Let's put one thing to rest. Anywhere at all where there are night trains, the sexes are mixed. Even in Muslim countries - the night sleepers in Morocco, for example, are not single sex cabins. Not knowing this is not a reason for giving low marks just because they find the situation unbelievable!
As for relationships in the film, ideas of distance and travel played a huge part. The further from Moscow, the more the lesbian lover receded and rejected. But the nearer to the petroglyphs, the deeper the bond between the ill matched compartment mates became.
However, the script didn't go overboard - there was no sentimentality in the refusal to swap addresses.
90s Russia was portrayed perfectly. Not yet a consumer society, there were hangovers from the communist times, notably in the appalling service offered on hotels and restaurants as well as the train itself.
As a speaker of (very poor) Finnish, I loved the joke about the terrible swear word in that language that framed the narrative on the train. It means a lot more than the tame subtitled translation that was offered.
I loved this film. The actors were perfect as were the locations. I personally enjoy train journeys and would now want to go on this one.
As for relationships in the film, ideas of distance and travel played a huge part. The further from Moscow, the more the lesbian lover receded and rejected. But the nearer to the petroglyphs, the deeper the bond between the ill matched compartment mates became.
However, the script didn't go overboard - there was no sentimentality in the refusal to swap addresses.
90s Russia was portrayed perfectly. Not yet a consumer society, there were hangovers from the communist times, notably in the appalling service offered on hotels and restaurants as well as the train itself.
As a speaker of (very poor) Finnish, I loved the joke about the terrible swear word in that language that framed the narrative on the train. It means a lot more than the tame subtitled translation that was offered.
I loved this film. The actors were perfect as were the locations. I personally enjoy train journeys and would now want to go on this one.