An unarmed car mechanic, in order to keep the house where his ancestors have lived, has launched a disparate struggle with the government.
The repairman loses, and loses utterly. The house was torn down, his wife was murdered, he was sentenced to fifteen years in prison, and his son was orphaned.
After watching the movie Wikipedia, the film received 30% financial support from the Russian Cultural Service. The production team lived up to expectations. The Cannes Film Festival won the Palme d'Or for Best Original; the London Film Festival won the Best Film, the Golden Globe Award for the Best Foreign Language Film, the Oscar nomination for the Best Foreign Language Film, and the Rotten Tomatoes website scored 99%. When the film was well received in the international film circle, the Russian Minister of Culture said that he did not like it very much. According to various regulations of the Bureau of Culture, Radio, and Television, the film was banned in the country.
In a small fishing village in northern Russia, in the cold air, picking up a bottle of Volga is like drinking a bottle of mineral water. Rebellious teenagers burn a fire, drink beer and smoke rings in an old abandoned church by the sea. Just like their fathers and grandparents.
The ruthless mayor ate dinner with the priest, met with the godfather, and listened to their teachings. He stood in the resplendent and holy church, prayed devoutly, and whispered to his younger son that God is the truth.
The repairman bought a bottle of vodka and stood outside the canteen waiting for the priest to wonder why life was so cruel and helpless. He wanted to repent, but what did he have to repent? The place where his ancestors lived was forcibly confiscated by the mayor, and his second wife and his best friend, who was also his lawyer, brought him a big green hat.
The lawyer was beaten by the mayor, and his wife disappeared. He used a kind heart to forgive them, but he was inexplicably arrested and imprisoned.
Xu is that the town is too quiet and boring, that life is too heavy and helpless, that the impatient husband is like a childish child in front of a calm lawyer, and that the exclusion and rudeness of his stepson makes people lose patience. These are all speculations as a viewer as she finally decides to go back to her husband and have a baby.
From beginning to end, she never smiled.
He said to his son, forgive her, she is a good person. But she died.
Perhaps this is proof of what she called a confession. Although murder.
In the church, the godfather quoted the scriptures and preached loudly what the truth was.
And the right path in the world is evading in the endless waves.
Although the ending is disappointing, the story itself is wonderful.
Kudos to the director, production and actors for their courage.
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