I watched this movie for the first time on board a transatlantic Air France flight. It impressed me so much that I watched it for the second time on my way back, and was not disappointed. This is a very good movie, but not for the American audience. I do not understand most of their movies either, big deal. It is unlikely it will be released there anyway.
I was born in the former Soviet Union and I am about the same age as colonel Grigoriev's son. This film captures very well the atmosphere of those days, including Grigoriev's state of mind and motives, however idealistic they may seem now. When I saw that this was a French movie about Soviet times, I was prepared to switch off immediately after the first matreshka dance. There are so many Western movies about Russia/Soviet Union that feel just outright false. This is not one, mostly, I think, thanks to Emir Kusturica, who deserves great credit for the role of Grigoriev. There are minor blunders, of course, such as bearded embassy residence guards (beards were not tolerated in Soviet military and police). However, they do not change the fact that this is one of the best films I have watched in recent times. It is very French in the best traditions of the French cinema, and it is a bit Russian thanks to rich emotional undertones, which reminded me about another great French-Russian production, Est-Ouest. Very nice bits of humour like President Reagan watching twice the same episode from an old movie, reminded me some episodes from another French movie, 18 ans après. And a very sad but true final, when Grigoriev, a Russian idealist and a francophile without a Swiss bank account, gets shot by the firing squad, while his KGB superior and a longtime US mole (who does have a Swiss bank account) gets new life in the West after sending Grigoriev to death. If you know what I talk about, go watch this film, you will not be disappointed. If not, enjoy your Police Academy.
I was born in the former Soviet Union and I am about the same age as colonel Grigoriev's son. This film captures very well the atmosphere of those days, including Grigoriev's state of mind and motives, however idealistic they may seem now. When I saw that this was a French movie about Soviet times, I was prepared to switch off immediately after the first matreshka dance. There are so many Western movies about Russia/Soviet Union that feel just outright false. This is not one, mostly, I think, thanks to Emir Kusturica, who deserves great credit for the role of Grigoriev. There are minor blunders, of course, such as bearded embassy residence guards (beards were not tolerated in Soviet military and police). However, they do not change the fact that this is one of the best films I have watched in recent times. It is very French in the best traditions of the French cinema, and it is a bit Russian thanks to rich emotional undertones, which reminded me about another great French-Russian production, Est-Ouest. Very nice bits of humour like President Reagan watching twice the same episode from an old movie, reminded me some episodes from another French movie, 18 ans après. And a very sad but true final, when Grigoriev, a Russian idealist and a francophile without a Swiss bank account, gets shot by the firing squad, while his KGB superior and a longtime US mole (who does have a Swiss bank account) gets new life in the West after sending Grigoriev to death. If you know what I talk about, go watch this film, you will not be disappointed. If not, enjoy your Police Academy.
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