Total Balalaika Show (1994)

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writer:

Aki Kaurismäki (writer)

Release Date:

2 July 1994 (Finland)

Genre:

Documentary | Music

Plot:

A 57 minute documentary of a Helsinki concert featuring the Leningrad Cowboys and the Alexandrov Red Army Choir and Ballet...

Plot Keywords:

Leningrad Cowboys | Choir | Concert Film | Pop Culture | Traditional Music

Cast

Alexandrov Red Army Ensemble	...	Choir
Atte Blom	...	Himself
Twist-Twist Erkinharju	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Ben Granfelt	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Sakke Järvenpää	...	Lead singer
Sakari Kuosmanen	...	Himself / Performer
Jore Marjaranta	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Ekke Niiva	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Pemo Ojala	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Silu Seppälä	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Mauri Sumén	...	Leningrad Cowboys
Kirsi Tykkyläinen	...	Herself / Performer
Mato Valtonen	...	Leningrad Cowboys

Also Known As:

Puna-armeijan kuoro ja Leningrad Cowboys (Finland) (TV title)

Runtime:

54 min

Country:

Finland

Language:

Finnish | English | French | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Australia:G | Finland:S

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company:

Provisual

Movie Connections:

Follows Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994)

Soundtrack:

Dark Eyes

13 song concert film extravaganza

It's unlikely you'll ever see a concert film quite like the one shot on 12 June 1993 in Helsinki, Finland with the Leningrad Cowboys and the Alexandrov Red Army Choir and Dancers. 13 songs: "Finlandia" by Sibelius; "Let's Work Together" - with the drummer on a stage designed like a tractor, guitars in the shape of tractors and some air guitar action; "Volga Boatmen"; "Happy Together"; "Delilah"; "Knocking on Heaven's Door" with 6 women dancers in folk costume; "Oh Field" (the incongruity of the solemness of the Red Army Choir coupled with the Leningrad Cowboys lying flat on their backs, hair sticking up vertically a foot or so, and waving the boots with the curly toes back and forth cracked me up); Cossack dancing in "Kalinka"; "Gimme All Your Loving"; numerous dance troupes accompanying "Jewelry Box"; "Sweet Home Alabama"; "Dark Eyes"; and closing with "Those Were The Days" with Kirsi Tykkylainen (who also sings this song in the 1992 short of the same name).

The set designs were quite amusing, different aspects being revealed by lighting chances throughout the performance. The concert was bookended by a scene at the beginning titled "Moscow, May 28, 1993" with one of the Leningrad Cowboys and some functionary signing a document and a bust of Lenin spotlighted at the ending.