Piter Resonse

This film reminded me of a general romantic film. Something like The Notebook. A couple scenes in this movie were very ironic, some were predictable, and a couple were totally confusing to me. Why everytime they passed eachother they didn't say anything?! The two would just simply stare at eachother for foreverrrr. I really, really enjoyed the scenes in this film as well, I felt like I was practically a foreigner visiting St. Petersburg! It was beautiful settings and scenery. I think both of the main character were very outgoing people, and both had characteristics and fit the category that every person would look for in an opposite spouse. When Maksim dropped his phone in the river I was a little concerned, and then ironically Masha was on the phone a couple feet away! I guess that was just a scene the producer threw in there to spark to audiences attention and make them sit up in their chairs a little more, becase I know thats what I did. I was hoping they would somehow by some miracle notice eachother in that scene, but that would make the movie boring of course. Although the ending was totally predictable, because that is how it ends in most love stories, I still really enjoyed this film. I loveee the whole romance theme =]

NIght Watch Response

This movie really, really confused me. I didn't understand half the time when people were getting hurt, and killed, and haunted. All I really knew was when everytime the fly would sound and fly around I knew the haunting would show up. I also did not understand the part where they were on the roof and the girl wanted to throw the little boy off the roof. I did not understand what blew up and the whole ardeal with the two men fighting towards the end. All together I really do not know what to write for this blog because I was totally confused the whole time.

The Return Response

This movie was very different. I thought at the begining of the movie that the boy would get killed after jumping off the large platform. Andrey seemed like a bully to me like he was part of the "bad" group. I was very, very suprised at the end when Ivan killed his father. It seemed as if they didn't even care that their father was killed, although he was a little psycho when he got mad. Ivan reminded me of a rebel little boy in a movie that would easily break down while at rough times. I did not understand why they dragged their father throughout the end of the movie.. to show their mother? In all this movie was a little confusing and a little creepy but I enjoyed it.

Brother Response

I could tell this film was very popular back when it first came out. I enjoy gangster movies because they constantly have you thinking about what and why these bad guys are going to do next. I like how this guy was so smooth with everything he did. I enjoyed how you could tell who he was going to kill and who he was going to let go. He always kept his word with everything and it is obvious that the producer stressed that very much throughout the film. I found it very hard to believe when he didn't kill his brother after what he had did to him. His brother practically turned him into the bad guys and set him up! Also it made me a little sad that he left his wife in the end and she told him to never come back; especially after he had gotten so much money for her and him to live a happy life together. Also, in the end of the movie, I think the producer led the audience to believe that he was going to kill the truck driver because he was messing with something in his coat pocket and lap, and things got a little fishy and silent in the truck. I also didn't understand in the end when they filmed the snowy roads and trees for quit a while, I think it may have meant that this man will start a new life in Moscow? Like I said though, I was a little confused, any ideas? But to wrap it up, I very much enjoyed this gangster film and I hope we get to watch more films similar to this!

Little Vera Response

The first thing I noticed when watching this film, was how this Russian style of movie was very different then the others we have watched. I noticed how alchohol in this movie was seen as something bad and as if the producer wanted to give the audience the point that alchohol has nothing but bad effects on people. While on the other hand, for example, Irony of Fate, alchohol is used as a style of humor to add to the movie. Also, in other Russian films, it is used as something to celebrate with one another and to socialize with other people. Although this movie was a little confusing, and I came a little late to it, I still mildly enjoyed this film.

Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears Response

I thought this film reminded me a lot of the first movie we watched in this class, "Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath". Just the scenes and enviroment and characters really brought back memories of this first film. I absolutely loved the humor in this movie as well. The three girl friends really cracked me up at some parts, they were so opposite opinionated and still brought their friendship together to create one. Rudolph as well cracked me up, he could not figure out the name to the woman he impregnated! All in all I enjoyed this film a lot and I would like to watch more humors and upbeat films as like this one!

Ivan's Childhood Response

Well this movie was pretty interesting. A little sad that a child was put as a spy, and then put through all these war scenerios. He saw things that no child should ever see at that age! I also thought this movie was a little creepy too at the same time. Especially when the spies would walk through the scary swamp that also was in black and white so it put the audience in suspense to what would come out of the water. In the end of this movie I was creeped out by the hanging and shot reports of all of the spies that had been killed. Then there was a flashback at the way end of the movie that I was a little confused about but from what I got out of it, I believe that when they show his "dead looking" face, this is the ending and this is when the boy is finally found and hung. I found it very sad also at the end when there was another flashback in the boys life and him and his girl as a friend are running through the water showing the last final days of his life before he is found. He was a happy young child and that is what saddens me because his life was ended over a pointless, and cruel thing called war.