★ 8 / 10
Gripping
gbill-74877
"If you want to return, destroy all the f*cking b*stards on your land."As this film wasn't finished when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022…
"If you want to return, destroy all the f*cking b*stards on your land."As this film wasn't finished when Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in Feb. 2022 and then it premiered three months later, it certainly has a layer of additional meaning to it. The title character seems like a symbol of Ukraine, as he's a pillar of strength (indeed, his name means a stone), he struggles under limited opportunities in a rural area, and he looks out for others, including his son, who he wants to get a better education than he had. He's a member of the Hutsul people living in the Bukovina region in the western part of the country, and he turns to smuggling contraband into Romania to provide for his family. Doing so makes him run afoul of a powerful local gangster.Pamfir and his wife are on opposite sides of the coin relative to faith, but they're both strong characters. She's devout, and he's indifferent. To the question, where is God when we suffer, she says that He allows her to "transform pain into fuel." He takes a more pragmatic view, saying "Perhaps we should live with God as we do with our parents. Until a certain age, then become independent." In an interesting inversion, the gangster is likened to God, as he has his hooks into the corrupt local church, politics, and law enforcement. Meanwhile, it's the time of year for Malanka, a pagan festival with demonic imagery. Whether more or less faith is needed to improve the lives of those living here is probably an ink blot whose interpretation is dependent on the viewer, but clearly the region is under an evil sway.Director Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk successfully immerses us into Bukovina, and the cinematography is beautiful. The scenes running through the misty forests of the Carpathian mountains and the revelry of Malanka stood out. There is great tension in the story and real menace in the figure of the gangster, but I liked the restraint exercised relative to the violence. Very engaging, and impressive for a debut effort. And might I just add, Slava Ukraini!
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★ 7 / 10
Road to Nowhere...
Xstal
Returning home to where your heart truly belongs, to a family that over time, has had dingdongs, where your son will do most things, to stop you opening your…
Returning home to where your heart truly belongs, to a family that over time, has had dingdongs, where your son will do most things, to stop you opening your wings, to keep the bonds between each other, firm and strong. The result forces you back to days of old, when contraband was how you made your gold, but there are others with an interest, they will not share, and will not divest, as you're drawn into a world, a darker fold. You play the game but in the end you just can't flee, as the ties that bind are shackles that won't free, there are powers that control, that lead to payment of a toll, you have the lock, but someone else withholds the key.
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Ukranian Nazi propaganda. No thank you!