Возвращение

OK so I'm a little late to this party, but I saw on someone else's blog that they had recently watched the Russian movie called, "The Return", released in 2003. It centers around 2 young brothers, living with their mother and grandmother, when their father returns after a 12-year absence. The kids don't know this man at all and there is all kinds of mystery and suspense when he takes them on a week-long trip to go fishing. What's the real reason behind this? The film ends in tragedy and leaves the viewer with a lot of questions. In fact, it reminds me of the Yozhik cartoon that I posted about last March. It's one of those films that causes you to search for the meaning of it all. As one of the commentators observed, "Americans in general do not tend to appreciate the ambiguous or 'unfulfilling' endings found in many foreign movies. We tend to like our movies to come in neat little packages with crystal-clear morals and messages. I love movies like this one just because it avoids the 'complete' ending that so many movie viewers seem to want or need."

I mention this in the context of this adoption blog because it is a story about two boys that have grown up without a father and the emotions that surface when he comes back. The kids that all of us have adopted have sad pasts. Though it is mostly kid-safe in terms of language, nudity, etc., a movie like this could dredge up feelings that are tough to deal with, so I would caution that you watch it without your kids.

The 143 IMDb reviews are very interesting. Reading some of them helped me to process the movie. I liked the way it ended because, rather than being told what to think, it is left to me to decide what it means. Rather than one ending, there are many, depending on how the viewer interprets it. I caution you not to read the reviews before you watch it so that it doesn't give away the turn of events. There are many interpretations that could be given, so read about them after watching.

The movie is in Russian, with English subtitles. This is a case where I wish I knew Russian, because the Russian-speaking commentators say that some of the double-meanings are lost when translated to English. Besides the story, the cinematography is breathtaking, being filmed entirely in Russia. As I was watching the wide shots, I was thinking how this scene or that would have made a great photo. And the movie goes on like this for 1 3/4 hrs. It is simply stunning. As one of the commentators wrote, "Pause any given scene within the film and you'll have a frame worthy of entering into photography contests! Every shot is astounding."

The film has won many awards at international film festivals. Sadly, Vladimir Garin, the actor who played the older brother, died shortly after filming, before it was released, and was never able to see its success. He drowned at age 16 in the same lake where this movie was filmed.

Don't be in a hurry when you watch it. Give it the time it deserves.