I'm sure glad that Alla Volkova (my amazing Russian filmmaker friend who so graciously spoke to our class) recommended we watch this amazing collection of three comedic shorts. Those Soviets sure know how to make comedy! Maybe being suppressed by a totalitarian government wouldn't be so made if you get to watch Shurik all day! JK. As you respond to this one, think about the following:
- What did the filmmakers' use of sound do for you?
- What did you learn from Alla that helped you appreciate this film more? Give lots of specific examples. What questions did the film raise for you about Russian culture?
- For you, what were the funniest moments of the Shurik films? Why? What moments didn't work for you? Why?
I think the sounds I saw in these three shorts reminded me to take each of the films lightly, and to remember not to be so uptight on what is logical or makes sense. A lot of the sounds that I heard reminded me of something you would hear in Tom & Jerry - or any other classical cartoon. They are to help the film be more entertaining and comical, and even if the story is slightly darker, (like the last one.) the sounds put the emphasize on the playfulness of the plot and all.
ReplyDeleteAlla seemed so cool. She knew what she was talking about and always had a fun way of putting things. I sort of forgot a lot of the things Alla said - I don't have good memory. I will probably have more to say once other students post and I can go from there, haha. I know I can appreciate that she made me really excited to start watching some Russian films, I'm not really the biggest fan, or have been oh so interested in looking into the culture of Russia, or it's films. It's always a breath of fresh air to wade into something new, woooo.
I liked them all for the most part. I was still sort of skeptical when you said you were putting in these Russian shorts, I probably wasn't paying if/when you said they were supposed to be funny; so I was surprised when I was already laughing 5 minutes in. Referring to something I said earlier, the first one reminded me of a live action Tom & Jerry sort of thing. It was super funny, but the love/hate relationship confused me a bit, mainly because Shurik and the big, mean man (whatever long, weird russian name he had) confused me. So they will just be the russian version of Tom and Jerry in my mind.
Most of what we watched I remember from the second short film we watched, with Shurik and the girl.. Leda? I thought it was cute watching this super long montage of them swiftly missing dangerous things that came their way without even watching - I liked seeing that they were sort of developing a relationship even though they weren't actually acknowledging one another completely, and then how the story ties together in the end with them being all, "This is familiar. I like it." and drifting towards romantic feelings already. It was extremely cute and hilarious. I love the man who played Shurik (is that actually his name?) He was very handsome and a good actor, I think. He brought a lot of emotion and depth to the screen in everything that he said or did, he reminded me of a Russian, male version of Marilyn Monroe. Freakishly entertaining to watch and you can't take your eyes off of him because he seems to genuinely.. well, genuine, and he's adorable. Much like Marilyn, in my opinion.
P.S., sorry if there are typos.
Rose
I concur that the actor who plays Shurik is amazing. I really want to learn more about him! I'm glad you had a good experience with these Russian comedies!
DeleteI don't even know what to say about this. It was really funny. It shows that we're similar in a lot of ways, us and them. Their comedies (or atleast these ones) are a lot like ours at that time. They used a lot of the same tactics and stunts. I liked seeing their stuff though, like the buses and that funny fan thing and how they have different words for things. Like what we would call ham or some sort of slab of meat, they called it a sausage.
ReplyDeleteI think Shurik deffinetly used those sounds to add more comedy becuase they were over dramatic and silly. But he also conveyed the images well. I could really tell what was going on and the sonts were well placed. Like in the first short, when that man was filling up the hole in the wall with bricks to trap him, they did a shot of the inside of the wall and his face.
I thought the funniest parts were when they went to do something and it didn't work or somthing wasn't there. Like in the second short when they were eatting the hot dogs and so focused on studying that the girl took it and when he went to go eat it, it wasn't there. Or the pot hole, when they were reading the notes, they walked right over the pot hole but when they were'nt they fell in. I didn't really care for the first one and them beating eachother up but that's because that's over played. I know it wasn't at the time but now it's just boring.
I liked it over all though. Would be intereasted in seeing more of his stuff.
Sir Whovian, Out!
I agree with you that the first one was the least entertaining of the three. I also noticed and was fascinated by the gags that built out of defied expectations. Have you seen any Buster Keaton films? He uses that gag A LOT. I was wondering if they were working from Keaton's playbook but, then again, it seems that they were insulated from Western cinema so I don't know that they'd have access to Keaton's work.
DeleteThis movie was fantastic because I love comedy and seeing a Russian one was great. The sounds they added were really great and added to the comedy.
ReplyDeleteI though it was extremely clever how the writer mad it so the guy on the bus and Shurik met up again and started working together. It was also clever how he mad it a construction site so he could make many different gags and injuries.
I think my favorite part was when Shurik followed around that girl while studying and neither of them new about it. I found this funny becuase of how many things happen while they didn't know about each other.
It makes me happy that you enjoyed this so much!
DeleteI really enjoyed the sound effects. I thought they were great, it just added to the comedy of it all. I loved how old fashion it was. It just seemed very classic comedy which I find much more appealing.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was here to listen to Alla, it sounds really cool to have been able to hear her speak. But I did do just a little research on Russia last night, for about 30-40ish minutes, and all I found that could help me understand the movies more was that they were kind of sad people. With the war and the government they had to get creative with their films to really be able to express themselves and how they saw or thought about things. And I can kind of see it with the two movies we have watched.
I thought that the short films where really funny. I didn’t like the last one to much but I love how cheese and big everything was. It made it even funnier to me. It’s something I would love to sit down and watch with my family.
That's a good point about these films being something to watch with the family. A lot of the films we've watched in this class are, in my opinion, amazing but they are the kind of films I watch when I want to think deeply about things and appreciated great art, not what I'd watch for a family movie night. But this was an exception. In fact, I took Shurik home the night after we watched it in class and watched it with my wife for date night and we had a blast!
DeleteAlla also talked about how the Russian people are a very sad, contemplative people. They spend a lot of time philosophizing and talking about how hard their lives hard. She also talked about how the government censored everything so artists used subtle messages to sneak commentary on the system into their work.
The use of sound in this film was very interesting. I love that the noises were cartoonish like Rose said. It made it easier and funner to watch. If they took the silly sounds out i don't think i would find it as funny as i did. I love how it has the silly stupid humor you see in old cartoons like the ones i grew up with, like nothing could possibly be sad or wrong.
ReplyDeleteEverything that Alla said made me more interested in the Russian culture. I found very interesting that their government wanted to keep them in a 'box' hiding everything that could ever possibly be wrong. It just made me think it must have been hard growing up in a world like that because i grew up with," you learn from your mistakes" but how can you do that when there's nothing wrong with anyone or anything? Everyone needs to be corrupted in some way or another!
The funniest parts in the the films were probably in the second film when they were oblivious to there surroundings in the girls bedroom. I've done almost the same thing before where your so into something you're looking at or thinking about and you don't realize what you're doing... i think everyone has done it at least once.
I agree that the sounds added so much to the humor! They worked like punctuation for the jokes that give you the cue to laugh. I think it would be awesome if some students at our school made some films that use sound in this same way. We could make some great comedic shorts like this.
Delete(And what would it be like to film documentary footage and then add these sounds? That could be really interesting ... hmmmm ...)
Thats what i was thinking! i want to finish my documentary, and i also have an idea for a sappy comedy. (:
DeleteFrom what Alla said, it sounds like the purpose of the slapstick comedy was to keep people happy so they didn't realize how hungry and oppressed they were. They way, they wouldn't overthrow the totalitarian government.
ReplyDeleteI agree that the sound really did add an unique quirkiness to the experience. Did you like that feel?
One more thought you all might write about: did you notice parts in the film when the filmmakers were criticizing the government in subtle says? Think about literal criticisms and also more symbolic criticisms.
ReplyDeleteThe work camp for the criminals was one I noticed, where they all wanted the easy job but there were no spots to give. Manual labor for 2 weeks would be a terrible punishment.
DeleteFirst of all, I have to say that to my surprise, I really enjoyed these shorts. When you told us that we were going to watch an old Russian comedy, I didn’t really know what to expect. To be honest I was preparing myself to be bored and was nervous that I would fall asleep. These shorts ended up being some of my favorites of the films that we’ve watched so far in class. They were hilarious! Even if it was “slapstick” at times, I thought it was really well done and quite funny.
ReplyDeleteThe use of sound throughout the film was done so well and really added to it for me. The timing as well as the choice of sounds they used was done so perfectly to add the right comedic element to each short. I agree with Rose connecting it to Tom & Jerry! When I read that a light bulb went off for me, she’s so right! I noticed it while watching the movie, but I couldn’t quite figure out what the sound effects were reminding me of. Tom & Jerry is exactly it.
The funniest moments in the Shurik films to me were during the second short. The best part, that I found myself laughing the most at was after they return back to the girl’s apartment for the second time and he is coming to the realization that everything in the room is familiar to him. It was too hilarious when he leaves the space while the girl is hiding the stuffed animal, and when he enters back through the curtain the lighting is suddenly dramatic and all of his movements are dramatized too. I couldn’t stop laughing! I honestly wish that there were more shorts of these two characters, like a television series. They had great chemistry and worked well together. I really loved this cute and funny story.
-Ryan Ditta
it was one of the greatest movies i have seen in my life time it made go to the stor and buy my own copy the directer did a realy good job with all the details in how to bring out the characters life and how they live.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the little you've written here, Carlos. Please write MUCH more for the assignment.
Deletehey sup.
ReplyDeletei thought that operation y was pretty great. although it didn't really help me understand how the russian culture is any different from ours.
it was really funny and my favorite part was the part with the test and when then were just walking through all those crazy obsticales. that was way way funny.
i think that its kinda weird that russians only make crime dramas and comedies. it seems like they would make alot more about the government, but i suppose that the government wouldn't allow that.
yeah.-zak.
Well, during the 60's, they began making lots of comedies and musicals because the government wanted them to in an attempt to make people so happy, they wouldn't be dissatisfied with the government. These films do; however, have social commentary in them. For example, the Shurik film at the construction site was pointing out how ineffective the government's efforts to reform criminals were. And Operation Y was pointing out that the government's system of rationing supplies to stores was silly because it resulted in shop owners stealing their own stuff in order to be better off.
DeleteThe crime movies came around later, after the Communist government fell largely because the mafia pretty much took over the country after that.
I really like all of these films, it's not crazy slap stick, but the feeling is still there. The use of sound is cool aswell, though at times it can seem a little out of place or random.
ReplyDeleteThe acting is awesome, and the main guy looks like Rick Moranis, from Honey I Shrunk the Kids. When He is walking around with that girl reading and eating at her house, I hadn't noticed that she was the same girl later, which confused me for a bit.
I also like how diverse the stories were, which allowed for quite a wide range of jokes, the end of the last story where they are all knocked was my favorite.
I like how you say the feeling is still there. I agree. Your comment helped me realize that that feeling of which you speak is what, for me, sets Shurik and comedies like Charlie Chaplin's movies, Groundhog Day, or Stranger Than Fiction apart from other comedies which have funny parts but no real substance.
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