Russian film recommendations

Whether it is because of its notorious communist past, the preconceived idea that its people are cold and addicted to vodka or its enigmatic ex-spy president, Russia is a subject of fascination for many people around the world.

However, the closest representation of Russian people and culture we usually find on media are the stereotypical Russian mafia men in American films that, surprisingly enough, can’t even speak Russian properly.

Therefore, in this article, I am going to recommend 5 Russian films that might give you a new and improved perspective on Russian people and their culture, as well as an introduction to the highly praised world of Russian Cinema.

Note that most of these films are available for free on YouTube with English subtitles. If you’re interested in searching for more Russian films in the future you can use the site Russian Film Hub, which provides YouTube links for most of the films in its catalogue.

Brat (dir. Alexey Balabanov, 1997)

Genre: Action; Crime

Source: Dazed

Brat, aka Brother, is arguably the greatest Russian cult classic. It follows the journey of Danila, a young man from a Russian small town who just returned from war in Chechnya and goes to visit his brother in Saint Petersburg, who is, supposedly, a successful businessman. However, when he arrives, he comes to realise his brother is actually a gangster and hitman. Danila, who isn’t unfamiliar with the act of killing, ends up getting persuaded by his brother into doing his hitman assignments for him. Along the way, Danila forms new relationships and grows a fascination for Russian rock bands.

Brat provides a quite accurate representation of life in Russia’s big cities in the 90s. With the economic instability that came after the collapse of the Soviet Union, cities like Saint Petersburg became filled with gangsters and, at the time, knowing one or more was quite normal. However, unlike in other films of the time, this violent gangster lifestyle isn’t glorified nor exaggerated and the protagonist is portrayed as a regular guy, who despite being a loveable character, is clearly flawed.

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (dir. Vladimir Menshov, 1980)

Genre: Rom-com

Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears is one of the most famous Soviet films of all time. Its protagonist is Katerina, a young woman living in Moscow who we are introduced to in the beginning as a factory worker living in a workers’ dorm. We follow her and her friends through the next few decades of their lives, in which we see them grow and mature, as well as achieving their dreams and finding true love.

This film was awarded an Oscar for Best Foreign Film in 1981, and it is said to portray the Russian soul quite perfectly. Therefore, this might be a good watch for whoever would like to understand the Russians better, without falling for any more stereotypes.

Stalker (dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1979)

Genre: Sci-Fi

If we’re going to talk about Russian/Soviet art, it should also be mentioned one of its most praised genres, both in cinema and literature – science fiction. Amongst many names, the Strugatsky brothers and Andrei Tarkovsky are some of the most recognizable in the Soviet Sci-Fi genre. Stalker is Tarkovsky’s most famous work, and it is loosely based on a book by the Strugatsky brothers titled “Roadside Picnic”.

The story takes action in a hypothetical world, in which there is a special place called the Zone, where something really strange happened and afterwards it was sealed by the military. The only person that goes there regularly is Stalker, who is enthralled by the place and makes money out of taking with him people who are interested in visiting it, pretty much like a tourist guide. This time he takes with him the characters Professor and Writer and their goal is to reach the Room, a place in the Zone in which it is believed that the visitors’ most secret desires will be fulfilled.

Fun fact, the film actually foreshadowed in a way what would happen in Chernobyl in 1986, which, like the Zone, became a dangerous place to humans and was sealed by authorities. The only people that went there were the ones who were in charge of “cleaning up the mess” and they started to be called “Stalkers”, after the protagonist of the film.

The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! (dir. Eldar Ryazanov, 1975)

Genre: Rom-com

New Year’s Eve is a very special holiday for Russian people, just as much as Christmas is in many countries. And there is a particular film that most Russian households watch every year – The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!.

The protagonist is a doctor called Zhenya, who is still living with his mother and just got engaged to a woman he doesn’t love. On the eve of New Year’s Eve, he and his friends meet for their annual tradition and get drunk – so drunk that they end up putting unconscious Zhenya on a plane to Leningrad (former St Petersburg) instead of taking him home. Once in Leningrad, in a series of strange events, Zhenya gets to know a woman named Nadya, with whom he ends up spending the New Year’s.

Leviathan (dir. Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2014)

Genre: Drama; Crime

Leviathan is a critically acclaimed film from Modern Russian cinema, praised for its depiction of a corrupt Russia, dealing with the topics of fame, power and money.

The plot follows Kolya, an average man from a coastal town of the White Sea, who is living with his son and his second wife. One day, however, he learns that the local mayor is planning on expropriating his land and demolishing his house. Kolya decides to hire a friend from Moscow who is a lawyer to help him stand against the mayor. However, his friend’s arrival only brings him more misfortune, which will lead to a tragic ending for Kolya.

Unfortunately, this film isn’t available online for free, but it can be watched on Soviet Movies Online.

Bibliography:

“Brother (1997) - Russian Movie Online (Aka Brat).” Russian Film Hub, 30 June 2021, www.russianfilmhub.com/movies/brother-1997.

“RUSSIAN MOVIE REVIEW: Brat (1997).” YouTube, uploaded by NFKRZ, 17 Sept. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb1837rWq9I&feature=youtu.be.

“Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears (1980) - Russian Movie Online.” Russian Film Hub, 27 June 2021, www.russianfilmhub.com/movies/moscow-does-not-believe-in-tears-1980.

“Stalker (1979) - Russian Movie Online by Andrei Tarkovsky.” Russian Film Hub, 17 July 2021, www.russianfilmhub.com/movies/stalker-1979.

“The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath! (1975) - Russian Movie Online.” Russian Film Hub, 25 June 2021, www.russianfilmhub.com/movies/the-irony-of-fate-or-enjoy-your-bath-1975.

“Started ‘The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!’” Time Note, 3 Dec. 2021, Started "The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!" (timenote.info)

“Leviathan (2014) - Russian Movie Online by Andrey Zvyagintsev.” Russian Film Hub, 2 Mar. 2021, www.russianfilmhub.com/movies/leviathan-2014.

Iggy. “Leviafan (2014).” IMDb, 23 Oct. 2014, www.imdb.com/title/tt2802154.