White and black... I consider Alexei Balanov one of the best Russian directors. Although lately he is a little, so to speak, deflated, but in the beginning and in the middle of his directorial career made very good films. It is enough to remember the same "brother". The same film "About freaks and people" even before watching caused some strange feelings. And the plot, especially for Russian cinema, would have some specific, and several very respected actors were filmed in the film, so the film sat down to watch in an optimistic mood. All in all, so it turned out, but the film, nevertheless, was difficult.
Late nineteenth century. Two wealthy families, Mysterious Johann, owner of a photo studio in the basement, where a certain photographic theater Marquis de Sade was created. And photographic postcards with the humiliated nudity of the female body, causing lust and gloating triumph of power. The look of a photographer who can see angelic curls and a cute smile in a girl, and the same look that decomposes the body, the look of a pornographer. Johann marked by the Devil, Johann killing the soul. It is he who gradually destroys the well-being of families and turns ordinary people into freaks. And the smell of vice covers the world.
Already one description of the film is very controversial. But it made me feel good. Although, in my opinion, not a very successful background was chosen to describe the main problem. A naked woman who's been whipped by some old lady with bars, and it's all filmed. Agree, a very contradictory picture. Someone can see in her genius, someone just depravity, and unworthy of his eyes spectacle, well, you can just ignore it, just keep in mind.
The same thing happens with Kolya and Tolya, whom fate has “joined” forever, literally. They are forced to play the piano, the accordion, perform in public. And everyone calls them freaks.
All this brings the viewer to the main topic, which is already mentioned in the title of the film. Freaks and people. Who is this? Before Balabanov, many writers and directors addressed this topic. You can recall the animated film by Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki Porko Rosso, whose main character was in the guise of a pig, but in fact he was the only person among the pig society, if I may say so. But if in this cartoon the plot was not created as smoothly as I would like, then everything is perfect here. The perfect social system of that society. All men to their place. But if Iogan (whom Sergey Makovetsky played perfectly). I would even say that this is one of his best roles. In his face is combined and the image of the devil in the flesh, and a simple man, and whom only does not contain. One of his chilling looks is worth it) and Viktor Ivanovich (played by Viktor Sukhorukov. Very good, but it seems to me that he was a little overplayed in the course of the film, especially with facial expressions) already completely turned into mental freaks, the rest continued to somehow struggle, but in the end only Kolya was a ray of light in the dark realm. In the image of Toli and Kohli, if we switch to the biblical manner, both the angel and the devil are enclosed at once. They're two opposites, like white and black, good and bad, like Harvey Two-Face in the Batman series. But there is no internal struggle between them. I also wanted to highlight the visual and musical design. Sometimes the picture was like the movie "Stalker", dark yellow tones. In general, the picture was very interesting. In these tones, it’s rare to shoot, and every film is a specific visual event, but it still has to be in the theme to create the right atmosphere, just like in this film. Music also contributes to this atmosphere.
In general, even despite the fact that lately good films in Russia are made less and less, our directors sometimes present surprises, such as Balabanov presented me in the face of this very smart and thinking film.
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