All-time Highest Graded Films
Highest Graded Films of 1957
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Since 06/09/00
Symptomatic of the less repressive regime was The Cranes are Flying, which even dared to reference military corruption during World War II. Probably the best Soviet film made between Ivan the Terrible (1945) and Andrei Rublev (1969), it had a fresh perspective on the sacrifices and losses of war.
At a time when the American cinema interpretation of World War II was in patriotic and heroic movies like To Hell and Back, The Cranes Are Flying was different. To appreciate the Soviet perspective, it has be remembered that twenty million Russians died due to the war, including a very high percentage of young males. It was a catastrophic event that forced brought death to most Russian families, and forced them to relocate as far as Siberia to escape the advancing German forces.
The cruelty of the war casts a pall across The Cranes are Flying. The opening scenes offer happy young lovers, Boris (Aleksei Batalov) and Veronica (Tatyana Samojlova). But Boris must go to war, while spirited Veronica is left behind. Boris' cousin Fyodor (Vasili Merkuryev), a talented pianist, avoids conscription though bribes to military officials, and eventually seduces the heartbroken Veronica.
Meanwhile, Boris suffers great hardships on the Western front. Although he's officially listed as missing, Veronica still pines for Boris, and believes that he will return. A western film would indeed have a Tommy-styled reunion and confrontation, but The Cranes are Flying has resolutions that are both bittersweet and more realistic.
The film is marvelously directed by the shamefully obscure Mikheil Kalatozishvili. Samojlova is repeated subjected to extreme closeup, and her intense joy or anguish is completely credible.
Many scenes are memorable due a handheld camera that shows the perspective of a character. The best example of this is Boris' hallucinations upon being shot: fantasies of a blissful wedding to Veronica intertwine with the realities of the forest in winter where he has fallen.
Blessed with gorgeous and innovative cinematography, a strong female lead, and a compelling story, The Cranes are Flying stunned Western audiences, who had long dismissed Soviet films as state propaganda. The film won the prestigious Golden Palm at Cannes, and won Best Film at the British Academy Awards.
Samojlova was named Best Foreign Actress as well, but stardom was not in store for her, as she remained in Russia. She continues to make films there to this day.