Russia on Reels: The Russian Idea in Post-Soviet Cinema (KINO - The Russian and Soviet Cinema)

Film writers and scholars from Britain, Russia and the United States provide the first - scholarly and enjoyable - account of modern Russian cinema after the collapse of the Soviet Union. The book gives a much needed historical context for recent films, defines common themes and diverse aesthetic concerns and offers individual portraits of three film directors: Sokurov, Muratova, and Astrakhan. The focal point for the discussion of a range of films is the ‘Russian idea’ and Russian identity and nationhood: how and why filmmakers debunk Soviet myths and the new images and clichés that are being created. "Russia on Reels focuses on the effect of the collapse of the Soviet Union on Russian cinema and its films. The unifying motifs for the contributors -- from Russia, Britain and the United States -- are the 'Russian idea' and Russia's search, during the post-Soviet era, for a redefinition of identity, nationhood and history. Attempts to re-articulate the 'Russian idea' are represented in all artistic activities of this period but are especially relevant to the art of cinema. Cinema was seen under the Soviet system as, in Lenin's words, 'the most important of all the arts' -- the most effective means to promulgate ideology and set moral standards." "The contributors examine developments in modern Russian cinema and provide a historical context for the study of its films, uncovering common themes and diverse aesthetic concerns. Individual portraits of the directors Alexander Sokurov, Kira Muratova and Dmitri Astrakhan complement an exploration of how filmmakers are debunking Soviet myths and illusions of 'Russian-ness' and an examination of the new images -- and cliches -- now being created. Book jacket."--BOOK JACKET

this Is The First Book To Deal Exclusively With Russian Cinema Of The 1990s. It Introduces Readers To The Currents And Common Interests Of Contemporary Russian Cinema, Offers Close Studies Of The Work Of Filmmakers Like Sokurov, Muratova And Astrakhan, Reviews The Russian Film Industry In A Period Of Massive Economic Transformation, And Assesses Cinema’s Function As A Definer Of Russia’s New Identity.

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from The October 1997 Conference Russian Cinema In The 1990s Held In Bristol, 14 Essays Look At Historical And Cinematographic Aspects Of The Russian Idea; Remapping, Fragmenting, Myth-making; The Past Of The Fatherland Reviewed; And The Russian Idea For Contemporary Film- Makers. About Half Of The Contributors Are Russian. Distributed In The Us By St. Martin's Press. Annotation C. Book News, Inc., Portland, Or (booknews.com)

Looks at Russian cinema of the 1990s, describing the currents and common interests of contemporary Russian cinema and studying the work of filmmakers such as Sokurov. A review of the industry in times of economic change is included, with an assessment of its function as a definer of Russia's new identity. In the KINO- THE RUSSIAN CINEMA series. Annotation This readable and informative book examines contemporary Russian cinema, offering close studies of works directed by Sokurov, Muratova, Astrakhan and many more, and showing how film-makers are debunking Soviet mythologies Soviet cinema, this 'most important of all arts', had primarily been seen as a means for propaganda.