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Happiness (1934) The Last Bolshevik (1993)
(aka "Happiness" or "Schastye" )
directed by Aleksandr Medvedkin
USSR 1934
One of the last Soviet silent movies, rediscovered and restored by French cine-chameleon Chris Marker in 1971, Happiness proved an easily accessible counterpoint to the exotic obscurities of The Wishing Tree. For this rare and often hilarious example of socialist slapstick is likewise grounded in the seeming eccentricities of Russian folk culture; but on the less culturally specific dynamics of those hopes and dreams which forever sustain the exploited, and which may or may not flourish after the revolution. Medvedkin's infectiously happy oddity emerged surprisingly from a slough of social-realist orthodoxy, and prompted none other than Eisenstein to the admiring tribute: 'Today I saw how a Bolshevik laughs.' |
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Theatrical Release: March 15th, 1935 (USSR)
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DVD Review: Icarus Films - Region 1 - NTSC
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Distribution |
Icarus Films Region 1 - NTSC |
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Runtime | 1:03:28 | |
Video |
1.37:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
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NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Audio | Silent (Dolby Digital 2.0) | |
Subtitles | English, None | |
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Release Information: Studio: Icarus Films Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: Chapters 8 |
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Included in this dual disc set are Aleksandr Medvedkin's mad Soviet masterpiece "Happiness" and Chris Marker's semi-biographical documentary "The Last Boshevik". Both films are stunning achievements, and the wealth of extras make this set a must own form cinephiles. As it turns out, Medvedkin was something of a forgotten genius in experimental and absurdest Russian cinema of his day. Admired by his contemporaries, and even hailed by some as the greatest amongst them, Medvendkin never achieved commercial success and didn't even have a single one of his films shown commercially in cinemas during his lifetime. Despite this, Marker deservedly rescued him from obscurity after stumbling upon his devilishly funny "Happiness". In response, Marker made his documentary that, while ostensibly is about Medvendkin, often veers off into other topics dealing with Soviet history.
Unfortunately, both films in this
set suffer from obvious deficiencies. Most notably, both films
are interlaced and feature heavy combing throughout. What's
more, the damage on "Happiness" is particularly bad with
instances of scratches, tears, dust, dirt, missing parts of the
frame, and instability verging on being the norm instead of the
exception. While this is certainly a problem, I doubt that much
could have been done to restore the film at this point, and that
we'll never see it looking any better. Marker's film predictably
is much cleaner, but even it shows its age with some instances
of damage and softness. Both films feature Dolby mono tracks
that are competent enough, optional French tracks, and English
subtitles. The discs also sport a surprising amount of extras.
On the first disc, we five of Medvedkin's short films and
reconstructions of two of his lost works. Also included is a
lengthy and informative interview with Medvedkin, which we get
more of on the second disc. |
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Combing
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(aka "The Last Bolshevik" )
directed by Chris Marker
France/Finland 1993
One of the major essays of Chris Marker-which automatically makes this one of the key works of our time-this remarkable 1993 video is provisionally about his friend and mentor, the late Soviet filmmaker Alexander Medvedkin (1900-'89), in the form of six video 'letters' sent to him posthumously. More profoundly, this is about the history of Soviet cinema and the Soviet Union itself, about what it meant to be a communist, about what these things mean now. In the process of redefining these issues, Marker produces a guarded self-portrait and autocritique, implicitly asking himself what his own leftism has meant and continues to mean. Eloquent and mordantly witty in its poetic writing, beautiful and often painterly in its images, this is as moving and as provocative in many respects as Marker's Sans soleil (1982). Not to be missed. |
Theatrical Release: March 25th, 1993 (Finland)
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DVD Review: - Icarus Films - Region 0 - PAL
Distribution |
Icarus Films Region 0 - PAL |
Runtime | 2:00:28 |
Video |
1.33:1 Original Aspect Ratio |
NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes. |
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Bitrate |
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Audio | Russian, French, and English (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
Subtitles | English, French, None |
Features |
Release
Information: Studio: Icarus Films
Aspect Ratio:
Edition Details: DVD
Release Date: September 2nd,
2008 Chapters 10 |
DVD Menus
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Screen Captures
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Combing
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DVD Box Cover |
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CLICK to order from:
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Distribution |
Icarus Films Region 1 - NTSC |
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