great movie - Letyat zhuravli (1960) Discussion

[–] bobafett75 18 years ago

Samjolova was amazing in this movie. The greatest actress that no one knows about or knew...

Also check out I AM Cuba, a little different than Ballad and Cranes, but amazing.

reply

[–] ddraig_goch 18 years ago

Is it just me, or do these two films, plus Ivanovo detstvo by Tarkovskij form a very powerful, informal trilogy? I would like to see them back-to-back-to-back. :)

reply

[–] The_Khazi 17 years ago

SPOLIER SPOILER I haven`t seen the third film you mention but agree at least that Ballad & Cranes are perfect companion pieces.Both have loving relationships (superbly played in particular by the gorgeous Zhanna Prokhorenko in Ballad)which are destroyed by the war.Cranes also focuses to a greater extent on the Home front where some people do as much(and as little)as they can for the cause.Despire all the carnage I really got angry when the lazy exempt cousin stole the squirrel.There`s lots to admire here in both films including great performances,lack of state intrusion,lack of happy ending:when Veronica is searching for Boris in the marching-out parade you`re longing for her to find him but know it`s right somehow that she doesn`t.

I`d also recommend "Come & See"(1985)which is a much more explicit & emotionally draining experience but worthwhile all the same.

reply

[–] cxz2 17 years ago

This film was really beautiful, well scripted, well acted....just all out beautiful..

i loved Tatyana as Veronika, she was like a Russian Audrey Hepburn-- so endearing and sincere but also playful and expressive. I can't believe she was only my age (20) when she starred in this film, its an impressive debut.

The scene during the bombing where Mark is playing the Rachmaninoff piece on the Steinway is really captivating.

reply

[–] Suomi_perkele 17 years ago

Superb movie and visually stunning. Left me speachless for a while.

reply

[–] gogrrrt 17 years ago

yeah, i've never cried so hard in a movie.
even when it was done i was still crying :(
at the part when the guy's like "Everyone here is happy! I've never seen so much joy!" or something like that, and she's crying in her flowers.
and when the cranes were flying, that just completed the movie, right there.

yes. in my opinion the most beautiful movie ever made.

:)

reply

[–] Didisha 16 years ago

Very beautiful film, but so sad...

reply

[–] smiley_b81 12 years ago

I agree, its a masterpiece. The lead actress and the camerawork are particularly unforgettable. I'd also recommend the films "Wings" and "The Ascent", two Soviet films about varying aspects of the war's effects done from a female perspective.

Also, I second "Ivan's Childhood", that movie is a masterpiece too.

"Go balls deep, Dad!"
-Scotty Crane

reply

[–] PoppyTransfusion 11 years ago

I found that final scene - at the railway station welcoming back the veterans - very hard to endure as Veronica looked so beautiful and hopeful. When she discovered Boris was dead it seemed she might break. The catch in my throat made it difficult for me to breathe or cry at that point. Then she gives away her flowers and I cried.

Never test the depth of the water with both feet

reply

[–] JohnNalley 11 years ago

Beautiful and sad. I wanted to kiss Veronika and fall in love.

reply

[–] rc-108 10 years ago

I loved it.
Many great scenes...
Boris and Veronica were beautiful together...
Tatyana Samojlova was mesmerizing.
sad story on the effect of war...

reply

[–] zoolzool 9 years ago

This movie was too much of an emotional roller coaster. I don't know about anyone else, but in addition to the movie making feel "sad", it also made me feel "depressed", "outraged", "angry"... "anxious"..... "sad" again... and one other emotion I think... Yeah, as soon as it started and I saw those two young love birds running around I was overcome by "sadness". Probably because I knew something was going to happen to tear those two apart and make one or the other (or both) very unhappy. Or maybe because I knew, as most people here know, that that kind of love doesn't last forever.

ya, no kind of love lasts forever. Period. but that's another topic for another day.

Ballad of a Soldier on the other hand is one I could sit through again.

"Don't you know you can't get near me,
you can only hope to hear me on your radio!"

reply

[–] [deleted] 3 years ago

My review: Masterfully directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, this excellent film is about two young lovers separated by war. The cinematography is very beautiful and the performances are great, especially by the lovely Tatyana Samoylova. I had heard a lot of good things about this film and had been wanting to see it for a while, so I'm glad a friend recommended it. I was not disappointed. The Cranes Are Flying is a must see film and I would definitely recommend it to anyone here who has not yet seen it. My rating is a 9/10.

reply

[–] Ed (522) 3 years ago

I’ve seen many of the great Russian films, and this is definitely one of the great ones. Wonderful cinematography, a tremendous performance by the lead actress, and an emotional story, rather uncommon among the best Russian films.

reply