Jazzman

It is rather unfortunate that not much is known about the influence of music in Russia and East European countries.The theme of films about music has remained a rather ignored genre as very few films have been made about music in the history of Russian and East European cinema.We are Jazzmen is a brilliant Russian film which makes a valiant attempt at filling that void.It is hoped that it will give both cinema viewers and music lovers a fairly good idea about the state of music in the former Soviet republic.It is a film directed by a well known Russian director Mr.Karen Shaknazarov who has made light films in his short albeit outstanding career.We are Jazzmen is set in Odessa and is about three young people who would like to make a mark on the country's musical scene.Russian director Karen Shaknazarov has set his film in 1920s which was a time when all kinds of good music used to flourish in Russia.Jazz music is at the center stage and the narrative structure is based on the premise that Jazz music was considered as a bourgeois art by Soviet people.There are plenty of lovely jazz tunes to be heard as one of the band members decides to prove that Jazz music is an art form of the masses as the struggle of black people in America was characterized was Jazz music.Although this film was made in 1983 it has not lost its relevance as it gives viewers a fresh idea about Russian cinema which has been trying to regain its lost glory.Film critic Lalit Rao got a chance to see this film and interview Russian director Karen Shaknazarov when a retrospective of his films was shown at 13th International Film Festival of Kerala,Trivandrum,India (December 2008)