Mat i syn (1997)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Aleksandr Sokurov

Writer:

Yuri Arabov (writer)

Release Date:

6 February 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A slow and poignant story of love and patience told via a dying mother nursed by her devoted son. The...

Plot Keywords:

Cult Director | Loneliness | Nature | Russia | Old Woman

Awards:

3 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Aleksei Ananishnov	...	Son
Gudrun Geyer	...	Mother

Also Known As:

Мать и сын (Russia)
Mother and Son (USA)
Mutter und Sohn (Germany)

Runtime:

73 min

Country:

Russia | Germany

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Argentina:Atp | Chile:TE | France:U | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U

Company:

Severny Fond

Movie Connections:

Followed by Otets i syn (2003)

Rare, and rarefied, cinema

This relatively short film is about as far from mainstream cinema as you could get. It was reassuring for me to see that films like it are being produced somewhere, by someone -- especially after the experience of watching `Mission to Mars' on the same evening. An art-house goon like myself will at least have an idea of what he's getting himself into, but it's hard for me to imagine an habitual consumer of mainstream cinema watching it unless by accident or at the urging of others. If such is the case, however, and you find it confusing or uninvolving, please don't jump right into the act of declaring it `boring and pretentious.' At the very least, give it a day or two, try to think a bit about what you saw, and what others have seen in it. I hate to see a work of fine art dumped-on publicly because of a quick impression. While I wouldn't necessarily call `Mother and Son' entertainment, if anything can be called a work of art, I think it can.

Just about every frame of this film is beautifully composed and rendered. It almost looks like a series of living oil paintings. For anyone who has ever drawn or painted, even as a hobby, it gives you an urge to try to make something as beautiful as what you're seeing. But the look, sound, and essential content of the film combine to make a powerful impression, if you're receptive to it. It is an especially strong and significant experience to anyone who has an elderly parent with whom they are still close, but it seems to me elemental to anyone human who cares for another human. I've often thought there is too much dialog in many modern films, making long stretches of them seem like some form of color radio instead of real cinema, which I think of as primarily a visual medium. `Mother and Son' speaks volumes with little talk, in the manner of some of the great silent film artists. Per the DVD, the actors in this film have almost no other film credits, and to me are completely unknown. No matter. I would love to have participated in the creation of a fine work of art like this once in my life.

I wouldn't presume to recommend a film like `Mother and Son' to everyone, but if you've read the comments posted here and think you might be receptive to this film, as I did, see it by all means. You'll probably appreciate its power and beauty, as I did.