Customer Reviews

Sibiriada ( Siberiada ) ( Siberiade ) [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Spain ]

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Once one gets past the required Marxist dialectic ("rich people bad, poor people good"), there is nothing less than splendid about this Soviet film. The cinematography alone is breathtaking, and the irony of the more adventuresome characters' constant refrain, "They can't exile you any further than Siberia!" is not lost.

The "underdog" family in the film produces men in each generation who shake their fist at their village, rhetorically, and try to get away, but they are always pulled back somehow. As the revolutionary Nikolai says to his young son Alexei, "It's not a good place, but it's the best place for us."

The acting is first rate. Grief, loss, hope, and faith are equally represented throughout the film. Most of the actors are more low-key than in Hollywood films (a fact that allows the Siberian woodlands and scenes of village life, as well as stock film of national events, to play out much of the story). But they do not lack passion. Especially touching is a scene of a youngster grieving for his father. The young actor gives a performance beyond his years.

The recurrent themes and beautiful scenery and music (folk during the rural scenes, electronic during the sped-up, sepia- tinted stock footage) make the six hours of film very easy to digest. Konchalovsky's Siberiade suggests a cinematic Tchaikovsky symphony, with its alternating poignant romance, pathos, and an ending of hopefulness.

This film takes place in a very remote corner of Siberia, and covers several generations of families living there. There is so much to this historical epic that it is hard to focus on any one point in the movie. Beginning with the remote village and the conflict between two families who have never seen the outside world, it goes on to cover the revolution and two world wars. It also shows the discovery of the great oil and gas fields of western Siberia, but never loses the theme of the interaction between the two main families in the movie and how each event affects their relationships. The movie has a dreamlike and symbolic quality in the style of Tarkovsky, without as much of a dizzying effect, and is never dull.

Not only does this cover historical context but also the cyclical nature of life and the various effects of cultural changes that dramatically change the environment we live and function in. The film manages to address self-discovery, revolution, the fact that things do not truly ever change as well as the incredibly damaging effect of some people's motives and ensuing actions on our environment, both physically and mentally. It does all this without forcing situations and uses the natural pace of the story line to accentuate the points it wishes to express. Truly amazing and despite its length one feels like it came and went like an hour and a half film. Once the film grips you it has the ability to change lives.

I saw this film in Madrid, in 1979... in Russian with Spanish sub-titles and at the time I spoke no Russian and hardly any Spanish. But no matter, it instantly became my all time favorite movie. I saw the original 6 hour version in two evenings... and it wasn't a minute too long. The main "character" is really the natural splendor of Siberia.... it is a visual jewel. I have since seen cut versions... at various film festivals... the 4 hour version, and the 3 hour version. I long to see the full 6 hour version again. Worth every minute.

I first saw this film when I was 7 years old, in a funky theatre in SF. My parents took me and my best friend and we had no idea what we were about to experience. I am now 30 and can say that certain imagery from this film is as indelibly imprinted on my memory as events that have occurred in my own life. In college I studied film and can trace my earliest desires to make films of my own to the emotions and sensory intoxication of seeing this film. It captures the amazing history of a continent in a very personal and real sense. It terrifies and triumphs and most of all makes the cinematic experience one that you will carry with you for a long time. After 15 years of searching for a copy of this film a friend of mine suggested Amazon.... If only I could get my local artsy-fartsy theatre to screen it.

Category: Historical drama
Director: Andrei Konchalovsky ("My Name is Ivan" '63, "Tango and Cash" '89, "The Inner Circle" '91,
"The Odyssey" '97, "House of Fools" '03)
Year: 1979
Running time: 206 min (2 tapes)
Rating: R (violence, sexual content)
Grade: A
Starring: Vitaly Solomin, Sergei Shakurov, Nikita Mikhalkov, Ludmila Gurchenko
Winner of 1979 Cannes Film Festival (Special Jury Prize)
My point: One of the last great Russian historical dramas

Over 6 decades of the history of the great Russian land and the country USSR through the lives of two families in a small Siberian village. Two opposite families: Ustuganins, the pure ones; and Solomins, the rich ones. The story of life, love, betrayal, happiness and pain.
This film is very long and very slow. Cinematography is excellent, but it doesn't bother you... it is only helping you to get into the story and the beauty of the Russian land.
If you love good films, if you are interested in history and Russia? A must se.
"Vlad"

"Siberiade" is an epic Russian film which spans three generations and chronicles the lives of two rival Siberian families. It is also a deeply spiritual film which depicts the breathtaking beauty and power of the Siberian land. We see how the people's lifestyle has always adapted to the environment of the taiga, and had remained little affected by the changes wrought by revolution, politics, or war. That is, until the lure of oil brings greed and devastation to their remote village. There is a defining scene early on in the film, in which a lynx has been captured. Hanging upside down, paws trussed to a horizontal pole, jaws wedged apart and muzzled, the cat thrashes and moans in torment. Nearby, in callous oblivion to the suffering of the magnificent animal, the two human protagonists envision their future fortune. The scene is to me profoundly disturbing, first because it is obvious that a real lynx was tortured in the filming of the scene -- not many international productions in 1979 gave thought to cruelty to animals. But the abuse of the beautiful wild cat is symbolic of the theme of the film -- how the wild Siberian land itself will soon be exploited and despoiled. Nature must be dominated in the name of progress. And ultimately the people's ties to their land and the spirits of their ancestors are violently severed. This is how the film affected me; the imagery of its haunting climax remains with me.

If only 9 reviews is an indication of how many get to see this film it is a real shame and roll over dr shivago if that's all people think of in terms of a russian epic.Initially a slow start but the film keep rolling and getting bigger and deeper the more it went on.Mind-blowing,moving-Its really great and you got to see it...

I like this movie for many reasons. I will list just a few most obvious ones.

1) Soundtrack by Edward Artemyev. Has been keeping me emotionally charged since the first time I heard it (1986?)

2) Depiction of Nature and people as an integral part of it. The first part of the movie magnificently shows an interplay of Nature, and its inhabitants in the depths of Siberia. The author implies that as a part of Nature, a man can never forcefully overcome her.

3) A whole plethora of actors that were and since have grown to be the monoliths of Russian (Soviet and post-) cinematic art such as Nikita Mikhalkov (at his best), Ljudmila Gurchenko (same), Solomin, Andreichenko and a few more whose names I don't remember right now.

I enjoyed this film, it reminded me of the American film, "HOW THE WEST WAS WON." This story was easy to follow even with subtitles. The background scenery whether it be mountains, rivers or a plain log cabin look authentic.The battle scenes were some of the best I have viewed in any movie. There was drama,romance,sex and violent. All of these scenes seem to be a natural part of life and not added to just attract a larger viewing public. The one noticeable aspect in this movie was, there were no loud background music that would distract one from enjoying the richness of this film.