This picture is unusually fresh even after almost half a century after the premiere.
Shukshin is a great master of building village life in his stories and on the screen. In this work, the village, as in a parable, takes back its prodigal son, whom the temptations of the city slowly but surely led to the social bottom throughout his life.
It’s about a movie about a midlife crisis, about evaluating one’s own life and achievements, and just about how different people live their lives.
As in most of Shukshin’s works, it is difficult to highlight any specific successful moments. Village life, and life in principle, consists of an abundance of small details, and these very details are selected here simply magnificently.
The ending is somewhat unexpected, but only strengthens the overall impression of the film.