24 Frames is dedicated to foreign and independent film. If you've come looking for reviews of over-hyped Hollywood blockbusters, you've come to the wrong place. This column focuses on those movies that generally receive little publicity and that you might not otherwise hear about. Many of the films that will be reviewed in this column are not currently in release, but are available on VHS and DVD.

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VOR (aka: The Thief; Bop)
Drama
France/Russia, 1997
Directed by Pavel Chukhraj from a screenplay by Pavel Chukhraj
Starring Yekaterina Rednikova, Vladimir Mashkov and Misha Philipchuk
Advisory: Nudity, violence, sexuality
Distribution: Stratosphere Entertainment (U.S.); Lions Gate Films (Canada)
Status: available on DVD and VHS

Vor Vladimir Mashkov Yekaterina Rednikov    Katya meets Taljan on a train

The year is 1952. Stalin holds the Soviet Union in his iron grip. The beautiful, widowed Katya (Yekaterina Rednikova) and her young son, Sanya (Misha Philipchuk) are among the millions of Soviet citizens who were displaced after the war. Katya meets Taljan (Vladimir Mashkov), an attractive, suave soldier, aboard a train. Soon they move in together and attempt to make the appearance of a family.

Bop Vladimir Mashkov Yekaterina Rednikov Misha Philipchuk    Looking for a home

However, Katya soon discovers that the man she loves is not what he appears. His activities as a con artist and a thief put Katya and Sanya at risk, but she loves him and lacks the emotional strength to leave.

The Thief Vladimir Mashkov Yekaterina Rednikov    Taljan and Katya

Taljan alternates between harshness and caring, and becomes a role model and instructor for the fatherless Sanya, but one wonders if his emotions don't run too shallow to be true love.

Vor Bop Vladimir Mashkov Yekaterina Rednikov Misha Philipchuk    Taljan, Katya and Sanya

Katya fears for Taljan's influence on her son, and worries that she and Taljan will be arrested, leaving Sanya an orphan. Unable to break away from Taljan's hold, she is on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

The Thief    Taljan charms his flatmates

After another close call, Katya finally decides to leave Taljan, but he is arrested as she is about to depart and so she follows him to a prison in Siberia. It is at this point that her existence, and that of her son, completely unravels.

The Thief    Katya sees the real Taljan

There is no magical Hollywood ending to this film. Russian movies often deal with real but depressing subject matter. Vor is, however, a very moving film, brilliantly acted and photographed. Vor was nominated for an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, and won five Nika Awards (Russian eqivalent to the Oscar) for best score, best cinematography, best actor (Mashkov), best actress (Rednikova), and best picture. As with many Russian films this one is metaphorical, reflecting Russia's struggle with the legacy of Joseph Stalin.

Pavel Chukhraj directs with such a subtle hand that one is not aware the film has been directed at all. There is a wonderful naturalness to every scene, giving one the impression of eavesdropping on real events. There is not a single false performance in the entire film.

Vor is beautifully photographed. I see colours in European films that I never see in American pictures - and I'm always left wondering where they came from. The images are soft and earthy and real, not slick and polished and looking like they were shot on videotape as they do in some highly polished Hollywood productions.

Mashkov keeps us guessing with his peformance. Right up until the end we are not sure who this man is. Rednikova is exceptional as a woman torn between her love for a man and concern for the welfare of her son. But the strongest performance of all belongs Philipchuck with his expressive eyes filled with wonder, sometimes with fear, at other times with anger. Dima Shigarev, who enters the story to play Sanya at age 12, is also strong, his expressive eyes reflecting Sanya's loss of innocence, but retaining all of Sanya's intensity.

Vor provides a powerful glimpse of Russian life in the early 1950's. And it does so with honesty, and emotion, and a commitment to story.

Other reviews of Vor:

James Berardinelli
Jersey Film Society
Creative Loafing Online
Rotten Tomatoes
Internet Movie Database

Official site:
Vor


24Frames
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Sam Quo Vadis has written the following feature length screenplays:

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