- How do you feel about the pacing of this film?
- How does what you learned from Alla Volkova about Russian culture and filmmaking help you appreciate this film more? What questions did this film raise about Russian culture?
- What did you like most about this film? What did you not like?
I know we haven't finished the film yet but I am adoring it so far. It really has this undertone of sadness but an outer layer of hopefulness to the story. I also like the humor, it's not cheesy and even though I have never been, nor plan to, be in an orphanage, I feel like that's what I know what the living conditions would be like - mainly how the kids act and their curious ambitions to find out who and where there parents are and the way the older kids rule over the others.
ReplyDeleteI think most of us can agree that The Italian is not a bad movie. It's touching to the heart and there's always the soft air of hopefulness and rooting for the young boy to find his mother - though, I can't say I agree with the ending.
ReplyDeleteNo, it was not a bad ending. It was sweet, and very happy. I don't really think any of us wanted to see his mother turn out to be some, excuse my language, alcoholic hag of some sort, like I had expected, and him had to of taken the walk of shame back to the orphanage - but it was a very abrupt ending. We didn't see the mother, no questions were answered, and it didn't feel like a full closing.
The italian kept dealing with the one though: did his mother abandon him because he wasn't wanted? He set off in search to find her, which I do believe would be a natural curiosity for any parentless kid. She gave him to the hands of an orphanage, and gladly took him back in - but there was still those lingering questions of WHY. WHYYYYYY. WHY DIDNT YOU LOOK FOR HIM. WHY DID YOU GIVE HIM UP. WHY DID YOU TAKE HIM BACK. WHY COULDNT WE SEE THE MOTHERS FACE. WHY WAS THE ENDING SO ABRUPT. WHY WAS IT SO SWEETLY HAPPY. WHY. WHY. WHY.
Seemed a little unlogical to me, especially compared to the prolonged plot of following the adventure of the little boy racing to find his momma in time, and then to have such an ending like that seems like a big can of cheese poured onto a perfectly balanced meal, haha.
Oooo ... clever conclusion ;) I agree with you about the ending. I would have included a hopeful ending but a more complex, kind of hope. Like he finds his mom and she doesn't want him but he finds happiness some other way.
DeleteLOVED this film. Except the ending, I did not like the ending. I really like his journey though! I thought it was dumb that he found his mom, it didn't seem like the kind of movie where he would and I also didn't like the last shot in it. Just golden light and "you were looking for me boy?" or somthing to that effect. Cheesey and doesn't go with the rest of the film.
ReplyDeleteI learned more about the orphan life there and how the kids were treated and how they treated eachother. The older ones seemed to rule over the younger ones and the boys seemed to rule over the girls. I didn't like that part. It also seemed like there was a lack of police and law enforcement. Here they probably would have found that boy easier. But I agree with Jelte that it was a very sudden ending and deffinetly realistic (besides the ending).
I thought a lot of it was artistic and I really liked the way they filmed it. The shots looked nice and the sound was pretty good. I liked how determined that kid was and how clever he was too, like when the man was chasing after him and he ran to all those people and told them he was trying to kill him.
Other then the ending, I really enjoyed it. I think we should just make our own ending of it. New class project!
Sir Whovian, Out!
The Italian was an amazingly written and well directed. I am not usually drawn to drama movies but this one intrigued me. The movie had a really good plot and great build-up to help it along.
ReplyDeleteThe boy in the film was really good actor and played his part well and carried out his emotions like a boss. I don't think they could have picked anyone better to play his part.
The only thing I didn't like was the ending and that is because it was too sudden and kept the same shot for a little too long and on top of that we never got to see his mother. There was also a few un-answered questions: what happened to the Italians? What happened to the guy who worked for the orphanage lady? What did the mother say when she saw her son?
I agree that the kid is an AMAZING actor! I loved his performance!
DeleteI did feel that the film was a little slow but it wasn’t enough to bore me, it just made it a little bit harder to watch, if that makes sense. It did have some boring part especially in the beginning. But I still found the movie interesting.
ReplyDeleteI saw a lot of what I researched in this movie. I saw a lot of the style and dreariness that I felt when I was looking up the peoples personalities and how they acted. With the kids smoking at such young ages, and how the one kid’s mom jumped in front of the train it just all fit with the stuff I researched.
It made me think, it made me sad, and it made me happy. It was just over all a really cute movie. But I probably wouldn’t watch it again. I just thought it was cute. The actors played their part really well. I thought the make-up was great and the style over all was enticing.
A well expressed summary of your experience with the film. Good job.
DeleteIn my opinion it felt like any other movie, just in a different language. It wasn't straight to the point, but it was interesting enough to keep watching without thinking, " When is something interesting going to happen?" I love the story, very cute.
ReplyDeleteI like how it shows the not so happy side of Russia. It just shows that we are very similar. There are orphanages, people do have issues, and i don't think i have watched an orphanage movie that didn't involve a runaway.
What i liked most about this film is the story it makes you think. How would you feel in his situation? What would you do? I love that it makes you feel really sad and then the ending scene you are just like wow perseverance to the end. If i were in his situation i think i probably would have given up because at such a young age who would be willing to risk everything for some one that gave them up, when there is a perfectly happy family that wants to take care of you.
Yeah, this film really was a great counter balance to Shurik. You can see how things changed in Russian filmmaking once the Soviet Union collapsed and the Iron Curtain came down.
DeleteThe pacing of The Italian was great in my opinion. To be honest, I didn’t even realize that pacing was an issue until reading some of the other responses. I have to say that now looking back, I can see why some may have been bored with the film, especially at the beginning. It was a little bit slow to start, but I didn’t have a problem with it. I think the pacing fit the movie well and I always felt engaged with the film. It really kept my attention.
ReplyDeleteI think a big part of why it kept my attention so well is something that I’ll have to agree with Tucker on, the boy in this film was a great actor. It was amazing to see so much emotion coming from such a young child. Kudos to him! Something that a lot of actors can’t pull off. I really enjoyed his performance.
It’s hard to pinpoint what exactly I liked the most about this film, because I really enjoyed so much of it. The acting of almost all of the characters was done really well, the cinematography and tones looked really great, and the story of the film was interesting. I’ll have to agree with everyone else that my least favorite part of the film was the ending. It happened so fast, and it wasn’t satisfying. I know that we should be happy for this little boy for finding his mother, but I think that I would have been just as happy (if not more happy) had he ended up not finding his mother and going back to the old man and staying with him.
-Ryan Ditta
hey, sup.
ReplyDeletei liked how it was paced and i thought it worked very well for the film.
i thought it was interesting how it worked in the foster home, just how the day to day things worked. like how the older kids extorted everyone and had their own little society. and i wouldnt say thats what i like the nost about the fil but thats probably what interiged me most.
yeah.- zak
Interesting to differentiate between what you liked and what intrigued you. It is interesting to see how the orphans formed a community with different roles and power structure.
Delete(Please write much more than this for full points. Give us at least three paragraphs of this length.)
This movie is very very good, and while the ending was not as good as I had been expecting, it still plays out for the best, and we find that Venya is happy once he finishes his quest.
ReplyDeleteI really like that he choose to find his mother rather than live a life of luxury, since he fears for the saftey of his mother, fearing her fate would be the same as another mothers.
I suppose that this movie is a very real and grim representation of the Russian orphanges, where children are given away to people with money. Along with repoted abuse since many of the orphanges can't afford to properly care for them. Many are born with diseases, syphilis is rampant among the orphane population.
Thanks for the extra info on the Russian orphanages.
DeleteHey guys,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the wonderful comments on both films. I really enjoyed talking with you about Russian cinema and answering your questions. It's been wonderful to read your thoughts in this blog! I am very impressed and you seriously made my day by adding these insightful comments on both films.
I really liked the comment from Jelte that "The Italian" represents a dark fairy tale. It's very true. In a sense, Vanya, the main kid, goes through a "hero's journey" in the film where he has to encounter bizarre characters and situations, conquer them, and push through the struggles to reach his goal and find his mother. When I watched the film for the first time it made a deep impression on me, because Vanya's journey was so hopeful. Here is the reason why. Traditionally films about Russian orphanages are very brutal, depressing and portray the life of these poor children with unbiased ugliness. It is a hopeless, ugly life indeed because the conditions are terrible and kids are often abuse each other and are being abused. "The Italian" however, became a fairytale because it showed that there is hope for these kids and elevated the idea of perseverance.
Also I think the movie was made at the point where a lot of adoptions from international families were happening in Russia and there were a few incidents where kids were returned to the orphanages because their new parents couldn't deal with them. Often these kids would be traumatized by past events, had bat habits like smoking or drinking at the age of 8. They went through so much and all these things made it difficult for parents to find a common ground with them. I think "The Italian" was made to inspire Russian families to adopt these children because they would understand them better and know how to care for them.
Finally, regarding the ending of the film. I know a lot of people didn't like it. I didn't appreciate it the first time I watched it myself. It was a bit jarring because I wanted to see the mother. However, now I really like the idea of not seeing her because everyone of us can imagine his mother as we wish. It's a connection to our own moms in a sense. For each one of us our mother carries a special meaning and we can transfer that meaning into the film through the eyes of protagonist without realizing it. Again imagining her as we wish, what she could be like, thinking about our own mother and what she means to us. I think it was a very clever and wonderful idea on filmmakers' part.
And I also love this child actor. Apparently he was picked by an assistant director for his first feature film at the age of 8 in a school cafeteria while playing with other kids because he was rambunctious and funny. It drew the attention instantly :)
Carlos Lopez
ReplyDeletethis film was really good and the actors were fantastic and to think things like that realy happened and the orphanage was getting away with it pluse most of the kids parents come back to get them but the kid is already gone.
GIVE ME MORE! I will give you more points on any of your previously written blog points if you write more.
DeleteAnyways ... I am glad to see that you're using the film to make connections with things that are really happening in the world. That foreign films are helping you be a better world citizen by helping you be more aware of what is happening in the world.