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April 1995, Week 2

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Subject:
From:
Klaus Eder <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Thu, 13 Apr 1995 14:35:26 CDT
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----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Re: Nikita Mikhalkov.
 
>>         You won't criticize the Academy for selecting this one!
 
No. I won't. The Academy has the right to make its own decision. The Academy
has even the right to make its own mistakes.
 
BURNT BY THE SUN is such a mistake. The film shows Russia from a tourist
point of view - a little literature (but not too much), a little politics
(but not too much), and quite a lot of 'Russian Soul' -- exactly that kind
of 'Russian Soul' foreigners think to be the essence of Russia. If you want
to see an adaption of Russian literature: see one of the early
Mikhalkov-films, or, better, see one of the films made by his brother Andrei
Konchalovski. If you want so know something about politics: see one of the
around twenty films made and published in Moscow and Leningrad since 1986.
If you want to understand something about Russia and its mentality: see
SIBERIADE (directed by Andrei, before he left to the U.S., staring Nikita).
They all are, in all points of view, better than BURNT BY THE SUN. Its a
film which shows only one talent: how to win a Western public.
(Successfully, as we can see.)
 
This film can only be appreciated by people who never saw any other Russian
movie.
 
By the way, attention: this kind of 'Russian Soul' in the film may indeed be
shameless speculating on Western prejudices of Russia. But is is also a
political program. Sine the perestroika period Nikita Mikhalkov propagates
(in weekly tv shows) a strong nationalism (sic!). This nationalist attitude
includes (as we should have learned from history) anti-international,
anti-intellectual, anti-jewish aspects. It leads directly to the right-wing
movements in todays Russia. Speaking about BURNT..., one should know this
background.
 
Coming back to the Oscar question, I think the Academy did the worst choice
possible. BEFORE THE RAIN, the Macedonian film, is rather over-appreciated,
but VIVE L'AMOUR, the Taiwanese film, is one of the best debuts of the last
year/s and from a filmic point of view most interesting.
 
Only, who cares about Taiwanese movies?
 
Klaus
 
 
Klaus Eder
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