The arrogance of some american film critics baffles me, especially when they begin to tap into issues that are inherently outside of their own cultural understanding. They are quick to provide a sharp, often ignorant opinion on a foreign work of art instead of attempting to understand it with a kind of open-mindness that is so often promoted and celebrated in 20th century america.
I'm talking about a movie review I recently read in Boston Review, whose critic described the movie as one having, "no soul." This movie has more "soul" than most American films I've seen dealing with the atrocities of World War II. Burnt by the Sun isnt your typical American, plot driven film. The beauty of this film lies it its ability to magnify the reality of the human condition through carefully measured images, words and metaphors.
The film is dedicated to those who were "Burnt by the Sun" of the revolution, to those who naively or out of fear believed in the promise of communism and in the reign of Stalin. But mostly, to those innocent families disillusionned by their own loved ones. This film has a modesty and subtlety that many films dealing with this time period dont have. You have to see it to understand. Because this film not only has a soul but it has a beating heart that resonates in the minds of those that felt the lasting effects of Stalin's reign of terror.
Rent it and see for yourself.
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