Customer Reviews

Volga-Volga [VHS]

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

 

 

Stalin wasn't neccessarily a fun guy, but Volga, Volga, his favorite film, proves he knew a good laugh when he saw it. With its absurdly exaggerated acting style, flat sets, and catchy tunes, this is one of the funniest, camp musicals ever. But there's more to it than just laughing at those wacky Slavs---there's a real good humor here, not to mention a lot of beautiful shots, and the cast seems 100% aware of how overblown their performances are, which makes it that much more fun. Ah, for the days when film could unapologetically wallow in artifice! A great party movie---the erratic subtitles only add to the fun

Sometimes seeing a foreign movie is like stepping into an alternate universe, and you can't get much more alternate than 1930s Russia. I was surprised how well this stacked up to its Hollywood contemporaries and how similar it was in tone. If you enjoy musical comedies from the 1930s, don't hesitate to get this wonderful film. The story and direction were full of energy and wit. Lyubov Orlova would certainly have been a star in America. While comparisons to Jeanette MacDonald aren't off the mark, Orlova also was a terrific comic actress. The supporting actors are also wonderful. So don't be put off by the fact it was made in Stalin's USSR, the communist quotient is really low.

The video lost a star because the songs aren't always subtitled (I suspect some of the communist flavor was hidden within in them), also because of the aspect ratio, certain elements are cut off. If you need more convincing to order this, see "East Side Story," a documentary about Soviet era musicals.

Directed by Grigory Alesandrov in the late 1930's, the musical comedy Volga-Volga transports the viewer back into the Soviet era when incompetence and shortcomings of the communist system have not been realized yet by the common people. Strelka, the heroine, is a common working class mailwoman who possesses a wide range of talent and tries to convince comrade Byvalov that each town member has a special musical ability and deserves to go to Moscow to participate in an amateur contest that is seeking talent. There is an ironic twist in the movie, one in which ideology meets reality. As is the common nature of musical films, the whole town sings out in song, dropping everything that they are doing to join Strelka in persuading the local instruments manufacturer to send them to Moscow. Strelka organizes a folk music performance that she thinks represents the Russian culture best while her non-committed boyfriend organizes an orchestra, believing classical music is more cultured and advanced. Throughout the film, these two parties duel on the Volga River, quarreling over who will reach the amateur contest first.
Just like the title implies, most of the action takes place on the river Volga in which two sets of parties compete with each other to reach Moscow first. The duality in the title could refer to the two competing teams or it could be the sing-song tempo of the actual film itself.
The film is saturated with satire starting with the incompetent and useless bureaucrats in power to the fantastic hidden talents of the common people. There is even a stab at America, which represents the evil capitalists of the world. Symbolized as an old steamboat, it falls apart and fails to bring the gifted musicians to the glorious city of Moscow. However, there is also a hint of reality in that the steamboat, a gift from America to Russia sixty years ago, is the only mode of transportation they possess that can take them to Moscow, implying that communism cannot solve a simple problem such as the advancement of technology.
Even to a non-Russian viewer, this plot line is entertaining and has more depth than your average comedic film. It is enjoyable to watch, especially when you understand the times it was written in and directed in and the subtle satire that is illustrated in films directed during this time.

Volga, Volga, Joseph Stalin's favorite movie one would think is a huge turn off. The film I must confess is a delightful escapist musical that even the most devout anti-communist can appreciate for its humor and music. Don't let the fact it is Stalin's favorite put you off. If you enjoy light-hearted musicals then watch "Volga, Volga."