films seen
2
average score
1.75*
nationality
status
Alive and kicking

Movies


The Color of Pomegranates

Sayat Nova
1969 / 79m - Soviet Union
Experimental
2.5*/5.0*
The Color of Pomegranates poster

A visual poem. I definitely appreciated the idea and concept of the film, but the slightly dated cinematography and the unpleasant score held it back quite a bit. That's entirely due to personal aesthetic preferences though, people who love a good classic and don't mind that a film is quite abstract should definitely seek this one out.

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The film follows the life of Sayat Nova, an Armenian poet. Rather than offer a straightforward biography, director Parajanov sketches his life through imagery derived from Nova's poetry. The result is something that makes little factual sense but does give you a solid idea of what the man was about in an artistic sense.

The cinematography is quite something, with lots of abstract and fantastical tableaus. I'm sure that people familiar with Armenian culture will catch more of the references and symbolism (I am utterly clueless in that regard), but I liked the creativity of it all. The soundtrack wasn't to my liking, but the runtime is pleasant and I was always curious about what the next scene would bring. Interesting film.


Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

Tini Zabutykh Predkiv
1965 / 97m - Soviet Union
Romance
1.0*/5.0*
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors poster

No doubt culturally significant, but this way a pretty rough film to sit through. If you're interested in lost cultures and folklore, I'm sure there's quite a bit of appeal to Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, but having to bear the horrible soundtrack and the dreary visuals was a bit much for me.

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Ivan is in love with Marichka, the neighbor's daughter. Their relationship becomes complicated when the neighbor kills Ivan's father in a scuffle. When Ivan is away for work, Marichka dies trying to save a lamb. Ivan marries another girl, but Marichka comes back to haunt Ivan and his new partner.

The music is absolutely horrendous and the crude cinematography (including the unsightly 4:3 aspect ratio) is an eyesore. There are some attempts to make it more visually attractive but to no avail. The story didn't really appeal to me either, making these 100 minutes quite a challenge to sit through.