Customer Reviews

The Island

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

When the movie begins, the man who becomes the subject of the film commits an act born of abject terror and shortly thereafter the film fades and reopens 30 yrs. later. As the scene opens the second time, you find yourself watching the man and his actions and you become aware that what he did years before has brought him such anguish that even now, years later, he still feels it necessary to live the remainder of his life in severe penance. This man, who has been taken in by the monks on this cold bare island outside of Russia, is admired by the people in the nearby town as a "Holy Man" who has actually wrought miracles in their lives, while his fellow monks see only a dirty, unkempt spectacle of a man who refuses to conform to their expectations. It is hilarious in places, sad in other places, but in the final analysis, his guilt is finally assuaged and a quiet peace fills him and gives him the freedom that he has sought for so many years.

The ending was both life affirming for me and sad at the same time. I really liked this movie but that was because I understood the penitential life that he was living and why he was living it. You would have to have that initial understanding, I think, to get anything out of the movie as a whole!

The one lack that I found for this movie was its absolute economy of subtitles. While the characters speak a great deal at times, the subtitles are few so you have to really pay attention to what is going on to follow it! Overall it is an excellent movie!

This is a special film about a man, overwhelmed by a choice he made during the extremes of war, who resolves to lead a holy life in a monastery. Locally he becomes known as an especially powerful man, almost a shaman and source of wisdom, but his behavior is bizarre and generates friction with the other monks, in particular the leader. Disregarding all doubt and jealously, he plows ahead, helping people and reflecting on his life, seeking redemption in his acts. The ending is a great surprise, unpredictable in the way that Hollywood films never are.

His journey, even for a non-believer like myself, is completely believable, as are his cures and his ability to show people the way. It is beautiful, too. I was moved by this film and recommend it to anyone interested in spirituality and human possibility.

The version that I have, region 2, is entirely in Russian with ENglish subtitles. The images are crisp and very stark.

The first time I watched this film on Netflix I gave it 4 stars. I found myself coming back to this film and watching it again. After I watched it 3 times i gave it 5 stars.

Things are not always what they seem....

The things you do wrong in your life...all of us....it affects you for the rest of your life...

This fantastic film that shows the immense guilt and sadness of one man and how it devastated his whole life. I'm not terribly religious, but this man, he found his salvation and in the end forgiveness. He did many good things in his later life, but these things could not heal him until he was forgiven in the end.

There are many fine moments in this film some of which you may not understand in the first viewing.

This is a wonderful movie about a man who has stripped himself of ego. The actor is himself a recluse, and I think this movie is close to his soul.

Most of this movie takes place on the grounds of a Russian Orthodox monastery in Northern Russia, a stark landscape. One of the monks, a bizarre one, is believed to have the power to heal.

The opening scene, though short, is really strong. The monk is a Russian sailor in 1942 when he's captured by the Germans. He then commits a crime/sin that he can never forgive himself for. The movie then jumps to 1976 and the monastery, where he has been since the end of the war.

At this point, the movie may seem like it's becoming tedious as it delves into monastic ritual and routine, but hang in there, the movie only gets better. We find out that the monk is a troublemaker, not well liked by his fellow monks, and yet they hold him in awe.

It has a great ending, a quasi-spiritual ending. It's the story of a man coming to terms with his past.

The Island represents a soul's journey from fear and acts which can have life-altering affects to finding forgiveness and eventually peace. The opening gives us a view of a younger man killing his shipmate and captain at the behest of a group of Nazi officers. He himself was injured and rescued by a group from an isolated Russian Orthodox monastery located on a frozen, coal ladened island. The setting is very stark and desolate yet exquisite and beautiful. The director's vision is powerful and it shows throughout this beautiful rich film.

Although some of the other reviews downplay the depiction of the Russian Orthodox Church as being scant and not completely realistic, I found this to be merely a setting. The man known as Father Anatoly and called a holy man by those seeking his advice and healing touch, does not pretend to be in sync with the practices of the Orthodox way of life completely. Instead he is an individual who seeks the forgiveness and mercy of a loving god directly and not through the dogma of the organized religious group he finds himself among. His actions often produce some difficulties and testing with the priests. He takes them all down paths which expose their acts. Although he does appear, at times, as if he might be insane. But with each passing scene one understands the basis of his unusual behavior. (It makes for a less predictable story line which is refreshing and so thought provoking). He is tortured by his great sin and seeks to shed the trappings of this life thru penance, servant hood, isolation and reflection. As a result of his single-mindedness he shows all the ear markings of a true believer, endowed with all holy signs and miracles. For this the community is enriched by his sacrifices.

The acting is amazing, the scenes unforgettable and the story quite life affirming and eye-opening if one is seeking a spiritual life. Technically it is wonderfully written and powerfully delivered, just about anyone could enjoy this beautiful film whether religious or not.

this movie moved me very deeply. The acting is done very well and the message is timeless. Everyone should see this movie. In these modern times we often forget about what is really at the core of the spiritual life.

This 2006 film begins in 1942 when a sailor, Anatoly, and his captain are captured by the Nazis. A young Anatoly begs for his life and in turn, is asked to shoot his captain. He does, and as the Nazis leave, the ship is blown up. Anatoly survived. He is found on the island and now resides in the Monastery.

Jump to 1976, and from hereon in, Anatoly the Russian Orthodox monk is haunted by his past. People come to the island to see him, as they believe he has powers to heal, can foresee the future and exorcise demons. However, he does not feel worthy of this power, and chases some away. He has incredible guilt as a sinner.

He becomes an unusual character in the monastery, a nuisance, trouble maker, prankster, dirty and living amidst the boiler. He often prays for forgiveness. He has the brethren thinking.

This film almost looks black and white with the desolate winter and the vast waters of the sea. The pacing is moderate, as one is intrigued by the actions of Anatoly. This film was a winner of many awards, including Winner of 5 Nika Awards (Russian Oscars®) including Best Film. ......Rizzo

Entertaining, heartwarming and excellent acting all make this movie superb! For anyone who can appreciate redemptive suffering, you will really be touched by this movie. The love that is shared in the community of the monks, the gentle way they reprimand each other, the genuine care for one another and their good humor is what life should be for us all. God Bless

The 2006 film OSTROV (The Island) is a story of religious faith in the bleak Russian north. As the film opens, it is 1942 and the young Russian sailor Anatoly is forced by the Germans to shoot his captain Tikhon. Left for dead, Anatoly washes up on the shore of an island where a monastery is located. He spends the next three decades among the monks trying to atone for the killing of his friend and shipmate. Eventually, though he considers himself the lowest of the low, Anatoly is granted clairvoyance and the ability to work miracles. A steady stream of visitors comes to the island to seek his help.

But Anatoly is a certain kind of saint specific to the Russian tradition, the holy fool. He does things that make no sense to his fellow monks, to the point they think he's insane, but eventually everything he does is revealed to communicate some key spiritual point. Between ministering to the outsiders who visit him and dealing with his exasperated brethren, Anatoly gets no rest.

The film is beautiful in a way. The plot is engaging enough, and for audiences outside Russia (as well as many Russians who grew up under Communism) this is an informative presentation of the realities of Orthodox monastic life. The makeup effects are excellent -- Pyotr Mamonov doesn't look this decrepit in real-life, but on the screen he really is convincing as a starets who has spent decades in an unforgiving environment.

Nonetheless, I found OSTROV rather too heavy-handed, seeming at best sappy and at worst outright propaganda for a certain kind of contemporary Russian Orthodoxy that doesn't represent the faith entirely well. When one thinks of Russian Orthodoxy in cinema, one is tempted to draw comparisons with Andrei Tarkovsky, but even when Tarkovsky wasn't directly using Orthodox themes, he still communicated Christian truths more powerfully than anything in this film (think of the climax of Tarkovsky's STALKER or the ending of OFFRET).

All in all, OSTROV is entertaining, but not terribly deep.