BURNT BY THE SUN
A film review by Ben Hoffman
Copyright 1995 Ben Hoffman
This is the film that won the Oscar for Best Foreign Film of 1994 ... and deservedly so. Not only does it tell of the horrors of the Stalin era but it does so by following the life of one family living in the placid countryside outside of Moscow with everyone apparently happy until the ending when things close in on them; a history of a country.
Sergei Petrovich Kotov is a retired colonel, (Nikita Mikhalkov) who loves his fatherland, is faithful to its leader, Stalin. Everyone loves the colonel for his fairness and his ability to right any wrongs in the village. With him are his wife, Maroussia (Ingeborga Dapkounaite) and his adorable and adoring six-year-old daughter, Nadia (Nadia Mikhalkov) the real life daughter of Director Nikita Mikhalkov who also wrote the screenplay and plays the colonel in the film.
A visitor, Dmitri, nicknamed Mitya, (Oleg Menchikov) is on a short visit to their home. He was once in love with Maroussia but that was a long time ago, before he left for France, mysteriously. Before the film ends we learn why he went to France, who he has become and the consequences to the family as events suddenly turn viciously bad.
The acting is excellent but little Nadia, in particular, will steal your heart. Just seeing her is enough to make this fine film even better.
In Russian with English subtitiles.
4 bytes 4 Bytes = Superb 3 Bytes = Too good to be missed. 2 Bytes = So so. 1 Byte = Save your money.
Ben Hoffman
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