User Reviews

Mr.monsieurb wrote not about this film, but about Sokurov's second feature-length fiction film "Skorbnoe Beschuvstvie" by the drama of B.Show. "Odinokii golos cheloveka" had been made as a diploma work of All Soviet National Institute of Cinematography(VGIK) but was banned before the Perestroika. They ordered that film must be completely perished, but the director and cameraman hided it under the bed of their dormitory. Now this legendary film is often screened in Tokyo. But perhaps even Andrey Tarkovsky, who said that this film is the work of a genius, would never imagined such a lucky fate for it. "Odinokii golos.." is poetic, beautiful film, but its beauty came from the deepest faith of Russian people. They believed in Artistic Creation as the Service to God. But the author and the screenwriter did so almost subconsciously. The results was this legendary film, which for about 10 years had been secretly screened in apartment room or other hidden places before 1986. I can't imagine other land or time, which could give birth to such an isolated film, with such a simple story and such a naive, trembling sensitivity of youth,coupled with such a mystic expression of religious feelings. This is actually one of these rare cases of cinema history, when young directors reached the maturity of Master by providential force. It must be screened and seen again and again,not only for audience, even for Sokurov himself, so that he would remember what had happened to him when he was 26 to 27.

Typical piece of 'slow tv'. Whether you appreciate this film or not depends on the state you're in when watching it I guess. When you're all set for an entertaining movie experience, you will be utterly dissappointed. But when you're in a tired or intoxicated mood, you will value the stillness and find some parts of it not boring.

The movie is a compilation of dreary, slow-paced dialogue, shots of a deserted Russian countryside and random flashbacks. I'm sure there's supposed to be a deeper meaning to it all, and a political Soviet one as well, but I didn't catch it. I will read about it.