The White Sun of the Desert

Rating:
Summary: A Russian Classic
Review: This is a classic Russian film that even today is ranked among the 10 most popular films in the country. The story of a Russian in a strange land (in this case, Central Asia) was the Russian answer to the popularity of spaghetti Westerns in the United States. Last I heard, it was actually a tradition for cosmonauts to watch White Sun of the Desert before they were launched into space.

The film is surprisinly sensitive to the cultural differences between Russia and Central Asia, although obviously all of these are seen through the rubric of the New Soviet Man. The story with Sukhov and Abdullah is compelling, as are a series of side plots. The main problem with the film for those who do not speak Russian as a first language is the poor sound quality, a legacy of 1969 technology and the age of the film. Can't say that I've listened to the English dubbing, but my guess is that the subtitles will suffice to get the point across.

Rating:
Summary: A Russian Classic
Review: This is a classic Russian film that even today is ranked among the 10 most popular films in the country. The story of a Russian in a strange land (in this case, Central Asia) was the Russian answer to the popularity of spaghetti Westerns in the United States. Last I heard, it was actually a tradition for cosmonauts to watch White Sun of the Desert before they were launched into space.

The film is surprisinly sensitive to the cultural differences between Russia and Central Asia, although obviously all of these are seen through the rubric of the New Soviet Man. The story with Sukhov and Abdullah is compelling, as are a series of side plots. The main problem with the film for those who do not speak Russian as a first language is the poor sound quality, a legacy of 1969 technology and the age of the film. Can't say that I've listened to the English dubbing, but my guess is that the subtitles will suffice to get the point across.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic in Russia
Review: This is a Russian classic worth checking out if your are interesting in having a knowledge of world cinema, or a must-see if you are an educated action-film fan. It is reportedly watched by Russian cosmonauts before every space launch. It is also considered the most memorable of the "Ostern" sub-genre of action films.

Osterns were action flics set in Central Asia during the 1920s (or as late as the 30s), during or after the period of the Russian Civil War, when the Soviets reconquered the Turkic and Mongol peoples who had regained some autonomy during the chaos of the Bolshevik Revolution.

The White Sun of the Desert has all the political sensitivity of a 1930s Western, but it is still widely revered in Russia (perhaps that says something about the people, I won't speculate). Apparently the lines in this film are as allegorical to modern Russian dialogue as those of The Wizard of Oz are to American vernacular. While most of that sarcasm and culturally classic dialogue flew right over my head in the subtitles (if they even made it into the translation), its still a fun enough film to watch just on its more basic merits. The story is simple, the costumes comfortable, the locale exotic and interesting, and much of the sarcasm translates visually.

I would recommend buying this to anyone who wants to have a broad DVD collection (people who can see beyond the obvious limitations of the AFI's "top 100" lists). This is at or near the top of most lists of Russian films, and I personally liked it much better than the overrated "classic" Russian silents.

Rating:
Summary: A Classic in Russia
Review: This is a Russian classic worth checking out if your are interesting in having a knowledge of world cinema, or a must-see if you are an educated action-film fan. It is reportedly watched by Russian cosmonauts before every space launch. It is also considered the most memorable of the "Ostern" sub-genre of action films.

Osterns were action flics set in Central Asia during the 1920s (or as late as the 30s), during or after the period of the Russian Civil War, when the Soviets reconquered the Turkic and Mongol peoples who had regained some autonomy during the chaos of the Bolshevik Revolution.

The White Sun of the Desert has all the political sensitivity of a 1930s Western, but it is still widely revered in Russia (perhaps that says something about the people, I won't speculate). Apparently the lines in this film are as allegorical to modern Russian dialogue as those of The Wizard of Oz are to American vernacular. While most of that sarcasm and culturally classic dialogue flew right over my head in the subtitles (if they even made it into the translation), its still a fun enough film to watch just on its more basic merits. The story is simple, the costumes comfortable, the locale exotic and interesting, and much of the sarcasm translates visually.

I would recommend buying this to anyone who wants to have a broad DVD collection (people who can see beyond the obvious limitations of the AFI's "top 100" lists). This is at or near the top of most lists of Russian films, and I personally liked it much better than the overrated "classic" Russian silents.