Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Victor Khomenko (M) on July 07, 2003 at 06:25:48

"Obscure" is just an opening word in describing this Russian gem.

"Dom Durakov" (in its original Russian title) is the creation of the famous Russian director/writer Andrei Konchalovsky, older brother to the well-known, but far less talented Nikita Mikhalkov.

My feelings towards Konchalovsky are mixed. He wrote the script to one of Tarkovsky's first masterpieces - Katok i Skripka. Which of the two Andrei's was more responsible for the little beauty is not clear, but obviously they both had contributed to its elegance.

But then Konchalovsky became the communist party voice, and some of this films should be best forgotten.

What he can do as a director became clear from his small episode of "Lumière et compagnie", where his 50 sconds segment was one of the most poignant and grabbing - not a small achievement in the great company of some of the best directors.

"Dom Durakov" can easily be dismissed as something one has seen before... unless that one is a thinking individual, and not just a superficial observer - don't let yourself be led into believing this is the Russian "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" - that similarity is not even skin deep, so simply fend it off right at the beginning.

"Dom" needs to be slowly absorbed, and the director gives you ample chance to do so. Each episode is important, like each piece of a large jigsaw puzzle. Each scene has its meaning.

The film is *appropriately* underrated on imdb... it scored 4.9 out of 10... oh-ho... man, who is the fool here?

Perhaps simply not enough people have seen it yet, as it is still very new with no DVD - an anathema to the modern movie "lover".

So don't be fooled by that "rating" - it is a serious and deep work that deserves some effort to be found.