Since the religious, creative and moral components of the cultural guise of an ethnos cannot but bear the imprints of past eras, those works of art that not only reconstruct historical events, but also reflect the attitude of different layers of society to them, are of particular importance. To artworks of this type include historical hood. films about Russia, and especially - epic films. Thanks to their panoramic nature, plot-specific certainty and richness, the figurative authenticity of signs - the details of the time and the recreated psychological atmosphere of the era, the viewer has the opportunity to discover the amazing world of Ancient Russia.
History reference
The history of Ancient Russia is considered to be the history of the Old Russian state from 882 until the beginning of the Tatar-Mongol invasion. Traditionally, this period is reflected in historical films about Russia. According to the overwhelming majority of experts, Russia, having originated at the beginning as a tribal union of distinctive East Slavic tribes, turned into a real early feudal power by the 9th century.
Aesthetics and Poetics
Aesthetics and poetics, which are saturated with historical films about Ancient Russia, consist in the fact that the plot-game and spectacular components reflect the time of the heroes of the work. The opposite reaction to the aesthetic expressiveness and the socio-historical context of films about the past becomes a sense of empathy for the on-screen heroes. The interconnected components that form the basis of each historical picture are not only the time and place of the action, but also the acting skills of the performance of historical actors, their atmosphere of existence in the cultural and social context of the era.
Content depth
In determining the value that historical historical films about Russia carry, semantic load, the basic idea and the symbolism of film narration about the past are of great importance. The most successful films, according to the stated parameters, are:
- "Alexander Nevsky" (1938), a film masterpiece. No wonder everyone still remembers the fiery speech of Prince Alexander delivered by the mouth of Nikolai Cherkasov, and the music of the great Sergei Prokofiev. Although most contemporary film critics view this creation through the prism of the Stalinist social order, this does not diminish the artistic value of the painting.
- Andrei Rublev / Passion for Andrei (1966), the most recognized film directed by A. Tarkovsky, is among the best cinema works of world cinema. Immediately after the release of the film, the picture caused a lot of criticism from art historians and historians who reproached the author for inaccuracies and the obvious modernization of Ancient Russia.
- "The Legend of Princess Olga" (1983). This film is characterized by a non-linear narrative, static action, emphasis on sensory perception and extraordinary expressiveness of the video. Its structure is built on the principle of alternative historical reality and the search for truth at the same time.
Art model of the era
For the most part, historical films about Russia have both substantial depth and artistic expressiveness, which are provided by a set of creative principles. Among them are the principle of chronotopic reproduction of events and destinies, the conceptualization of artistic narration and sound interpretations of the past. Each filmmaker in his own way, uniquely implements the above principles during the creation of his film masterpiece. The following historical feature films about Russia can serve as examples of such films:
- “Primordial Russia” (1985). It is noticeable that the historical adventure drama was created with enviable dedication and zeal. The visual part, the play of the actors, the expression in the presentation of the plot - everything, merged together, makes its way to the bones.
- "Vasily Buslaev" (1982) - a wonderful film directed by G. Vasiliev. Its plot is based on the history of life and the feats of arms of the epic Russian hero V. Buslaev. Strange, but this adaptation of the epic was declared as a film for children.
- "Theophania, the painting of death" (1991). The picture is saturated with the atmosphere of beliefs, myths, rites and life of various tribes of the Slavs. The director combined historical reality and dark mystical fantasy, a mystical component is present throughout the plot.
- “The old tradition. When the Sun was God ”(Poland, 2003). The film is interesting in that it tells about an era attractive and very distant - the era of the beginning of the formation of the Slavs.
- "Alexander. Battle of the Neva ”(2008). The director was able to recreate past events that took place many centuries ago.
- "Yaroslav. A Thousand Years Ago ”(2010). A chic folk-action movie, a fairy tale for the generation of the Internet, which has forgotten the ancient epics and annals.
The formation of the historical picture of the country
Historical films about Russia are almost always distinguished by a high coefficient of moral evaluation, including historical figures, their policies, and actions. The directors tried to identify a striking feature in their character, emphasize it, emphasize it and convey it to the viewer. Each painting dedicated to a particular person or historical event makes an impressive contribution to the country's culture, forming its historical picture. But there are exceptions when the author, in search of innovative techniques, is carried away and inadvertently distorts historical facts or the significance of a particular person from the distant past. In films, the list of which is presented below, such trends are observed.
- The Tomb of the Lion (1971).
- "Yaroslavna, Queen of France" (1978).
- "Prince Igor" (1969).
- "Yaroslav the Wise" (1981).
- "Daniel - Prince of Galitsky" (1987).
- "The Life of Alexander Nevsky" (1991).
- “Prince Yuri Dolgoruky” (1998).
- “Saga of the ancient Bulgars: Ladder ...” (2005).
- “Rusichi” (2008).
Spectator success
The audience success that accompanies historical films about Russia can be explained by many reasons: a competent script, originality of the author’s interpretation, and the play of talented actors. But all these components do not fully guarantee the interest of the viewer in the history of the ethnos: the graphic and expressive series reflected in the paintings of the era, national character and everyday life are very important.