Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses (1994)

The Cowboys are lured from Mexico to Coney Island by their former manager who disappeared at the end of Leningrad Cowboys Go America. He believes he is the reincarnation of Moses, sent to lead them back to the promised land - Siberia.

Director:

Aki Kaurismäki

Writers:

Sakke Järvenpää (story), Aki Kaurismäki (screenplay)

Stars:

Twist-Twist Erkinharju, Ben Granfelt, Sakke Järvenpää

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Twist-Twist Erkinharju	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Ben Granfelt	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Sakke Järvenpää	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Jore Marjaranta	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Ekke Niiva	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Jyri Närvänen	...	Leningrad Cowboy (as Lyle Närvänen)
Pemo Ojala	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Silu Seppälä	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Mauri Sumén	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Mato Valtonen	...	Leningrad Cowboy
Matti Pellonpää	...	Vladimir Kuzmin alias Moses
Kari Väänänen	...	The Mute
André Wilms	...	Lazar / Johnson / Elijah
Nicky Tesco	...	American Cousin
Jacques Blanc	...	Owner of Bingo Parlour

Storyline

The Cowboys are lured from Mexico to Coney Island by their former manager who disappeared at the end of Leningrad Cowboys Go America. He believes he is the reincarnation of Moses, sent to lead them back to the promised land - Siberia.

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Plot Keywords:

rock band | coney island | statue of liberty | brest france | warsaw poland | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Music

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Leningrad Cowboys - True Internjet Story

Country:

Finland Germany France

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 February 1994 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Leningrad Cowboys Meet Moses

Filming Locations:

Amiens, Somme, France

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sputnik, Pandora Filmproduktion, Pyramide Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Director Aki Kaurismaki made a cameo appearance in the factory scene.

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Quotes

Vladimir: What's happening here?
Leningrad Cowboys: No tequila. Save us, Moses.
Vladimir: Jesus saves, Moses invests. Back to the bus!

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Connections

References Modern Times (1936)

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Soundtracks

Lonely Moon
Written by Toivo Kärki (as Pedro de Punta), Reino Helismaa (as Orvokki Itä)
English lyrics by H. Tervaharju
Arranged by Mauri Sumén
Performed by Leningrad Cowboys

User Reviews

A sequel that follows generally the same lines as its predecessor, but much more somber and much less funny

LENINGRAD COWBOYS MEET MOSES (1994) is a sequel to LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO America of four years previously, where Finnish auteur Aki Kaurismäki introduced one of his most absurd creations: an extravagantly quiffed "Russian" rock band from the wilds of Siberia, supposedly the worst band in the world, played by Finnish actors who speak only Finnish and then broken English to each other.

That first film was a sort of road movie, where the Leningrad Cowboys played a series of ramshackle bars across the American South while headed towards Mexico to perform at a wedding. Unbeknownst to them, the village idiot Igor (Kari Väänänen), who aspires to be one of them, has arrived in the United States too in pursuit, and their manager Vladimir (played by the late, great Matti Pellonpää) exploited them all the way by taking their earnings for his own luxurious desires. LENINGRAD COWBOYS MEET MOSES follows closely on the action of the first film, as Vladimir reappears after an unexplained absence, having become an extravagantly bearded religious fanatic and calling himself Moses. Their former manager wants to lead the band, who have become stranded in Mexico, back to their home in Siberia. This sequel has the same general format as its predecessor, though this time the road trip is from France back through Europe to the Russian border. Vladimir has stolen something important, and French actor André Wilms plays an American CIA agent pursuing him on the road back home (his thick French accent again clashing with his character's supposed origin).

LENINGRAD COWBOYS MEET MOSES is among Kaurismäki's worst films, and one of those sequels that should have never been made. Already with the first film one was just as likely to sigh at the lameness of it all as chuckle at the gags. The sequel, however, is a much more somber film than its predecessor, which mean there are even less gags, and virtually every scene feels like milking a formula. While it might be worth a try if you are a committed fan of Kaurismäki's body of work, I would be very reluctant to recommend this (or even the vastly superior LENINGRAD COWBOYS GO America) to a general audience.