Review of Burnt by the Sun

Introduction

Joseph Stalin took power in 1922 and, until his death in 1953, held the Soviet Union in an iron grip, with neighbour spying on neighbour and no-one knowing who they could trust. It is in this environment, in 1936, that Nikita Mikhalkov sets his Oscar-winning film `Burnt by the Sun` (Utomlyonnye Solntsem).

A national icon and revolutionary hero, Colonel Segui Kotov (Nikita Mikhalkov) is spending the summer in his holiday home in a tranquil area of the Russian countryside with his young wife Maroussia (Ingeborga Dapkunaite), six year old daughter Nadia (Nikita`s daughter Nadezhda), various friends and family. Whilst he is enjoying a sauna, word reaches him that his neighbour`s wheat field is about to be destroyed by tanks on manoeuvres and he uses his status to order the troops to go elsewhere.

This idyllic existence is interrupted by the sudden and unexpected arrival of Dimitri (Oleg Menshikov) an outgoing and charming man who fascinates the ladies, especially Maroussia, his former lover. Kotov knows that in the current climate, no visitor from Moscow can be entirely trusted and over the course of the day he suspects more and more that Dimitri`s visit isn`t a social call to catch up with old friends.

Video

The anamorphic 1.66:1 transfer is very good, though a little soft. The colours are well defined and the contrast is fine. The locations are beautiful and it really is a dream holiday destination.

Audio

The Dolby Digital Russian mono soundtrack is perfectly adequate, there are no scenes that call for surrounds and the optional English subtitles are clear and easy to read.

Features

None.

Conclusion

When a film has the tag `Oscar-winner`, it carries a certain weight of expectation - if the Academy is to be believed, this was the best non-English language film of 1994. However, the category of `Best Foreign Language Film` is a strange one, with very strict guidelines about what can be nominated.

Running at a hefty 146 minutes, this is overly long and the pacing is somewhat pedestrian - it`s not until the last few scenes that there`s any sense of urgency. It`s not painfully dull; it merely meanders along until the gripping finale, which is more of an anticlimax than a payoff.

This is the sort of film that Bergman would have packed with meaningful symbolism, making it a rich and rewarding watch that deserves to be seen time and time again, but the anti-Stalin message aside, there is very little of substance in `Burnt by the Sun`. Although Nikita Mikhalkov shows signs of his talent as a director, he is more impressive in front of the camera as Kotov, with his real-life daughter stealing every scene in which she appears.

Some prudent editing could improve this by reducing the bloated running time, which is even longer than other versions, but it`s still worth a look, although the absence of special features is a real disappointment.