The Return

The haunting Russian film The Return is the directorial debut of Andrei Zvyagintsev, which won quite a few awards a few years ago including the Golden Lion at the Venice film Fest.
It's the sparingly enigmatic story of a father returning after an absence of twelve years to the family home where he announces he's taking his two young teenage sons, Andrei and Ivan on a fishing trip. We are not party to where the father has been or the feelings of the mother. The fishing trip is a mysterious ride, and full of pent up emotion. The two boys, the eldest eager to please, the younger sullen and truculent don't have an easy time with their strange father who is off performing furtive tasks. To me the father's side story is a distraction, we're not supposed to know what he's up to, its just a motive to keep him secretive. The real story ( the one I took away anyway), is the age old testing one between a father and a son - a filial search for approval and a crude paternal tough love.However it's a mysterious film all round, and not one that provides any explanation or completion.

The landscape plays a major part - it's bound to get a nod to Tarkovsky - crisp shots of clear blue skies, woodland and misty lakes, give a wide open view in contrast to the disturbing, confined relationship between father and sons.



The death by drowning of the 16 year old actor Vladimir Garin who plays Andrei, only months after the films completion, gives a terrible poignancy to watching the film. What a sad loss of a talented young actor. Excellent acting too from the other lad Ivan Dobronravov, whose glowering little face gives Ivan a feistiness that only really falters at the end.



CategoryFilm