The Italian (2005)

5 STARS!!!

Been there and what you see is exactly what it is. These kids are basically warehoused from infancy till 18, when they are kicked loose with a few rubles to start their adult lives. That is unless a foreigner (usually) likes one enough to adopt. Such a shame that Russia cannot or will not take care of their most valuable resource; in fact they say the population will decrease for the near future.

I thought this film was very well done, truly Speilberg-like quality all the way down to the most obscure detail. The cinematography, music, I was so glad that this was filmed in Russian with subtitles. To dub in English would been a travesty. 5 stars.

Meanwhile these kids learn to live by whatever means necessary. To get a true indicator go on to You Tube and view: The Children of Leningradsky. May 29, 2008

Believable and engaging human drama

This Russian film from 2005 marks Andrei Kravchuk's debut as a director. It presents a powerful and poignant portrayal of modern-day existence in post-Communist provincial Russia.

6-year old Vanya, played to perfection by Kolya Spiridonov, lives in a squalid, run-down orphanage. Adoption by affluent western couples offers the youngsters their only hope of avoiding the prospect of growing up into a life of poverty, petty crime and prostitution--as evidenced by an older generation of children who occupy the orphanage's boiler room and effectively run the place while the director drinks away the cash that comes his way from the steady sale of his charges. The largest proportion of the large adoption fees goes, of course, to the greedy and powerful adoption agent, "Madam", who uses the orphanage entirely for her own gain. Vanya appears to be fortunate when he is selected for adoption by an Italian couple; until he is brought to the realisation that once in Italy, with a new name, he will be lost forever to his real mother, if she is still alive and should she ever come looking for him. Vanya's niggling doubts threaten the established order of things and so everyone, including the gang (or is that family?) of older children who missed out on his opportunity (as they see it), do their utmost to make him accept adoption as by far his best chance in life as well as the best for everyone else. Vanya remains unconvinced.

This bleak but at times uplifting film features an almost colourless world and it is some time before one realises that is not, in fact, shot in black and white at all but rather depicts a reality that is itself almost entirely devoid of colour. The soft soundtrack score is just right also, adding to the overall mood in a gentle and understated way which, like the rest of the film, works a slow magic on the viewer. The story-line is well-paced and engrossing and all of the main characters are well fleshed-out too; even the toughest of them are (almost) all shown to have at least some human side which makes them all the more believable. The acting is never less than superb throughout. The only drawback that I found is that the dialogue is so rapid that one's attention is often perforce divided between visuals and subtitles to a greater extent than is really comfortable.

This production shows that there is still much human decency to be found amongst the ordinary peoples of modern-day Russia, despite the impoverished conditions in which they live and the copious layers of corruption under which so much of their officialdom (or what substitutes for it) operates. The film is no easy ride by any means but nevertheless is one I recommended you try. It provides a refreshing change from what so often masquerades as "human interest drama" these days.
May 25, 2008

Goes near the top of my best recommendations from Russia

"The Italian" is an excellent film that goes onto my expanding list of Russian film recommendations. Topping that list is still The Return - a masterpiece in every way - and Burnt by the Sun. For those of you who know how good those films are, "The Italian" is near to, but not quite, in that class.

We recently saw a movie at the "AFI Dallas 08" film festival that featured three young boys. These three were likable, cute...and dreadful actors. It was a painful viewing experience. In "The Italian," young Kolya Spiridonov - who portrays five-year-old 'Vanya' (he's 'The Italian' for reasons that will be apparent when you see the film) - is in nearly every scene. The film sinks or swims with him. Thankfully, he's simply marvelous. Writer Andrei Romanov has given young Mr. Spiridonov natural, age-appropriate dialogue and director Andrei Kravchuk has coaxed a great performance from him. It's not quite in the same class as then-seven-year-old Ivan Dobronravov's jaw-dropping performance in 'The Return,' but it's compelling stuff nevertheless.

I was especially taken by director Kravchuk's technique of slyly showing the bleakness of the Russian countryside as a quiet backdrop to young Vanya's train ride. It's a subtle but powerful message from a skilled filmmaker. April 16, 2008

The Russian Look at a well documented problem Universally

If I honestly thought that I could write a better review than Amazon's I would. There is not much more that I can say except "The Italian" is The Cider House Rules (Miramax Collector's Series) which is Annie (Special Anniversary Edition) which is Oliver Twist (2005) which is Jane Eyre (BBC, 1983) which is the story of every orphan longing for parents and identity. Here it is Russian child selling; a young boy has been sold to an Italian couple thrilled at the prospect of having a child. Vanya experiences all of the harsh realities of the orphanage; the older children who have become somewhat of a Mafia; the older girls who sell themselves but are compassionate mother-type figures etc. Some touching moments with excellent performances, but nothing unique that has not been done before and better with flair and some soundtrack! April 12, 2008

Sad, shocking, and well worth watching

This movie was sad, shocking, and well-done. It is not easy to watch and I was frequently overwhelmed by the terrible story that it told. These poor orphans and their horrible lives in hell, because, yes, hell is in the Russia of today, just tear at your heart.

Yet the movie does not exploit the horror with any falsity...everything rings so true and genuine. The cinematography is so real..one actually feels the filth and the neglect to which these children are subjected.

Vanya never thinks his mother is really gone.....he is sure that somewhere she is waiting for him. And he is determined to find her, despite the obstacles he must overcome....not the least of which is getting out of the orphanage. April 10, 2008

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