No, not at all. It's a well made film, but still a disappointment in many ways. Cinematography and scenery were magnificent, but the story was not only awful or vague, it was a bad choice, I'd say. If there was a TV-series about Visotskiy, this movie would be a good episode, CERTAINLY not the pilot one, as a feature it fails.
Basically, it looks into a couple of days of a troubled artist. Granted, some important things happened during those days, but to choose that as the story for the movie about Visotskiy? Not a smart move. A great artist is shown as some junkie, who is *bravely* handling his ODs and detox issues. That was the idea, at least, but in fact, it could have been any regular junkie's indifference, any regular junkie's need for a shot, absolutely common lack of responsibility. They might have as well called the movie Some Junkie's Hard OD.
This is not what I expected from this movie. They didn't show him as an artist at all, his early years, any speculations about the reasons for his inner pain that is clearly felt in his songs or any of artistic confrontations with colleagues during his years in theater and cinema. That's what I was interested in. Apparently all that mattered to the creators of this film was two days of Visotskiy's life. Important days, I agree, but still just two days as opposed to lifetime of fruitful work.
As a fan of his music I was also disappointed by the soundtrack. Those few songs of his that made it into the movie were not his best, were not even close to my favorites or favorites of any other fan that I know. Why those few irrelevant and, frankly, weak songs while he has loads of powerful things, real bombs, real hits? I have no answer.
Still, the movie was not bad at all. Camera work and acting was flawless. Comedic relief tolerable, at times even brilliant.
I hope to see a real movie about Vladimir Visotskiy some day.
Basically, it looks into a couple of days of a troubled artist. Granted, some important things happened during those days, but to choose that as the story for the movie about Visotskiy? Not a smart move. A great artist is shown as some junkie, who is *bravely* handling his ODs and detox issues. That was the idea, at least, but in fact, it could have been any regular junkie's indifference, any regular junkie's need for a shot, absolutely common lack of responsibility. They might have as well called the movie Some Junkie's Hard OD.
This is not what I expected from this movie. They didn't show him as an artist at all, his early years, any speculations about the reasons for his inner pain that is clearly felt in his songs or any of artistic confrontations with colleagues during his years in theater and cinema. That's what I was interested in. Apparently all that mattered to the creators of this film was two days of Visotskiy's life. Important days, I agree, but still just two days as opposed to lifetime of fruitful work.
As a fan of his music I was also disappointed by the soundtrack. Those few songs of his that made it into the movie were not his best, were not even close to my favorites or favorites of any other fan that I know. Why those few irrelevant and, frankly, weak songs while he has loads of powerful things, real bombs, real hits? I have no answer.
Still, the movie was not bad at all. Camera work and acting was flawless. Comedic relief tolerable, at times even brilliant.
I hope to see a real movie about Vladimir Visotskiy some day.