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Letyat zhuravli (original title)
Director: Mikhail Kalatozov
Writers: Viktor Rozov (play), Viktor Rozov (screenplay)
Cast: Tatyana Samoylova, Aleksey Batalov, Vasiliy Merkurev
Genre: War Drama, Romance
Language: Russian
Very impressive film. Tatyana Samoylova who played the lead, Veronika was amazing. When I was looking for photos for this write up I noticed she almost always had a distant far away look in her eyes, and her face was taunt like she was deeply focused and burying pain deep inside. You can see that in the above photo.
The opening scenes reminded me of Fellini before he delved into surrealism. It was like every scene was imbibed with energy and the joy of life. Then in the second and third acts, the film is more claustrophobic, with tight camera shots on the actors stressed faces. That all worked well.
I loved the story too, young love: devoted, ethereal and all encompassing. Then comes the war and that innocents in shattered by the German onslaught. I like the way the film captured that dichotomy. There was one camera shot that really brought home what it must have been like for the Russian population to know the Nazis were close to marching into the heart of their city.
All the actors were very good, in that they seemed very personable and not at all like actors. I loved it when Veronika went to get her squirrel back. What a jerk her husband was!
Definitely a landmark in Soviet film making.
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The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
Director: Mikhail Kalatozov
Writers: Viktor Rozov (play), Viktor Rozov (screenplay)
Cast: Tatyana Samoylova, Aleksey Batalov, Vasiliy Merkurev
Genre: War Drama, Romance
Language: Russian
"Veronica plans a rendezvous with her lover, Boris, at the bank of river, only for him to be drafted into World War II shortly thereafter."
Very impressive film. Tatyana Samoylova who played the lead, Veronika was amazing. When I was looking for photos for this write up I noticed she almost always had a distant far away look in her eyes, and her face was taunt like she was deeply focused and burying pain deep inside. You can see that in the above photo.
The opening scenes reminded me of Fellini before he delved into surrealism. It was like every scene was imbibed with energy and the joy of life. Then in the second and third acts, the film is more claustrophobic, with tight camera shots on the actors stressed faces. That all worked well.
I loved the story too, young love: devoted, ethereal and all encompassing. Then comes the war and that innocents in shattered by the German onslaught. I like the way the film captured that dichotomy. There was one camera shot that really brought home what it must have been like for the Russian population to know the Nazis were close to marching into the heart of their city.
All the actors were very good, in that they seemed very personable and not at all like actors. I loved it when Veronika went to get her squirrel back. What a jerk her husband was!
Definitely a landmark in Soviet film making.
+