ANDREI
RUBLEV AND MOSFILM at the ICA CINEMAS
ICA Cinemas, The Mall, Piccadilly
Tickets & Information: 020 7930 3647
www.ica.org.uk
Andrei Rublev: 2 - 22 July; 12.30 (weekends), 4pm, 7.30pm Top Ten
Films of All-Time: Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian FIPRESCI Prize: Cannes
Film Festival, 1969 "> Dark, startling> ...> at once humble
and
cosmic> "> J. Hoberman Andrei Tarkovsky> '> s monumental
second
feature was suppressed when it
first appeared in 1966, although its prize-winning appearance at the 1969
Cannes Film Festival helped to secure both film and filmmaker> '>
s international reputations. This account of the life of 15th-century
icon painter Andrei Rublev (c. 1360 - 1430) is more a chronicle of medieval
Russian life than a conventional biopic, following the artist across a
physical landscape ravaged by the Tatar invasions and a spiritual terrain
marked by self-doubt and temptation. Rublev> '> s search for inner-peace
is rendered in harsh yet sublime style by Tarkovsky, who called this >
'> a film of the earth> '> ; its elemental power - both visceral
and cerebral - is impossible to deny, holding the viewer rapt from its
mysterious, awe-inspiring opening to the beautiful, blazing colour of
the epilogue. Having existed in various forms over the years, this 189-minute
version is the cut that was endorsed by the director himself.
Dir Andrei Tarkovsky, Russia, 1966, 189 mins, subtitles
Mosfilm Classics- 2 - 14 July
Ranging from the 1950s to the present-day, a selection of essential
titles
from Russia> '> s mighty Mosfilm studio, home to such important
filmmakers as Eisenstein, Tarkovsky, Klimov, Mikhalkov and - briefly -
Kurosawa.
The Cranes are Flying: Cinema 2: 2 - 5 July; 6pm
"> ...> conveys more in dizzying camera moves and bold swaths
of light
than words could express> "> The Onion
> A landmark Russian film that won the Palme D> '> Or at Cannes
in 1958,
this powerful love story set against the backdrop of World War 2 is directed
in sweeping style by Mikhail Kalatozov (I Am Cuba). Young lovers Boris
and Veronica are separated when Boris is sent to the front line, with
Veronica> '> s grief heightened and worst fears confirmed when the
letters home stop arriving. Technically well ahead of its time and wearing
its heart on its sleeve, the film remains a dazzling and emotionally charged
experience.
Dir Mikhail Kalatozov: Russia, 1957, 95 mins, subtitles
Come and See: 2 - 5 July; 8pm
"> Among the most devastating of war films> "> The
Guardian The
German invasion of Belarus in 1942 serves as the backdrop to this
devastating tale of a 12-year-old boy who leaves his home to join the
peasant forces of resistance amazing in the forest. The nightmarish sequence
of events that follow possesses an almost hallucinatory power, as the
German bombs rain down and the boy is forced to search for sanctuary in
an increasingly forbidding, hostile environment. The final film of acclaimed
director Elem Klimov, who died at the age of 70 last October. (See also
Agony).
Dir Elem Klimov, Russia, 1985, 142 mins, subtitles
The Star: 3 July; 4pm/6 - 7 July; 6.30pm
Set during the Second World War, this tense, dramatic war picture
follows
a group of Russian scouts on an assignment to locate a crucial German
tank position. With vivid atmospherics that capture the fear and intensity
of the perilous situation, the film takes the viewer behind the front
line and into the heart of danger.
> Dir Nikolai Lebedev, Russia, 2002, 93 mins, subtitles
>
> 6 - 7 July; 8.30pm/11 July; 4.30pm
> Poisons, or the World History of Poisoning
> A surrealist black comedy cataloguing the numerous important religious
> and
royal figures who have poisoned their way into positions of power. Flashbacks
to the times of Caligula, Nero and Genghis Khan are set against a contemporary
story of one couple> '> s deteriorating relationship, as the tone
swings between outrageous humour and bizarre historical flights of fancy.
> Dir Karen Shakhnazarov, Russia, 2001, 106 mins, subtitles
>
> An Unfinished Piece for Mechanical Piano: 8 - 11 July; 6.45pm ">
...>
> has a lyrical naturalism> ...> beautifully paced> ">
Time Out
> Inspired by the works of Anton Chekhov (most directly his unfinished
> play
Platonov), Nikita Mikhalkov> '> s elegant, visually expressive chamber-piece
is set at a country estate at the turn of the 19th-century where a number
of guests arrive for a weekend retreat. Presided over by hostess Anna
(Antonina Shuranova), the various characters recall the past, renew old
ties and reflect on how their lives and loves have not necessarily turned
out as hoped. A moving, bittersweet masterpiece.
> Dir Nikita Mikhalkov, Russia, 1977, 103 mins, subtitles
>
> Ballad of a Soldier: 8 - 11 July; 8.45pm
> One of the classic Russian films of its time, telling the story of
> Alyosha
(Vladimir Ivashov), a young soldier granted a short period of leave to
visit his mother. His journey home from the battlefield reveals to him
the deep scars that the war has left on his country. A poetically realised
and deeply humane vision of war, concerned primarily with the people and
the places affected by hostilities taking place elsewhere.
Dir Grigori Chukhrai, Russia, 1959, 88 mins, subtitles
Agony: 10 July, 4pm; 12 - 14 July; 6pm
A stunning performance of possession-level intensity by Aleksei
Petrenko
brings to life the notorious figure of Rasputin, the Siberian monk who
insinuated himself into the royal family during the final throes of the
First World War. With newsreel footage cut into the dramatic action, director
Elem Klimov> '> s remarkable film achieves a delirious power. Completed
in 1975 but not shown until 1981, after which it was severely re-cut.
These screenings are of the full original version.
Dir Elem Klimov, Russia, 1975, 152mins, subtitles
Day of the Full Moon: 12 - 14 July; 8.45pm
>In 1948, the mysterious sighting of a woman in a lilac dress under
a
full
moon sets in motion a series of stories that link a wide array of characters
from Russia> '> s past and present. Employing a mosaic-like structure
of interconnecting vignettes, the film travels through time to create
a unified picture of people> '> s - plus one dog> '> s! -
lives and dreams.
Dir Karen Shakhnazarov, Russia, 1998, 93 mins, subtitles
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