The Ultimate Russian Cinema Guide

Author: waytorussia (on 20 Jul 2015)
There are words which are hardly translatable and usually those words mean something very specific about the culture they come from. One such Russian word is "надрыв" ("nad'ryv"), which literally means a slight tear, as in something that has been torn. Apart from the literal meaning it is also used to describe inner tension, sort of a strong emotional intensity, not unlike Hitchhock's suspense, but something even more carnal and deep.

It is this suspended inner bodily tension, or nadryv, which has defined Russian cinema from the moment of its inception to the present day. That special type of tension is visible on all levels: from the way the stories are told and the actors' play, to the formal aesthetics of images and even the social and political circumstances that surrounded Soviet and then Russian filmmaking.

Of course, tension is at the core of any art form, but there is something very particular about the Russian cinema's nadryv (which is, by the way, usually translated to English as "anguish" or "collapse") - perhaps because it had to do less with the fiction and more with the real life.

In fact, there is no better way to understand recent Russian history than to trace the development of the Soviet and then Russian cinema. From the early experiments with the form by Eisenstein and Vertov, to the surreal cinema of Tarkovsky and Parajanov, to the latest forays into epic narratives Russian cinema has been like a litmus paper for all the joys, pains, adventures and confusions that the Russian society had to go through.
 
 

Eisenstein and Vertov: Montage, Juxtaposition and Emotion

Sergei Eisenstein, a well-known Russian filmmaker famous for his theories of montage, has once said that the "narrative always proceeds with an eye towards rhythm".

The Soviet 60s Films: Dissolution of Tension

When the Second World War came, Russian cinema had enough emotional tension to deal with.

Tarkovsky and Parajanov: The Myth, the Narrative, and Spirituality

During the Soviet times, there was not so much space for experimentation with forms and genres.

The Absurd of Confusion: Hedgehog in the Fog, Kin Dza Dza

During the late 70s and the 80s the ideological hold in the Soviet Union started to give crevices.

The Fiction and the Real: Russian Films of the 90s - The Palms, Brother, Harvest Time, Russian Ark, and Chetyre

There is a Russian saying: "when one cuts the forest, splinters are flying.

Russian Cinema of the 00s: Simple Stories and Epic Narratives - Gorko, Geographer, Stalingrad

The beginning of 2000s was a fertile time for the new Russian directors to come out.

Contemporary Russian Cinema: Aestheticizing Dystopia

After the start of 2000s and the appearance of great films, such as The Russian Arc and Return, Russian cinema seemed to revert into a comfort zone and started to replicate Hollywood-like blockbusters.

Russian Series and TV Shows

During the recent years Russian cinema has produced several notable series, which are not only pleasant to watch but also offer insights about the Russian culture and society of today.

Russian Online Amateur Video

Russian cinema gave the world such great masters as Eisenstein and Tarkovsky, but today it is most famous for the YouTube videos of crazy people doing crazy things.

Most Recent Articles:

Eisenstein and Vertov: Montage, Juxtaposition and Emotion

Sergei Eisenstein, a well-known Russian filmmaker famous for his theories of montage, has once said that the "narrative always proceeds with an eye towards rhythm".

The Soviet 60s Films: Dissolution of Tension

When the Second World War came, Russian cinema had enough emotional tension to deal with.

Contemporary Russian Cinema: Aestheticizing Dystopia

After the start of 2000sand the appearance of great films, such as The Russian Arc and Return, Russian cinema seemed to revert into a comfort zone and started to replicate Hollywood-like blockbusters.