Russian Movies to watch to better understand "Russian Soul"

[OlgaH]

Gagarin 

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[OlgaH]

There Once Was A Dog

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[SANDRO43]

Apropos of Gagarin, they recently re-broadcasted an old TV documentary on the Judica-Cordiglia brothers, two radio hams that had set up an increasingly sophisticated (for the 1950s) listening station in Turin and eavesdropped on transmissions (both voice and telemetry data) to/from Soviet cosmonauts, leading them to conclude that Yuri's was actually the 6th Russian attempt at launching a human into orbit, the previous 5 missions having failed tragically -  one with a male cosmonaut lost in outer space and another with a female cosmonaut burning to her death in a steeper-than-expected re-entry trajectory.

Some have questioned their conclusions (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judica_Cordiglia), but I found their story rather convincing, and the female cosmonaut's last transmission  was particularly poignant for her helplessness ("Temperature is rising, it's hot, it's hot...").

[Tamara]

Do Russian/Ukrainian dvds play on American dvd players?  I tried to play an American dvd (Region 1 dvd) on a dvd player in Ukraine, and it didn't work.

Ok, I don't know how much of it is true.  It's just my personal experience.  The cheapest DVD players sold in Walmart play all DVDs while expensive ones do not.  We have the whole video/stereo system at home, but I always keep this cheap DVD player to watch Russian movies.  My sister brought one like this to Russia with her and it is working at my parents in Russia perfectly fine. If you are interested, I might get the brand from her.  I definitely know it was purchased in Walmart. PM if needed.

[Tamara]

There Once Was A Dog

Olga, you are starting a new idea in this thread:
 
***Russian CARTOONS to watch to better understand "Russian Soul".*** 

How about Nu, pogodi! as a start?!  :brightidea:

[OlgaH]

Tamara, I love Nu pogodi!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nu,_pogodi!

[youtube=425,350]1EDzGe6QAjg[/youtube]

[OlgaH]

Latex

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[steve057]

Olga and Tamara I loved the cartoons

[OlgaH]

Olga and Tamara I loved the cartoons

You are welcome.    Some cartoons about a Russian girl Masyanya 

Masyanya's Morning Coffee

[youtube=425,350]O198NF6dvhU&feature=related [/youtube]

Masyanya - The Pizza

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Masyanya and Show-business

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[Tamara]

Olga, you take me back in times!  I forgot about it, but Masyana was so popular in RF.  Is it still popular?  Are they making any new episodes?

[OlgaH]

Olga, you take me back in times!  I forgot about it, but Masyana was so popular in RF.  Is it still popular?  Are they making any new episodes?

Tamara, I don't know if Masyanya is still popular. I don't have any Russian channel. But "Masyanya" is really funny cartoons. I have found Masyanya's website http://www.mult.ru/

[Ooooops]

Oftentimes I receive a question on what Russian Movies one should watch to better understand Russian People and their Culture.

Tamara, those are great movies (actually I have most of them in my video-library  ), but I don't think they are could be any help with understanding "Russian People and their Culture".   They are way outdated.      It's like reading Mark Twain or Steinbeck can't help understanding modern American culture... 

[Tamara]

Tamara, those are great movies (actually I have most of them in my video-library  ), but I don't think they are could be any help with understanding "Russian People and their Culture".   They are way outdated.      It's like reading Mark Twain or Steinbeck can't help understanding modern American culture... 

Ooooops, if you look at the list closely, you will notice that some of these movies are very recent! Besides, Culture does not appear in one day, so seeing some old movies will actually enrich one's knowledge about Russia, its history, traditions, etc.  Again, some of the suggested movies include very recent ones, only couple months old, so your statement on them being outdated is not correct.  You are welcome to suggest movies you believe are good to watch! :brightidea:

[Ooooops]

You are welcome to suggest movies you believe are good to watch! :brightidea:

Unfortunately, I know nothing about Russian movies nowadays...   So modern Russian soul is Terra Incognita to me   

[OlgaH]

The Return (Vozvrascheniye) 2003 directed by Andrey  Zvyagintsev (born February 6, 1964), a Russian film director and actor. He is mostly known for his 2003 film The Return, which won him a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrey_Petrovich_Zvyagintsev

Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev's success in winning the Golden Lion award at last year's Venice Film Festival with his striking film The Return came as a huge surprise. To call him an outsider in world cinema would be an understatement - he's an outsider even in his own country. Fittingly, he grew up in Siberia, 2,000 miles east of metropolitan Moscow. "I'm still not familiar with industry people there," he tells me dryly. "But maybe now they're familiar with me."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3618753/The-director-who-came-in-from-the-cold.html

[youtube=425,350]IwY11Himqok[/youtube]

[OlgaH]

In the Land of the Deaf
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/home-movie-moves-russia-1195027.html

[youtube=425,350]LMJO5CPgOyo&feature=PlayList&p=F609177AB590AF61&index=0[/youtube]

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[Tamara]

Olga,

Thanks for another link.  This grows into a nice archive of both titles and actual videos to watch.    

Here is what I have just read in Los Angeles Times, Entertainment Section for the Openings: 

TODAY [March 1, 2009]
"12" The story of 12 jurors discussing a verdict to pass on an 18-year-old Chechen boy as to whether he is guilty of the first-degree murder of his stepfather, an officer of the Russian army. With Sergei Makovetsky, Sergei Garmash and Aleksei Petrenko. Directed and written by Nikita Mikhalkov. In Russian with English subtitles. (2:39) PG-13.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-list-movies1-2009mar01,0,7609256.story

[OlgaH]

 
TODAY [March 1, 2009]
"12" The story of 12 jurors discussing a verdict to pass on an 18-year-old Chechen boy as to whether he is guilty of the first-degree murder of his stepfather, an officer of the Russian army. With Sergei Makovetsky, Sergei Garmash and Aleksei Petrenko. Directed and written by Nikita Mikhalkov. In Russian with English subtitles. (2:39) PG-13.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-ca-list-movies1-2009mar01,0,7609256.story

A knife like any other weapon, especially in the Caucasus is a form of culture...

I like "12". Excellent play of actors!

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[OlgaH]

http://hila-lumiere.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-tender-and-affectionate-beast.html

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[sideskraft]

"A Cruel Romance" is a true Soviet classic tragic romantic/drama from the 80s, set on the Volga River.  It has major Russian actors (including the star of Irony of Fate) and is full of emotion and Russian psychology.  I have watched it many times -- it's almost addictive. 

"The Abandoned" is a modern-day film of an American lady who returns to the Russian back woods to explore where her ancestors came from -- it's a well done suspense-horror film that will keep you riveted throughout.  Beautiful cinematography, very haunting.  It's not about "Russian soul" but it is unique nonetheless. 

Does anyone know where I can find "Loves and Pigeons" on DVD, preferably w/English subtitles?  It's one of my honey's favorite movies and I'd like to surprise her with it when she arrives.  Otherwise I'll buy it w/o subtitles when I'm in Kyiv next month.

[OlgaH]

"A Cruel Romance" is a true Soviet classic tragic romantic/drama from the 80s, set on the Volga River.  It has major Russian actors (including the star of Irony of Fate) and is full of emotion and Russian psychology.  I have watched it many times -- it's almost addictive. 

The film "A Cruel Romance" directed by Eldar Ryazanov in 1984 is based on the play by Alexander Ostrovsky "The Dowerless Bride" (1978). The action takes place in the provincial town of Bryakhimov on the Volga riverside in the end of the 19th century.

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[sideskraft]

Where is the best place to buy Russian movies w/English subtitles (at good prices)?

[OlgaH]

I think amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_gw?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Russian+films&x=11&y=17

I buy books there.

[Tamara]

Like Olga suggested you can buy them on amazon.  I have used the following store a number of times: http://www.russiandvd.com/store/  Remember to check if it is PAL or NTSC standard for every particular DVD, they sell both.  If you buy PAL, you will need a multy-system DVD player to be able to watch it as it won't play in a standard American DVD player.

[Tamara]

Does anyone know where I can find "Loves and Pigeons" on DVD, preferably w/English subtitles?  It's one of my honey's favorite movies and I'd like to surprise her with it when she arrives.  Otherwise I'll buy it w/o subtitles when I'm in Kyiv next month.

Here is the direct link to this movie on amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Pigeons-Lubov-i-golubi/dp/B00024N7R2