Review of The Thief

This Russian flick painfully captures the stark realities of Soviet life as felt by the commoner. People are forced into communal housing where privacy is unknown. Likewise they are forced into the unthinkable in order to exist. The paternal prevarication that Stalin strangles his people with becomes the emblem of this story, conflicts and contradictions that must be faced and coddled in order to survive. The unjust notion of love is seen here as an unconscionable glue, binding our characters together for better or worse, and for worse is the usual case in Soviet Russia. The acting was solid on all accounts, from the piercing emanations of the "heroic" soldier to the open-hearted stare of the mother's "squirt" of a son. Though the production values are occasionally weak, this only adds to the desperation that has become the permanent guest of this expansive land. Further explication of this flick's special qualities would be a fruitless affair as its many special attributes must be seen to be appreciated. Merci beaucoup.

Genruk of Evil Eye Reviews