Khrustalyov, My Car!

I'm not the biggest fan of Russian dreariness, but there's no point in denying that some of their films are visually arresting. Khrustalyov, My Car! is one of those films where I didn't care too much about the characters or the plot, but kept watching because of the entrancing cinematography.

Klenskiy's life is going too well. A group of Jewish doctors is plotting to kill Stalin, and even though Klenskiy isn't involved, he feels this puts a target on his back. His luck changes when one day he is summoned and brought to Stalin himself. The man is ill and he demands that Klenskiy heals him.

The film is surprisingly lighthearted, though the comedy contains a pretty dark undertone. The radiant black-and-white cinematography is something else though, given even more prominence by the moody settings. It's a shame the runtime's a bit excessive and the film does run out of steam in the second half. Still, a fine discovery.