MovieChat Forums > Kolja (1997) Discussion > Wonderful movie, with one criticism

Wonderful movie, with one criticism

posted 17 years ago by Daniela-Marie
4 replies | jump to latest

I saw Kolja last night, in Czech (which I know). A beautiful movie, very funny in many parts, and also touching (where Kolja is crying in the bathtub, and also at the end). The one criticism that I feel for this movie is the fact that the boy, although he spent several months with Franta (I'm not sure how long, but it may be close to a year, because it's cold, and then later it's summer, and then it's November), speaks only Russian until the very end and no Czech. A boy that small, hearing only Czech and no Russian at all, would probably be speaking Czech within a month or two, and by the time his mother arrived, would probably barely be able to speak Russian. Small children learn languages incredibly fast, but also forget incredibly fast. I have such experience with my own children. I felt this was unrealistic. For the rest, I loved the movie!!

[–] rstephen52 17 years ago

Maybe true about the exposure to one or the other language. The interesting thing about the boy Kolya is that he identifies so strongly being Russian. Examples of this are the scenes with the flags: "Eto nashi!" and the little giggle which follows. Also the meeting with the Soviet tank soldiers outside the mother's house where he exhibits all the exuberance of a proud Soviet youngster for the delighted troops. Also his pleading and insistence to see the Soviet cartoon at the local movie theatre and watching it in all wide-eyed appreciation.
My gut feeling is that, although he seemed to have picked up enough Czech to understand what was going on in the police station (and also repeating some of the interrogators words to Franta after they left), he was essentially Russian and could not grasp the whirlwird of changes occurring around him.

[–] marmota-b 16 years ago

I'd love to know how much Czech Andrei Khalimon knew after the filming... that could clear it up a bit. :-)

"There is Robinson, alone on lone island - but they will marry."

[–] CathyE 14 years ago

A boy that small, hearing only Czech and no Russian at all, would probably be speaking Czech within a month or two

His aunt, whom he called grandmother, spoke Russian, and he wasn't in school, so he was not as immersed as you think. It wasn't until he was with Louka that he was fully immersed in Czech, and we see, he was learning it.

“I always tell the truth…even when I lie” - Scarface

[–] Tchoutoye 14 years ago

Having emigrated at the same age as Kolya, I'd say you're exaggerating. It would take between 6 and 9 months to learn a language, and many years to forget your mother tongue, though it is only in rare cases that it is completely gone. Of course it depends on your social environment and on how related the two languages are.