Burnt by the Sun 2 (movie) and other Russian films

[Stephanie Briggs]

Note to SEELANGERs: Originally, I had intended this to be an offlist message
just for Glenn, but having tried to email him twice (once from my personal
email, and again from my business account) and failed because it seems his
server or email account has a high-level of spam protection on it, I figured
it might be all right to send it here, as it's relevant to the list as well
(with some editing, so as to not waste your time).

Hi Glenn,

Thank you very much for tracking down this video for me! I know the reviews
of it have been horrible - retconning, for one thing - but all the same, I
am looking forward to watching it.

Is there a specific SEELANGS discussion, or an interview with Mikhalkov,
about why he made this film so poorly? I know, intellectually, I shouldn't
judge it before seeing it, but if Mitya and Kotov both wind up alive after
the end of the first film (*especially *Kotov - so much for fearsome Uncle
Joe - really more of a pussycat, isn't he?), then...what else can one do but
sit there, wide-eyed and incredulous?

I really didn't expect such a thing from Mikhalkov, since his other movies
("Barber of Siberia", "Anna", I can't remember if he did "East/West", but
Oleg Menshikov stars in it) have been so good. Shouldn't a director of his
calibre *know better* than do allow retconning to happen? I have steam
coming out my ears!

Next on my list to track down (I'll try Mosfilms again, on which I recently
found "The Scarecrow"; I was telling my husband about it a fw days ago
because we were discussing bullying in schools as a near-universal
phenomenon, and I suddenly remembered watching "The Scarecrow" in a Russian
film class at uni.) are "Anna" and "Barber of Siberia". I must have watched
about 20 films over the years in those courses, many of them several times.

My husband and I both work from home, so in between my studying Russian and
knitting, and his computer coding, we watch a LOT of movies! I've slowly
been introducing him to Russian film (with subtitles) and cuisine. We're
slowly working our way through an English dubbed version of"Assassin" with
Malcolm McDowall on Mosfilm. He thinks the plot of "Taxi Blues" sounds
quintessentially Russian: perennially depressing with gargantuan amounts of
vodka. :P

Question: Since "Assassin" was also shot in Russian (Mosfilm has both
versions), what did Mr McDowell do for his parts in the film? Did he learn
Russian? Are all the other actors Russians? It seems that way, from their
names? How did an Englishman get dropped into this movie? No offense to him
- I think he's brilliant - but it seems so...random. How often do
non-Russian actors appear in otherwise-Russian films? And why does it look
as though some of the Russian actors are speaking English, when you look
closely at their lips?

Apologies for the email that's turned into a thesis!! I'm on heavy doses of
pain medications for severe migraines secondary to hydrocephalus, and when
they do work, my mind tends to go nuts on subjects that I love. I'm seeing
the doctor again tomorrow to try and get some better abortives. "I have a
headache." doesn't begin to describe the situation.

Stephanie

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