism you do get from this is natural and realistic. I believe that the father/daughter framework in this story comes straight from Mikhalkov's heart. For evidence of this, watch his very personal and wonderful documentary, "Anna from Six to Eighteen".
While this film is possibly closer in tone to Klimov's "Come and See", than it is to Mikhalkov's earlier classic, I found it a great experience, and believe that, were it given a wider release in the West, it would likely find a much larger audience. Unfortunately the DVD currently available in N. America bears rather poor English subtitles, I found the film so thoroughly enjoyable, that this did not detract from the overall experience. I have a very low tolerance for bad films, seldom being able to sit through a full 90 minutes of Hollywood product, but , for me, the 3 hours of this film passed by like minutes!!
This one has a plot, a separated father and daughter searching for one another amidst the insanity and horrors of war ... It's a bit old fashioned, but I find that refreshing. Frankly, I'm appalled at the way so many critics these days are eager to praise a film, based entirely on it's textural and stylistic oddities, with virtually no apparent consideration of whether the movie has any real substance or content, at all. I went into this with very low expectations, believing that Mikhalkov had sold out and just lost it, after the horrid "Barber of Siberia", and the disgustingly bad "1612", to which he had attached his name. However, I was pleasantly relieved, and now consider that this could truly be his Magnum Opus, although, since "2" is really only half a film, final judgement will depend much on the third and final instalment.
There are moments of surreal beauty in this, as when his daughter is nearly killed by a falling Stalin bust after a ship explodes, and the scene wherein his daughter bares her breasts to a dying tank soldier amid a vast snow covered wasteland of wreckage ... I found that almost unbearably poignant. All the reviewers laugh derisively at that scene .. Why ???? I can well imagine that if I were a young, inexperienced boy dying a lonely death, attended at the last moment by a lovely young girl, my last wish might be the same ... Isn't this human ??
The acting is good, and generally restrained, .. Menshikov puts in a strong performance, as opposed to his clownish overacting in "Barber" and his rather weak understatement in Dr. Zhivago.
Other criticism mentions that there is is a bit too much emphasis on the Orthodox faith in evidence here .. but that is far from historically inaccurate ... When faced with possible defeat Stalin did take the reins off for awhile, and there was a strong resurgence of the church, as there is today in Russia. Many newer Russian films suffer from a blatant , overt patriotism ... but this film is not thus guilty, neither side is depicted as perfect, and the sense of patriotism you do get from this is natural and realistic. I believe that the father/daughter framework in this story comes straight from Mikhalkov's heart. For evidence of this, watch his very personal and wonderful documentary, "Anna from Six to Eighteen".
While this film is possibly closer in tone to Klimov's "Come and See", than it is to Mikhalkov's earlier classic, I found it a great experience, and believe that, were it given a wider release in the West, it would likely find a much larger audience. Unfortunately the DVD currently available in N. America bears rather poor English subtitles, I found the film so thoroughly enjoyable, that this did not detract from the overall experience. I have a very low tolerance for bad films, seldom being able to sit through a full 90 minutes of Hollywood product, but , for me, the 3 hours of this film passed by like minutes!!