Dersu Uzala

Dersu Uzala (1975 film) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Director:Akira Kurosawa
Cast: Maxim Munzuk,Yury Solomin

Dersu Uzala is an Russian film directed by renowned Japanese director Akira Kurosawa.An heart touching movie which tells the story of an Russian hunter named Dersu Uzala who lived from 1850 to 1908 (played by Maxim Munzuk), who helped and guided Arsenyev (Yury Solomin), a captain of surveying group ,whom explores the area of Shkotovo in Ussuri region in 1902 in Dense Russian forest.

Except for few final shots, the entire movie is set in the forest.Its a kind of adventure.The Film opens with Arsenyev searching for a graveyard in a forest area where some development process where undergoing.Film then rolls back to a flashback of 1902 when Arsenyev led a group of men to survey the forest area.After a day long work ,one night the team takes some rest for the day.On his way Dersu Uzala, a hunter and a person whom knew the pulses of the forest meets Arsenyev and his team.Arsenyev offers him some food and request him to take rest with them.Next day when they are about to leave, Dersu Uzala agrees to guide Arsenyev and his team for their survey work.

Dersu Uzala calls Arsenyev as ‘Capiton’ all the time.Arsenyev admires Dersu Uzala’s view towards nature and life.Soon regardless of their age differences, love, faith and admiration  makes them close to each other.Dersu Uzala’s guide helps Arsenyev’s team in a huge way.Then comes a situation which makes their way seperate due to their nature of work.Arsenyev farewells Dersu Uzala half-heartedly.Arsenyev feels alone without Dersu Uzal.But later one day they reunite again which makes them feel exited.Those reuniting scenes been well directed.Dersu Uzala’s communication with wild animals and asking them not to disturb them were quite interesting.Towards the end of the film Dersu Uzala eyesight dims which worries him a lot.Arsenyev requests Dersu Uzala to come home with him.Even Dersu initially refuses his suggestion, but later accepts and moves to the town.At Arsenyev’s house Dersu mets Arsenyev’s son and wife and engages him with Arsenyev’s son.

As Dersu was not used with town life he was requested not to roam around the town.Eventhough Dersu understands the situation, he desperately needs to live in his forest. Dersu leaves Arsenyev’s house and moves towards the forest.Arsenyev presents him with new advanced rifle of his own.While entering the forrest some men kills Dersu for his rifle.Arsenyev later come to the spot and identifies Dersu as requested by forrest officials.With this final scenes, the director touches one’s heart whom indirectly conveys, how dangerous our lives are among with the corrupted people in this civilized world, than with dangerous wild animals in the forrest.Hats off to Akira Kurosawa!

Awards:

1975 – Oscar for Best Foreign language film

Yury Solomin (right) as Vladimir Arsenyev in the Akira Kurosawa’s film Dersu Uzala (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dersu Uzala, a Nanai hunter and the guide of the Russian explorer Vladimir Arsenyev, and the main character of an eponymous motion picture (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Dersu Uzala (book) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Ballad of a Soldier (Ballada o soldate)

Ballad of a Soldier (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cast : Vladimir Ivashov, Zhanna Prokhorenko

Director : Grigori Chukhrai

This Russian film Set during the World war II period, is actually not a  kind of war movie. Rather It tells the story of an young soldier’s journey, on his way towards his  home from the battlefield. The film begins with a farm women, whom expects her beloved on her village road .Its the passage which her son left for the battlefield. A background voice then reveals to the viewers that the women’s son died on the battleground and been burried.

Alyosha Skvortsov (Vladimir Ivashov) is a Russian soldier, whom one day on the battleground destroys two German tanks, more to safegaurd himself rather than a brave attack. His Commanding General offers to honor him, but Alyosha requests him to give few days of leave instead of decoration ,so that he can go back to his home to repair his house as requested by his mother.

The General grants him six days of leave. Pavlov, an another soldier in the battelfield, requests Alyosha to give his gift of two bar soaps for his wife, as his house is on the way to Alyosha’s home town. Alyosha accepts to do so, and on his journey he  meets with an frustrated handicapped soldier and offers him an helping hand and witnesses a truely committed loved couples through him. He then meets an young women named Shura on his train journey. Shura quarrels with him as she initially distrusted him. But both , later starts loving each other . Then both together  goes to see  Pavlov’s wife to handover his present. There They shocked to see Pavlov’s wife lives with an another man.Alyosha handsover Pavlov’s present to his father instead , and leaves the place. Alyosha then leaves Shura to reach his home as time running out. Finally Alyosha in a hurry, mets his mother only for few minutes and then leaves the place to go back to the battleground. Finally the movie ends with Alyosha’s mother awaits on the village road for his son’s comeback  from the battlefield.

Simply moved by the Alyosha innocense character and the emotional final scenes where his mother hugs his son for the farewell.This movie is all about the trust between a truely loved couples,  Romance and innocent love between Alyosha and Shura, A love between mother and son and finally how a war can impact human life.

Awards:

Won

1960 Cannes Film Festival – Special jury prize (Won)
BAFTA Award for Best Film from any Source, 1961

Nominated

Academy Award for Writing Original Screenp

lay, 1961 – Grigori Chukhrai, Valentin Yezhov (Nominated)