It’s only once a year after the closing night of the Maryland Film Festival that I take some time to write down a few thoughts about the films we saw. And even then I find myself struggling to write something more meaningful than “I like it” (or not), so I usually don’t write much about the movies I watch throughout a year.
But once in a while I discover a movie like Together or The Fall too impressive not to mention in some way. I may not analyze it deeply, take it apart and write about every single aspect, but I feel I have to create a record of its existence and make a recommendation. Yesterday I watched such a film: Vozvrashcheniye or The Return, by Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev.
What a brilliant and unforgettable movie! Although it was his debut directing a full-length feature after working only with commercials before, it instantly found a place in my list of top-favorites. The Return is a masterpiece and I can only hope that Zvyagintsev continues his path that started out so promising. He could be worthy to become Tarkovsky’s, Truffaut’s or Ingmar Bergman’s successor.
Everything was as close to perfection as it can get. The photography was just beautiful, the camera work outstanding. The actors, especially Konstantin Lavronenko were fantastic. The music (as well as the silence) was wonderful, the mood and setting, psychology, characters and story, the ending, the complexity within the minimal, the unexpected…
I can’t wait to see what his next projects will be like. After The Return he also directed a film named Izgnanie or The Banishment released in 2007, also starring Konstantin Lavronenko. I have to watch it as soon as it becomes available on video.
I have to thank Zvyagintsev for enriching the movie industry with The Return. I can highly recommend this film.
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