Directed and written
by Kirill Serebrennikov
Adapted from the play
“Martyr” by Marius von Mayenburg.
Russian Resurrection
Film Festival 2016
Manuka Cinemas 1 - 6 November
2016
Reviewed by Len Power 1 November 2016
According to the Russian Film Festival program booklet, 2016
has been declared the Year of Russian Cinema by the President of the Russian Federation,
Vladimir Putin. “The purpose of this
dedication to ‘the most important of the arts’ is drawing attention to national
cinema, its problems and achievements.”
Kirill Serebrennikov’s film, “The Student”, made a big
splash and divided audiences at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. This controversial film was a good choice to
open this year’s Russian Film Festival at the Manuka Cinemas.
Written and directed by Serebrennikov, it tells the story of
a student, Veniamin, in the midst of a spiritual crisis. His own interpretation of the Bible results
in clashes at school with other students and his teachers. His mother, the teaching staff or a priest are
unable to cope with the situation and only his biology teacher is prepared to challenge
him on his own level.
 |
| Pyotr Skvortsov as Veniamin, the student |
The central performance by Pyotr Skvortsov as Veniamin is
impressive. Is he really sincere about
his religious beliefs or is there a certain amount of boundary-testing
involved? Victoria Isakova as the
biology teacher walks away with the acting honours, presenting a very real
character you can relate to. Julia Aug
also gives a believable performance as his bewildered, overbearing non-believer
of a mother. The performances of others
in the cast are hampered by a script determined to push a particular point of
view regardless of reality. In
particular, some of the actions of the school’s Principal seem archaic and
unconvincing.
Cinematographer, Vladislav Opelyants, uses the wide screen
very well with excellent compositions and production designer Ekaterina
Scheglova provides a superb nightmare of an apartment where Veniamin and his
mother live. The director obtains
strong, committed performances from his cast and, apart from some over
melodramatic moments towards the end, creates a disturbing vision of the
effects of religious mania on a community.
It’s an impressive, though uncomfortable, film to watch.
The festival continues in Canberra at the Manuka Cinemas
until 6 November. There is quite a range
of films showing to suit all tastes.
Len Power’s reviews
are also broadcast on Artsound FM 92.7 ‘Artcetera’ program on Saturdays from
9.00am.