User Reviews

The movie takes a peek behind the iron curtain in the post World War 2. Set in a 1955 Moscow, it describes the battle between conformity and individuality that the youth faces while living under a communist regime built on the ideology that no one is better than another and everyone lives for each other. However, there is a tribe that in its youthful defiance of the system (that promotes a monotonous and disciplined life), adopts a culture of colorful clothing and celebrating their life through their love for jazz at broadway and cocktail club. The society that considers following western culture a defiance of the countries ideology and shames them as hipsters or "Stilyagi". Western articles are not imported into the country, but are smuggled and bought through middlemen trading in the dark alleys around the clubs. The sense of defiance through these purchases, further stimulates the propulsion of this culture.

The narrative is bound around the 20 year old Mels who is part of the youth wing of the communist party. He isn't necessarily tied closely to the ideology of the party, but earnestly carries out the orders and is very close friends with its youth commander, Katlyn. During one of the raids on partying hispsters, Mels is smitten by the enchanting Polly. He subsequently realizes that to capture her attention, he would need to learn to dress up and dance like them and become a part of their group. This gives a sneak peak behind the jazzy outlook of the group as they are shown as citizens who too belong normal conformed family lives but choose to express themselves by socializing together. In this journey of transformation, Mels also learns to play Saxaphone which helps him to charter to unexplored facets of this personality.

Through Mels journey of transition the director sheds light on how the hipsters, or "Dandy" as they are called, keep up with their lifestyle. One thing that strikes the viewer is that they are too vibrant and gaudy in their choices, partly because the director wanted to markedly distinguish between the vivid world of Dandys and the grey world of the slobs, but possibly also to show that the hipsters had only a perceived vision of the western culture and was inspired by the dazzling outlook of the western showbiz.

The tension between the komsomol and the Stilyagi's is scratched on the surface through interactions between Mels and Katlyn. Katlyn has had a crush on Mels and is visibly disturbed at losing him to the Stilyagis'. Since the story is told from Stilyagi's perspective, the rendering takes a satirical dig at the conformist communist culture at more than one instance.

Since it is a musical, the music adds well to the narrative and sequenced are very colorfully choreographed. However, the song that really stands out is the one sung in the assembly of the communist party, where Mels is stripped of his membership. All in all, its a light-hearted, entertaining take on the hipster's cult in 1950's Moscow and with a hint on it's substance.

Contrary to popular belief, it's not hip to be square...but it's hip to be a hipster in Red Square! The year is 1955, the setting Moscow. It's ten years after the end of the Second World War and eight years after the start of the Cold War. A city washed over in a damp, grey gloom. Our initial impressions of this Communist hub is downright Orwellian. Even without a precise knowledge, it's not far from what we imagine Russia to have been like at the time. But then before you can even say borscht, the clammy streets are flooded with a Chuck Berry-esque number. Skirts are flying, heels are clacking, boys in plaid suits and pompadours are feeling up dolls as they rock out on the dance floor. These are the stilyagi, or as we might better understand them, the hipsters. This isn't Portland though, and these aren't your typical twee teens. If you're expecting doe eyes and horn-rimmed glasses, half blinded by a block of fringe à la Zooey Deschanel, you're going to be disappointed.

The hipsters of Moscow are actually a direct contradiction to the statutes of Communism as set up by the great leaders of the past. Where uniformity is praised and uniqueness, punished, the hipsters are veritable outlaws. In a rebellious frenzy, we first meet our main characters at an illegal dance with banned American tunes recorded on X-Ray sheets. In a typical Capulets vs Montagues fashion, worlds collide and the rockabilly Polly runs into the straight-edge Mels. Named for the rock stars of Communism; Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin, our main man Mels is really just a conflicted kid who wants to be a part of the hipster world. With some prompting from Polly and a gradual easing-into of the waters of anarchy, Mels bids 'do svidaniya' to the Commie crowd and joins the ranks of the cool kids. Pretty soon, Polly (who's basically the Russian Michelle Williams) and Mels (who I'm pretty sure is just Haley Joel Osment) become the Queen and King of the Hipsters.

For all it's 'hipsterness', Stilyagi's most engaging moments actually come from the Communist youth and their dedication to taking down the hipsters. Going through the daily paces of perfectly executed hatred and prejudice, it's the brainwashed grey-clad kids with whom I sympathize most. That's not to say that being a hipster in Russia is a casual thing because unfortunately, being one in 1955 Moscow can lead to criminal charges. Whether it's for listening to non-approved music or for obscene dancing or for any number of other vulgar offences, just like the tiny town in Footloose, you can get busted for boppin'. However, since Stilyagi concerns itself so much with the fancy threads and coifs and tunes, we tend to forget to care about our titular hipsters and instead transfer concerns to the "enemy".

The stark contrast set up between the Hipsters and the gung-ho Communism groupies applies well to the screen, with the vivd polychromatic world of the former in a perpetual stand off with the sepia-glazed uniformity of the latter. However, everything that follows in Stilyagi is grossly misbalanced. There are some seriously fun and catchy songs and dance numbers, but they're stinted by the dreary, uninspired stretches in between. When a musical number jumps in, it's a total surprise because we've almost forgotten that what we're watching is a musical. Stilyagi's greatest downfall though actually isn't completely obvious on an aesthetic level. It's what's holding the film together, or really what's not holding it together that holds the film back. The editing is just as slow and bumpy as the polka beats that lumber along with the action. With a musical like this, Stilyagi should either be dotted with snappy, kinetic cuts, or it should be in the vein of Rodger's and Hammerstein - more likened to a stage play. Instead, the combination of medium-length shots in the musical numbers paired with long, dragged out ones, just sucks the energy right out of what should be an easily exciting film.

Funnily enough, the standard of hipsterdom in 1950s Russia is set by what is believed to be the rebellious styles and tastes of North American youth, though it couldn't be farther from the truth. The lingo the stilyagi use are absolutely straight out of 1950s America, but it's not the language of a rebelling youth culture - it's just the norm. In fact, going beyond the norm, the styles and dialogue of the stilyagi are kind of akin to the goody-two-shoes variety. It's difficult to relate to the stilyagi who are according to a North American audience, actually pretty square. Stilyagi is a bit lost in translation and so loses its appeal somewhat. I can tell you who this film will appeal to though, and that's modern hipsters. I can hear the bored, withdrawn, cooler-than- thou remarks already, "I'm really into this cult Russian musical right now - you probably haven't heard of it", "It's like John Waters meets Moscow...by the way have you seen Pink Flamingos?" Newsflash! Just because it's counter-culture, doesn't necessarily mean it's any good. Stilyagi is a decent film, memorable to a North American audiences because of its exotic appeal, but in the greater scheme of things, it's neither amazing enough to recommend nor terrible enough to slander.

What is worthwhile about the film though is a peek inside a Russia you never knew. A hipster subset isn't an element that's instantly associable with Cold War Russia but here you have it - a whole film dedicated to the hipster youth subculture. If anything, Stilyagi is worth a watch for this reason.

My first ever Russian movie musical and I absolutely loved it!

I enjoy Russian made movies, especially those about the war and life during the Soviet era so the synopsis interested me. When I realized it was a musical I nearly stopped watching. Glad I did not!

The costuming, acting, dancing and music is top notch in my view and I felt like the leads really captured the spirit of the story-line.

The plot had a familiar feel to it with Mels, the young man drawn away from the stoic norm by romance and a desire to escape the status quo. He becomes Mel and adapts a wild look complete with and outlandish Pompadour hairstyle.

The fact that it is set in Soviet Russia and based on a little known episode in history gives it a flavor its own. It also has plenty of twists and turns to keep it unique.

I find it interesting that they adapted exaggerated looks based on the very limited access they had to American culture. Fred, the leader of the Stilyagi who is also the son of a high official is the first to shed the look to take on his high position in Soviet government. Mel can't accept it when Fred returns from the US and tells him that there are no Stilyagi in America.

I now feel some compulsion to research the Stilyagi and learn more about this little known tale of a counter culture in the post Stalin era.

A really good film overall and I will be watching again. I could really see this being turned into a Broadway show. Would not be surprised if someone is already working on it.