esrosedotblog

It is hard to figure out who is who in today's film.

But it does sort itself out.

I think this is intentional to reflect how the new Red communist rebels and the old Czarist Russian Army find themselves still fighting a war that has already been decided. With others whose differences are really hard to discern.

In fact, the Whites are largely Hungarian conscripts who do not have a clue as to who or what they are fighting for.

To say that this confusion takes place on a grand scale is understatement.

Csillagosok, katonák /The Red and the White (1968)

I liked this film a lot just for the action. The political by play is not as important to me although if I was a "Russky" I would probably find it compelling. Miklós Jancsóis the director provides huge sweeping vistas. Lots of horses. A kind of "western".

It is interesting that the film was banned in Russia for many years because of its political slant. The Reds are depicted as clueless peasants much of the time. Barbaric.

I think this is the film's point. War is hell and a confused maelstrom of little hells.

The individual characters on all sides of the conflict carry on blindly. We are helped to see by the superb black and white cinematography. A lot of low level overheads from the same bi-planes we see coming at the rebels.

Mean and arbitrary. It certainly does not reflect the message the commies wanted it to. Hence, suppression.

And even though I found it hard to follow at times I always found my way back into it again. A 3 out of Netflix5. I enjoyed it but once was enough.

Labels: films