Giorgi Shengelaia - Pirosmani (1969)

Description:

This film is about the great Georgian painter – primitivist Niko Pirosmanashvili (1862-1918). An unknown, self-taught painter roams the streets of a city, painting his pictures. The local people only know that his name is Nikola Pirosmani, that he is a kind and honest person, but nobody takes his painting seriously. To make his living and be able to buy paints, Nikola opens up a food shop. But very soon he goes bankrupt, for he is giving away butter and cheese to anyone who got no money. Already gravely ill, he paints his last picture, imbued with light, joy and love for life. Ruscico

Aleksandr Zarkhi - Dvadtsat shest dney iz zhizni Dostoevskogo AKA 26 Days in the Life of Dostoyevsky (1981)

Twenty-Six Days in the Life of Dostoyevsky was entered on February 16th at the 1981 Berlin Film Festival to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Dostoyevsky's death on February 9th, 1881, and won a "Best Actor" award for Anatoly Solonitsyn as Dostoyevsky. Solonitsyn was a favorite actor in Andrei Tarkovsky's films, and this was to be his penultimate role. This brief imaginary period in the famed Russian writer's life encapsulates one of his darker moments in 1866. At that time he was still a relatively unknown writer whose first widely acclaimed work, Crime and Punishment, was just on the horizon. His life was at a very low ebb as he struggled with debts he could not pay, and as he fought depression over the loss of his wife to tuberculosis, and the death of his brother, who was very close to him. His first literary journal had to be scrapped because of political reasons, and the second venture needed funding. The police come to see him, sent by his publisher who is demanding recompense for debts overdue. Desperate to escape the pressure on all sides, Dostoyevsky decides to undertake the impossible and write the story of The Gambler in 26 days, thereby satisfying the debt to the publisher at least.

Nikita Mikhalkov - Bez svideteley AKA In Private (1983)

It is the story of two people who once loved each other. He thinks he still loves her, but she understands, after nine years, that she doesn't love him and that she cares about somebody else now. It is a very intense movie. The action takes place in one single afternoon, in a communist apartment, and it is focused on these two people. Actually, all the other characters are not physically present and they appear only through photos or phone calls. It is as if that flat is a place where you cannot hide from yourself. He sees in her the simple life that he could have had and the happiness that he gave up in order to climb the social ladder. When he realizes that he had lost her, he tries to prolong her unhappiness. But, after all these years of waiting and suffering, she is mature enough not to fall in his trap. She sees in him the involvement, the indecision, the hypocrisy. He wanted so much of his life, but in the end he is left with his shallow accomplishments. He asks himself whether life can be so simple and so real like the life of his ex-wife. Because it is so concentrated, the movie makes you think of the essence of life and love and about what one has to do in order not to waste one's life. This symbol of the essence of life appears in one of her lines, as 'the inner song.' She says that all that one has to do in life in order to be happy is to do everything according to one's inner song ... (comment from imdb.com)

Yevgeni Sherstobitov - Tumannost Andromedy (1967)

plot:
Film is set in the future. A spaceship named "Tantra" is exploring the unknown part of the
Universe, and gets trapped by the "Iron Star". It's powerful force of gravity is to hold the
spaceship for 20 years. The crew is facing a very tough survival challenge, being surrounded
by the invisible predators. The predators can eat human flesh right through the heavy
spacesuit. Only the light can scare them away.

Mikhail Shvejtser - Zolotoy telyonok AKA The Golden Calf (1968)

This Russian comedy is the sequel to The Twelve Chairs, which told of a madcap search by a con-man and a nobleman in post-communist Russia for a chair containing a king's ransom in hidden diamonds. Presumably dead at the end of the first film, charming con-man Ostap Bender is alive and kicking and looking for another way to get rich. He discovers an underground Soviet millionaire, Alexander Koreiko, and begins blackmailing him in an attempt to accomplish his lifelong goal of having one million rubles. With that amount of money, he believes he could fulfill his dream of moving to Rio de Janeiro. In the pursuit of his many schemes, he uses an ill-assorted gang of fellow miscreants: Shura the simple-minded young ex-convict, Panikovsky an older con man, and the unusually unlucky driver Adam Kozlevich. He has many wild adventures in his quest. The witty and satirical novel on which this movie is based, written in 1930, was prohibited until the 1950s, when it became a cult novel in the USSR.

Vladimir Polkovnikov & Leonid Amalrik - Pavlinij Hvost AKA A Peacock's Tail (1946)

Synopsis: On the motives of K. Chukovskogo's same fairy tale. It tells us about an envious bear who demanded from doctor Ajbolit to sew to him a peacock tail and went for a walk to the wood. The peacock tail gives out to hunters where the bear is.

Vasili Pichul - Malenkaya Vera AKA Little Vera (1988)

------------ Plot Synopsis allmovie.com -----------------------
The title character of the Russian Little Vera is a headstrong teenage girl, played by Natalya Negoda. To the dismay of her parents, Vera lives only for the moment, making no provision for her future. She'd rather hang out at local cafes in garish makeup and provocative clothing. A chance meeting with handsome student Sergei (Andrei Sokolov) develops into a sexual relationship. Her parents send out Vera's brother (Alexander Alexeyev-Negreba) to talk some sense into her, which proves to be doubly dicey when it turns out that the brother is an old acquaintance of the rebellious Sergei. Vera lies, saying that she's gotten pregnant by Sergei, so he obligingly marries her and moves in with her family, which serves only to make matters worse, as Vera's drunken father (Yuri Nazarov) ends up stabbing his son-in-law. Persuaded to lie about the incident to keep her father out of jail, Vera takes her family's side. A last-minute tragedy is barely averted, but the audience gets the distinct feeling that Vera's problems with her family in particular and her life in general are far from over.

Mark Donskoy - Detstvo Gorkogo AKA Childhood of Maxim Gorky (1938)

From IMDB User Comments
Pure cinematic poetry, 10 January 2004 10/10
Author: ollie501 from Dorset, England

The Childhood of Maxim Gorky, tells the story of Aleksei Peshkov a 12 year old boy, living in 19th Century Russia, who would later be known as Maxim Gorky, possibly Russia's most famous and celebrated novelist and dramatist. Made in 1938, the film is based on Gorky's autobiography `My Childhood', and is rich and powerful film which will capture your attention from the beginning.

Naturally, being made in 1938, the film is in black and white, although the story is so colourful and vibrant, with characters so alive, you would be forgiven for thinking the film was made much later. It definitely does not feel almost 65 years old.

Aleksei Lyarsky, who plays Gorky, is instantly likeable as the young protagonist. Capable of portraying emotions far beyond his years, he works superbly alongside a cast of commanding and believable proportion.

Boris Stepantsev - Vovka v Tridevyatom tsarstve AKA Vovka in Far Far Away Kingdom (1965)

19 min. 48 sec.
SOYUZMULTFILM, 1965

directed by Boris Stepantsev
written by Vadim Korostylev
art directors Anatoly Savchenko, Petr Repkin
artists O. Ghemmerling, Lev Arkadyev
animators Anatoly Abarenov, Galina Barinova, Antonina Alyoshina, V. Dolgikh, Youry Butyrin, Leonid Kayukov, Tatiana Taranovich, Victor Arsentiev, Olga Orlova, Anatoly Petrov, S. Zhutovskaya
cameraman Michael Druyan
music I. Yakushenko
sound Boris Filchikov
script editor Raisa Frichinskaya
voice artists Emma Treivas, Michael Yanshin (Tsar) , Clara Rumyanova (Vassilissa) , Elena Ponsova (The Old lady and the Librarian) , Rina Zelenaya (Vovka)

Yakov Protazanov - Pikovaya dama AKA The Queen of Spades (1916)

Already in the early years of Russian cinema Protazanov’s name was a hallmark of artistic excellence. "The Queen of Spades" is a brilliant example of his extraordinary talent. The film has not only a first-rate story and ingenious Mozzhukhin’s performance, but also all the tricks that were available to filmmakers in 1916. The use of crosscutting in the film is quite sophisticated for the time; superimposition is yet another important device; and the use of flashbacks here is very effective. Unlike most pictures of that time "The Queen of Spades" made a genuine contribution to the evolution of Russian film art. I think it would be great if more people see one of the best pre-revolutionary Russian films.

--GostaBerling

Mikhail Kalatozov - Neotpravlennoye pismo aka The Letter Never Sent (1960) (HD)

Quote:
After months of searching, four devoted geologists unearth diamonds in Bolshaya Zemlya. Subsequently cut off from the outside world - and their food supply - by a raging forest fire, the team fights for their lives while attempting to pass along the location of the priceless cache.

Vera Stroyeva - Boris Godunov (1954)

quote from Amazon user: A complement I say, as this not being complete (well, I'd better say severely truncated) it cannot be your sole Boris in a collection; necessary I add, because it preserved a sizable portion of the title part, as portrayed by one of its foremost exponents ever, the great russian bass Alexander Pirogov. This incompleteness is only implied but not clearly stated in the disc's box, which should advise would-be purchasers. So what you get is some kind of "extended highlights" of this, arguably the greatest of russian operas and certainly the most popular. It is a film by Vera Stroieva, made in 1954 as part of a project dear to soviet authorities of putting into film both the lives of Russia's greatest artists and adaptations of their works, to "educate the masses" and of course not being entirely without some ideological hints (or rather more than mere hints). Stroieva made effective use of exterior shots, as well as mixes of "theatrical stage" sequences with other ones filmed inside the Kremlin, which gave the film an intriguing aura and allowed us to look at Boris Godunov from an unusual perspective; the soundtrack was dubbed and lip sinchronised of course, but remarkably well, with results far better than those in contemporary efforts by RAI to film standard italian operas. From the film perspective, it followed the traditions of soviet film making, with stunning images, stark closeups and vast shots of hundreds of extras in the opera scenes involving the people; the soudtrack had to be made on purpose for the project, as the myriad cuts in the score ruled out cutting and splicing existing recordings.

Samson Samsonov - Poprygunya (1955)

From Mosfilm.com:
A screen version of Anton Pavlovich Chekhov's short story of the same name (Poprygunya). The film won a Silver Lion of St. Mark and the Pasinetti Prize ( a prize awarded by Italian film critics) for best international film at the 1955 Venice International Film Festival.

Elisabeta Bostan - Ma-ma AKA Rock'n Roll Wolf (1976)

IMDB:
An enchanting film combining beautiful costumes, fun music and excellent ballet performance
5 March 2005 | by (natalivogue@yahoo.com) (United Kingdom)

I saw this film as a child in a small town cinema in Soviet Union, was completely mesmerised by it and since then was looking for it everywhere. Finally, we managed to get a video from Romania. I was so happy. It's an enchanting, original, musical fairy-tale with a bit of rock'n'roll. The costumes and the music are Romanian indeed, but there are also wonderful Russian actors in main roles. I especially love Mihail Boyarski as the bad guy - the Wolf. There's also a ballet performance from Bolshoi, and beautiful ballet on ice from Moscow. The film just has so much beauty and energy in it. I recommend it to all children and their parents. Unforgettable experience!

Grigori Kokhan - Yaroslav Mudry aka Yaroslav the Wise (1982)

From Imdb:
In the XIth century Kievan Rus' reached its zenith under the reign of Yaroslav. He established enduring ties with many of the ruling European dynasties, strengthened the borders of Rus' and tried to free it from the influence of the Byzantine Empire. Since 988 the church of Rus' had been autonomous, apart from the right of Constantinople to appoint the Metropolitan

Aleksandr Borisov - Krotkaya aka The Meek One (1960)

Based on the short story "A Gentle Being" by Dostoievski.

Yakov Bazelyan & Sergei Parajanov - Andriesh (1954)

A major foreshadowing of Paradjanov’s later work, the visually prodigious Andriesh is an entertaining tale about a young shepherd who is given a magic shawm (a flutelike instrument) to help him conquer his foes. With its flying sheep, evil wizards, and storm demons—all captured in the gloriously artifical palette of fifties Soviet color stock—Andriesh has the kind of eye-popping, whirlwind weirdness of Paradjanov’s last films, Suram Fortress and Ashik Kerib.

Lev Kuleshov - Velikiy uteshitel aka The Great Consoler (1933)

The Great Consoler is Lev Kuleshov’s most personal film reflecting both the facts of his life and his thoughts about the place of the artist in contemporary reality. It was the only film in the Soviet cinema of those years that raised the question of what role a creative person played in society.

The film takes place in America in 1899, and in its principal plot depicts Bill Porter, who is the great consoler of the title, in prison. His writing skills earn him privileges from the governor and he is spared the inhumane treatment meted out to other prisoners. Porter is very much aware of the brutality around him but, mindful of his better conditions, refuses to write about prison life. He prefers to console his less-well-treated friends, and indeed all his readers, with excessively romantic fantasies in which good invariably triumphs.

Kira Muratova - Dolgie provody AKA A Long Goodbye (1971)

It is a great film by a great director.Kira Muratova has never been given her due in the Soviet and post-Soviet Russia.In the "Long Good Bye" she depicts a seemingly banal story of a jealous and possessive mother (brilliantly acted by Zinaida Sharko) and her poor aloof and lonely son (the only cinematic role by the talented O. Vladimirsky). The story - which is nothing extraordinary in itself - grows into the wonderful and frightening analysis of alienation between genders and generations on the background of the even more frighteningly bleak and dehumanized Soviet reality.Kira Muratova shows the tiny details of everyday Soviet life,and, again , banal as they are ,they are a hair-raising horror.The dialogue is deliberately laconic and void of any sense, showing the ever-growing people's inability to communicate and understand each other.The sound track ( by another under-estimated talent, Oleg Karavaichuk)adds to the atmosphere of hopeless and meaningless existence.Of course,Sasha (the name of the protagonist),will leave his despotic ( but loving!) mother sooner or later, but where for? (c) Author: drbagrov from Taiwan

Eldar Ryazanov - Sluzhebnyy roman aka Office Romance (1977)

Anatoli Yefremovich Novoseltsev works in a statistics institution, whose director is an unattractive and bossy woman. An old friend of his, Yuri Grigorievich Samokhvalov, who gets appointed assistant director of the institution, wants to make Novoseltsev the head of the department but encounters objections from Ludmila Prokopievna Kalugina, the director. Samokhvalov then advises Novoseltsev to lightly hit on the boss. Ironically, Novoseltsev and Kalugina fall in love with each other...