..because I forgot about the last two pages of my notes!
Anyway, in the second half or so of the movie, after Kirill's death, the first image of her true motherhood is as she walks through the town and the workers stop to watch her. For the first time, Vavilova truly looks like a motherly figure and seems to have begun her change.
However, immediately after, she runs from the familiar soldiers. Whether to still hide her 'condition' or simply out of fear of confronting the past, she runs across the bridge as if it is the bridge and her journey from her old life to her new life. She stops at the end of the bridge to cry as if she has reached a place where the soldiers cannot reach her.
Soon after, the old woman speaks for the first time. However, it is not translated on the subtitles and therefore, I wonder if even when the movie is viewed, if the viewer is not supposed to understand this woman's words. It is the only time she speaks throughout the movie, and therefore it is questionable to the importance of the movie.
Along with the growth of the other characters, I found the husband's growth very vivd also. In the beginning he yells and throws his things everywhere screaming that he does not understand why he has to give up his bed. He hates that Vavilova is there and does nothing to help in the beginning other than be in the way during labor. However, towards the end, as the Tsarist armies approach, he is the first to say that she is welcome to stay as long as need be.
Also, the wedding party that heads through town heads directly into the fog where they seem lost in the inability to see. Taken to mean, that through these hard times, the death and pain that follows is expected. The fog represents Vavilova's inability to understand still her current situation and the despair she currently still feels.
For some reason, the trams that the husband constantly brought up reminded me of when Rudolph always mentioned television being the future in Moscow does not Believe in Tears. He felt it was the future, but inevitably came to the realization that his beliefs would not come to be.
The emphasis on the hands as they sit in the cellar was also important at the end of the movie. Vavilova is the only one who does not partake, but each of the dancing hands are shown. However, as Vavilova converts everything to her daydream, the dancing hands are changed to hands crying out in pain or sadness. As the Jews are oppressed and marked, the husband outstretches his arms to the skies as if to ask, why they are in this situation. This can easily be related back to Vavilova's current situation.
The colors in this movie were striking. Due to the fact that it leaves the black and white generality of the rest of the movie and moves into a red filter for the oppression dream.
Then comes the second appearance of the horses, as the Red's horses [without riders] run in the opposite direction of the marching White army.
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3 comments:
I liked your comments on Vavilova's transition to womanhood. She seemed to gradually become a different person as the movie progressed. I am not sure that I understand the point of the old woman at all so I could not say if I agree with you about her or not. However, I definitely agree with your opinions on Yefim. He seemed to gradually come to like Vavilova and (although I did not notice) he was apparently obsessed with the future (kind of ironic that he would never have one).
And Yefim's reference to the trams also reminds me very much of Kotov's conversation with his daughter Nadya on the boat (when he is holding her foot) in *Burnt by the Sun*. Also a man who has no future...
The old woman is speaking and singing in Yiddish which is, I believe, why her words don't get translated. Vavilova wouldn't have understood what she said/sung either.
I like your analysis regarding the uncertain future represented by the fog and the irony that Yefim is interested in the future when he has none.
The scene at the end you mention, when it goes from the family dancing to the funeral march, struck me the most. It's as though the family has chosen to be together, even though it leads to death, and Vavilova decides not to follow them.
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