Customer Reviews

4 / Chetyre / Four - (Russian Import - PAL DVD)

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'Chetyre' (= Russian for 'four') touches on a fear we all feel deep down inside: the genetic reproduction of humans will get out of control. It's a fear very comparable to another we have been familiar with for a long time: that of nuclear energy.

'Chetyre's story starts with a coincidential meeting at a bar of a wealthy meat-trader, a prostitute and a professional piano-tuner. Influenced by alcoholics, their tales get pretty out of hand: the meat-trader works at the office of president Putin, the prostitute in advertising, and the piano-tuner in the genetic reproduction of humans. It's clear they don't believe each other, but for the sake of their togetherness in a lonely night they don't play it up. The barkeeper, half asleep, misses out on it all anyway.

Afterwards each goes his/her own way. We see the meat-trader back at work, discovering a piglet-breed he didn't know of. The prostitute attends a friend's funeral in the country, and gets involved in the doll-production handcraft her late friend earned her living with. The piano-tuner ends up in prison for a crime he did or didn't commit.

In the end the meat-trader gets killed in a car accident, his expensive watch stolen. The piano-tuner is converted to a punishment-company in the Russian army, flying off to some war-theatre. It all emphasizes this movie's pessimistic bottomline: our inability to control our own destiny, let alone that of mankind.

Abundant with typical Eastern European subtlety, 'Chetyre's styling is very Russian indeed: slow-paced, with lots of dialogue. Taking plenty of time to make its point. All embedded in a beautiful, slightly surrealistic picturing.

Although I don't think this movie will appeal widely in our Western world, its quality is beyond dispute. By my knowledge this is the first movie seriously dealing with genetic reproduction. I felt relieved by the way producer Ilya Chrzjanovski took on this awkward theme.