By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4.6
Director: Kantemir Balagov
Starring: Andrey Bykov | Igor Shirokov | Vasilisa Perelygina | Viktoria Miroshnichenko
Original language title: Dylda
Country: russia
Year: 2020
Running time: 130
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10199640/reference
Jeffrey says: “BEANPOLE tells the fraught story of Iya, AKA Beanpole (Viktoria Miroshnichenko), and Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina) living in Leningrad just at the end of World War II. They had served together on the Western front as anti-aircraft gunners before Iya was ‘invalided out’ for her occasional lapses into insensibility, which leave her immobile and unresponsive to any stimulus around her, a condition which figures in the profound tragedy at the center of the story. Now the war has ended, and Masha has come home to join her. How they respond to that tragedy, separately and together, forms the story.
“Miroshnichenko informs Iya with a fragile, angelic grace, fated to be bruised and pummeled by the mundane world she must occupy. Her foil, Perelygina’s Masha is earthbound, in fierce pursuit of her unholy ends even as they fracture the lives of the people around her. Their performances are remarkable, more so because they are the first major roles for either of them. They are both worthy of nomination.
“Although it is mostly and relentlessly tragic, the movie doesn’t lack hope or beauty, or, more rarely, humor. I found it remarkable, given its time and place, that political theory and ideology are utterly absent. There is the occasional shot of a communal kitchen. But a confrontation between Masha and the local apparatchik at her sumptuous dacha only proves the Soviet lie that class had been abolished (although Masha, the presumed underdog, gets her licks in at the end).
“Cinematography, belying the tragic story, is sumptuous, leaving even the stark winter streets of Leningrad full of light and life. The movie is full of arresting images (watch for a little boy, in a red coat, standing alone before a group of invalid soldiers swathed in white). It is worthy of nomination.
“I want to say this is the quintessential Chlotrudis movie, obscure, lovingly made, beautifully shot, and compellingly told, about lives at the fringes. 5 cats”
Chris says: “The most entertaining thing about BEANPOLE is its title, a nickname for its remarkably tall protagonist, Iya (Viktoria Miroshnichenko); I couldn’t help but smile whenever someone referred to her as ‘that Beanpole’. However, BEANPOLE is not a comedy but a stark, grim account of Iya and her roommate, Masha (Vasilisa Perelygina) and how they each deal with the aftermath of World War II in Leningrad. Although a bit sluggish in spots, what keeps the film from sliding into full-on miserablism is a refusal to sentimentalize its characters while also making isolated visual choices (notice the color palette throughout) that really pop against the austerity of the narrative and the camerawork. 4 cats”
Brett says: “This film is a master class in visual storytelling. As a novel, this would work so much differently. As is, the narrative is so enriching and just defines elemental visual storytelling. No, this is not to say that cinematography will feature technical acrobatics at every turn, but the idea of turning every scene into a moving work of art seems to be at the top of the list for this film’s priorities. The pace, once settled into by the viewer, is museum quality, as is fitting for the tone and atmosphere of the film. One of the best pictures of the year, and I’ve been waiting for this to hit more viewers in 2020 since I had the chance to catch a screening back in Fall 2019. Films that are great have fingerprints all over them as if only one person could’ve made the film in the way it is portrayed. Such is the case for BEANPOLE.”
Michael says: “Catching up on my nominees for this year’s awards, I finally made the time to watch BEANPOLE, the second film from young Russian filmmaker Kantemir Balagov (who also co-wrote the screenplay). The setting is post World War II Leningrad, and when we’re watching a Russian film after World War II, you can count in it being pretty grim. The central characters are Iya and Masha, two young women who experienced the war first-hand. Iya, toweringly tall and eerily pale, fought on the front lines until a concussion sent her back to the City where she know serves as a nurse tending men, many of whom have had their lives permanently shattered. She’s also taking care of a young, preternaturally cute toddler. Problem is, her concussion also sends her spiraling periodically into numbing fugue states where her body seizes and she becomes unaware of what’s going on around her. One such moment, early in the film, sets the devastating tone for much of the rest of the film.
“When Masha returns from the front lines and reunites with Iya, their intensely close relationship becomes the main thrust of the film. Is it love or desperation and shared experience that forged the bond between the two? Whatever it was, circumstance also creates a heart-wrenching power struggle between the two, and the few sympathetic men around them. Despite Iya’s physical malady, it may be Masha who has returned the more damaged of the two, and her quiet determination to get what she needs is shattering. The two first-time actresses, Viktoria Miroshnichenko as Iya (who somehow missed the cut for a Chlotrudis nomination) and Vasilisa Perelygina as Masha (nominated for Best Supporting Actress) bring power and intensity to their roles, each in their own very different ways. Balagov and his production designer Sergey Ivanov also earned Chlotrudis nominations in their respective catagories, and they are well-deserved. The bold use of red and green shatter the grey dreariness of the Russian winter in a way that simultaneously bring beauty and horror to the scenario. It’s one of those films that make me wish I had seen it before nominating, because it surely would have earned more points in many categories from me. 4 1/2 cats”
Julie says: “Finally saw this last night. It was hard to motivate to see given the summary, but glad I did. Michael’s review along with the others members I read are all spot on. If you are trying to decide what to see before submitting your vote, see this one! You’ll find it worthwhile. I agree with Michael I don’t know how the lead actress missed nomination other than not enough people saw this in combination with other strong leads that were seen by more. I also think that the doctor ( Nikolay) played by Andrey Bykov was excellent and deserves recognition. He reminded me of Jeremy Irons, but with his own je ne sais quoi. 4.75 cats“