Раба любви
Omsk Life Nikita Mikailov was and is a towering figure in filmography. His movies are quite remarkable, both as an actor and director. Many of his movies are Soviet classics where he starred as an actor, such as "Я шагаю по Москве" and "Жестокий роман." But no less powerful were his films that I am watching one by one. «Свой среди чужих, чужой среди своих» is an incredible film about the times of the Civil War and greed between factions. And continuing during that time of the Civil War is his film "Раба любви."The film is loosely based on the Russian silent movie queen Vera Kolodnaya, who had the face and expression to captivate audiences, although the films, as was usual worldwide for that time, were shallow love thrillers. Mikailov opens his movie with a smirk about that time with the blind wife playing the violin. But all humor is then squelched a bit by what happens after. Throughout the movie rides a powerful tension, as the movie crew is caught up in world events but only wishes to keep living the life they became accustomed to. They think of fleeing to Paris, but events cut that short.Other artists from that time, famous composers and writers, fled the Soviet Union. Often, however, finding a life was not easy or even tormenting. The Great Depression opened up in the West in the 1930s too, and an ideal life was hard to find. Tsvetaeva came back to Russia as she couldn't bear to live outside of Russian culture and society but committed suicide during WW2. For those who ran away, the running away would haunt them later as if they couldn't stop being chased by themselves, society, or the state. Prokofiev also returned and created many works of genius in the Soviet Union. Others, such as my aristocratic friend in Miami—Alexander Ustinov (son of Princess Shakovskaya of St. Petersburg)—had an extremely difficult life abroad. The American dream popped, and as an old man he found himself working in fast food or trying to be a guard, only to find himself lying on a road after being choked to near death. It's a very tragic act in life to leave one's homeland, and the road back is quite different. Walking away, but turning around. One turns around, but the world he turned back to is completely different.This film speaks about the tragedy of change in our lives. Notice the closing part of the film when the actress is left alone in a speeding tramway with men on horseback trying to catch her. Her bewildered look speaks to us all. We are all finding ourselves rolling uncontrollably forward with danger all around, and we look at each other not knowing how to leave a world already fast disappearing.
Omsk Life Nikita Mikailov was and is a towering figure in filmography. His movies are quite remarkable, both as an actor and director. Many of his movies are Soviet classics where he starred as an actor, such as "Я шагаю по Москве" and "Жестокий роман." But no less powerful were his films that I am watching one by one. «Свой среди чужих, чужой среди своих» is an incredible film about the times of the Civil War and greed between factions. And continuing during that time of the Civil War is his film "Раба любви."The film is loosely based on the Russian silent movie queen Vera Kolodnaya, who had the face and expression to captivate audiences, although the films, as was usual worldwide for that time, were shallow love thrillers. Mikailov opens his movie with a smirk about that time with the blind wife playing the violin. But all humor is then squelched a bit by what happens after. Throughout the movie rides a powerful tension, as the movie crew is caught up in world events but only wishes to keep living the life they became accustomed to. They think of fleeing to Paris, but events cut that short.Other artists from that time, famous composers and writers, fled the Soviet Union. Often, however, finding a life was not easy or even tormenting. The Great Depression opened up in the West in the 1930s too, and an ideal life was hard to find. Tsvetaeva came back to Russia as she couldn't bear to live outside of Russian culture and society but committed suicide during WW2. For those who ran away, the running away would haunt them later as if they couldn't stop being chased by themselves, society, or the state. Prokofiev also returned and created many works of genius in the Soviet Union. Others, such as my aristocratic friend in Miami—Alexander Ustinov (son of Princess Shakovskaya of St. Petersburg)—had an extremely difficult life abroad. The American dream popped, and as an old man he found himself working in fast food or trying to be a guard, only to find himself lying on a road after being choked to near death. It's a very tragic act in life to leave one's homeland, and the road back is quite different. Walking away, but turning around. One turns around, but the world he turned back to is completely different.This film speaks about the tragedy of change in our lives. Notice the closing part of the film when the actress is left alone in a speeding tramway with men on horseback trying to catch her. Her bewildered look speaks to us all. We are all finding ourselves rolling uncontrollably forward with danger all around, and we look at each other not knowing how to leave a world already fast disappearing.