“The Stars Don’t Go Out” is a film dedicated to Nariman Narimanov, a prominent Azerbaijani politician. The film consists of several slices of memories of Narimanov about the most vivid events of his life. Without going too deep into the historical details, the plot mainly focuses on Narimanov’s personality, his ideas, and the inconsistencies and drama of the period itself. Undoubtedly, the arrival of Soviet power in Azerbaijan is one of the most fateful events in the history of the country, and Narimanov played an important role in these events. To expect that his personality, as well as the entire painful process of the transition of the country from the old system to the new, will be thoroughly chewed for the viewer in more than an hour would be very naive. However, the film pays tribute to both Azerbaijani history and Narimanov himself, no matter how controversial he may be.
I was pleased with the excellent director, in places reminiscent of the style of Tarkovsky. The fact that the plot does not go in chronological order, the film only benefits. The film begins with the funeral of Narimanov, then shows his young years, scenes of life of the mature period, then the funeral and again young years. All this seems to be memories, sometimes interrupted by funeral scenes, in order to give the viewer time to rest, rethink, they say, this is the whole life of this person, with all its contradictions, ambiguity, complex decisions. The truth is never easy. They say that after death, judgment begins to be performed on a person, and here are the scenes of the funeral, without thinking for the viewer, as if it takes this person and his whole life to the general court, giving the viewer the opportunity to assess the personality of the hero and the entire revolutionary period.
The film adheres to historical authenticity, objectively showing clashes of ideologies and without resorting to the method of grotesque portrayal of the enemy, often used in Soviet propaganda. Odes to Lenin and criticism of Islam do not at all look like communist propaganda, but rather just adherence to historical realities, for all this in Narimanov’s life could not be absent. Nevertheless, the Bolsheviks, destroying mosques, killing imams and peasants, the nobility of the images of the famous philanthropist Haji Zeynalabdin Tagiyev, General Mehmandarov and other “enemies” of the Soviet people cast a shadow on the communist mood of the film. The director tells us clearly: Azerbaijanis, Ukrainians, Georgians and other peoples are all flies rattling in the vast web of Soviet imperialism. At the end, we see an adult Narimanov, tired, already frustrated with the system he once fought for. He sincerely believed that he led his country to prosperity, but he was wrong. And all that remains is to remember the faces of all those on whose blood this system was created, who fell victim to this enveloping, eloquent empty talk.
In addition to political aspects, the film very carefully treated the national culture. Folk music, dances, beautiful landscapes of Baku and Karabakh. This is a very bright, filled film, where you need to watch every minute, because almost every scene either visually carries a symbolism or fleeting phrases reveals the idea. Ajar Ibrahimov is an underrated director. The film is not only in content, but also technically can be considered too bold, advanced for the Soviet period. It is a pity that this film, apparently without passing the Soviet censorship, was not allowed to the mass audience. This movie deserves more attention.
P.S. Special thanks to the director for the scene where Narimanov in Shusha is walking along the field of hara bullet. She's beautiful.
