Aleksandra (Alexandra)

One of the most raw and direct war movies I have seen that do not show any gun fight and tears you apart by the emotions you will feel while watching a grandmother visiting her grandson at a camp inside Chechnya. Amazing!

Unbelievable good performance by opera legend Galina Vishnevskaya that plays Alexandra with a depth that will blow your mind. Just for her performance the movie is a must be seen but there is so much more in this movie.

Spectacular cinematography that creates a war-torn atmosphere with muted colors that generate views of sun bleached fields, dusk takes on camouflage hues and night is an unwelcoming darkness. The effect of the use of light and filters not only is visually outstanding, absolutely complementary to the war story but also lets you feel hot, very hot like baking in the 100+ degrees. Then the story also raises your heat, so everything is complementary here.

Even if incredibly good Aleksandr Sokurov –also wrote the screenplay- says that his film is not political it is impossible not to notice the anti war message in this highly poetic film. One sentence is still in my mind and it goes like this “you know how to destroy, but do you know how to build?”.

The movie was an Official Selection for the Palm D’Or at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival. Not for all audiences this is a movie that I strongly recommend to all serious art cinema lovers.

Think I discovered another great Russian director that I will follow from now on and will try to see his previous work.

Big Enjoy!!