MovieChat Forums > Sherlok Kholms i doktor Vatson (1980) Discussion > Irony of these films...

Irony of these films...

posted 15 years ago by Bladerunner
5 replies | jump to latest

There are many touches of irony in these films. One come when Watson remarks to Holmes:

"How awful it would be to live in a world, where you couldn't talk to anyone about poetry, about art, or politics."

Considering that — at the time of the making of this film — Livanov and Solomin *did* live in a world where they were not free to discuss poetry, art or politics, or at least not free to discuss certain kinds.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] Chapaev36 15 years ago

Criticisms of the state often manifested themselves in such subtle ways. This film is probably a good example. Also a good example is Mark Zakharov's work.

The politicians didn't get it, of course.

[–] Bladerunner 15 years ago

I think it would be naive to believe that the politicians didn't get it, believe me, they got it, but it's not easy to discipline satire that subtle. Also, it went both ways as I illustrated in my review of this film. They cracked on the West as well:

Surely the producers of these films had to be very careful not to glorify a society of the West, albeit a hundred years in the past. Perhaps it was at the behest of the Communist party that Holmes gets the following line: "The British are conservative, and we don't like changes. Anyone who is not like us in the ways of mind, is easily taken for a rogue".

There are many touches like this in the Holmes films by Igor Maslennikov, but as you pointed out there are others and they are truly insightful as to the mindset of a nation.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] Chapaev36 15 years ago

A lot of people I think didn't get it. Like the way they didn't get Yankovsky's character of Munchausen and what he stood for.

At the same time, the aforementioned "Holmes" quote reflected a common attitude in the Soviet Union of an ignorant belief in its faux-prosperity and assumption, by the same token, that everywhere else lay ruins. Where the irony comes in is that by the latter years of the Brezhnev presidency there were certain signs of a collapse which the artists perhaps undertsood better than most others, so the irony become particularly poignant. However a lot of people simply preferred to stick to the old beliefs.

The politicians knew the reality of the situation, but did they get the intended irony of the films? Personally, I think it went unnoticed for years. Even today, Russians go back to these films and watch them for the feelings of nostalgia. Not for the irony. We saw uplifting messages. It strengthened our resolve. That's the biggest irony. It is so remarkable that many of us now look back and see the past as that point of time when we had freedom - a freedom of imagination and unparalleled optimism.

Now we're too close to a reality stripped bare of ideals. It's scarier now than it used to be. Perhaps these ideas were shaped, but as such they were also nurtured. It comforted many. Once the floodgates opened, all illusions faded in a flash.

[–] Bladerunner 15 years ago

My god, Chapaev36, what an eloquent reply. It moved me. You speak with such intelligence and passion. I thought of so many things as I read your reply. If I may...

First, you provide an elegant summation of how an oppressed people can find joy in intolerable circumstance. Secondly, you illustrate perfectly how freedom isn't free and requires courage, sacrifice and commitment to thrive.

It is true, I'm sure that all those ideals that the Communist Party and state propaganda machine pumped 24/7 into your homes, schools and workplace were comforting. Maybe none of it was true, and was enforced through oppression and paranoia, but it did present the illusion that the entire populace is joined together in a common purpose. This is very similar to wartime, that feeling of camaraderie that exists between all citizens as they band together to confront a common enemy. It was a war, a cold war that created a cohesive collective consciousness in opposition of that singular, imperialist foe: The United States.

True freedom does dash all illusions, but in it's place arises a genuine vision of possibility for all citizens. Oppression, Big Brother, centralized, all-powerful control removes options and it also removes responsibility. If a person knows they have no possibilities there is a kind of security that comes from an overriding lack of the fear of *failure*. A person has no obligations to succeed, the state has removed any avenue for said.

"...nothing is left of me, each time I see her..." - Catullus

[–] smoogy_smooger 10 years ago

I think you make a bad assumption with a basis in common stereotypes about the meaning of that line. Of course anyone could talk about poetry, art and politics in the USSR. Not only was it possible, but people also did that, perhaps even more so than today. Art and science were promoted heavily.

There is a great deal of pre-revolutionary and soviet poets, artists and politicians. How can you even suggest that no one discussed politics, art or poetry?

What great poets, artists and politicians are they today? They all serve big business. They are parentheses of history at best. Spice Girls come and go, but true art remains forever.