Viburno rosso

This film is just a knockout punch. The lead is played by Shukshin himself. His character is a wiry ex-con Egor trying hard to keep himself in line. The setting is Shukshin's milieu of choice - faraway Russian (Altay) villages. Basically, the kind of places where you could get beat up for using the word "milieu." The story relates the attempts by Egor to stay clear of trouble and to make a new life for himself. But there's no new life to be had, of course. It's a tragedy but you know early on where it's headed. In the meantime, though, Shukshin is absolutely electrifying. His language, his mannerisms transcend mere acting. Here's a Man, an original. He doesn't need The Method. And I can't even reduce this story to some simple indictment of Soviet life. Politics do not create lasting art. This film is about being on the outside, about being an honest animal. That's a tragic path in any society.