Sharp Russian pic made on the cusp of Glasnost is all about an earlier epochal change: Stalin’s death & the condemnation of his aide, Beria. A small Georgian village tries to make sense of the news while two wild cards play out around them. First, a general amnesty has released gangs of pillaging thugs and second, two political exiles waiting out their time in the village are suddenly plunged into action trying to save the town. Under Alexander Proshkin ’s somewhat haphazard direction (he seems to willfully miss shots & is a bit zoom happy, but he gets the job done & casts well), this all plays out like HIGH NOON: USSR. Plus the film is exceptionally fortunate in its lead, Valery Priemykhov (a cross between Steve McQueen & Scott Glenn), who makes a superb thinking man’s action hero.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment