tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post697347751721692934..comments2023-07-01T05:05:31.938-04:00Comments on Films Worth Watching: Ivan's Childhood (1962) - Directed by Andrei TarkovskyJonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-7473231470035712602012-06-03T22:17:58.512-04:002012-06-03T22:17:58.512-04:00Thanks FilmMaster! Do check it out sooner than lat...Thanks FilmMaster! Do check it out sooner than later!<br /><br />Hi Sam!! Thanks very much for the comments. I have seen those other Russian films as well but it has been awhile. Actually there are several from this era about war, including The Cranes Are Flying as well. Yes that Birch Forest Scene is very beautiful stuff. I could watch that scene over and over.Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-84529960990104551042012-06-03T22:12:20.300-04:002012-06-03T22:12:20.300-04:00Jon, you've penned a poetic piece of a film of...Jon, you've penned a poetic piece of a film of deep emotional resonance and lyricism, a film that remains a work of art, and one that holds the viewer spellbound, and inspired, tangible feelings that are seemingly more tangible than what one would experience in the later more auspicious masterpieces. The film certainly has a thematic connection to Chukhray's BALLAD OF A SOLDIER, and in it's wrenching anti-war underpinnings with Klimov's powerful COME AND SEE. But you are quite right, methinks, to note the sensory qualities and the altered state of mind and the dream sequences. The last scene is unforgettable, and you are dead-on to credit Vadim Yusov's spectacular cinematography and the "birch forest scene."<br /><br />great too, that you compare Nikolai's performance with that of Hunter McCracken's in THE TREE OF LIFE, especially since both films provocatively explore nature, religion and love.<br /><br />Truly, one of your best and most passionate piece Jon. Terrific!Sam Julianonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-42352448490760528582012-06-03T11:43:31.928-04:002012-06-03T11:43:31.928-04:00I am yet to explore this director, but it will be ...I am yet to explore this director, but it will be a while before I do. Great review! I'll check this one out.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11776335173868465442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-88654042953726036652012-05-31T22:24:25.142-04:002012-05-31T22:24:25.142-04:00"Tarkovsky was one of the greatest visual mag..."Tarkovsky was one of the greatest visual magicians in all cinema." Yes this is a great statement and I totally agree. R.D. thanks for the great support and comments here. I was altogether rather floored by this film I must say and I hope that you have a good experience seeing it. It's just a beautiful work. Yes and Ivan's point of view is the key to letting the dreams work as narrative and not just cinematic flourishes. I think the film sometimes leaves his point of view at times and I know some are not so in love with those sections of the film. I enjoyed some of the diversions though and the film is so beautifully shot, I just couldn't complain about anything. Enjoy!!!Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10656287096270976604noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5703076346434344743.post-54413394136339578562012-05-31T17:32:31.447-04:002012-05-31T17:32:31.447-04:00Jon, another great post. This is a film I've b...Jon, another great post. This is a film I've been aware of for a number of years but never got around to watching. I have seen some later films by Tarkovsky, though, and the way you describe "Ivan's Childhood" (when I first heard of it, the film was called "My Name Is Ivan") certainly supports your idea that it contains the germ of his later work. Your description in the third paragraph of those scenes from the film was magnificent. I especially like the way you dealt with Tarkovsky's use of dreams/memories/altered states of mind and how he made these part of Ivan's innocent and instinctual view of reality. From what I've seen of his work, Tarkovsky was one of the greatest visual magicians in all cinema. The way he was able to blend these complex narrative strategies (rather like the way modern novelists do) yet never get the viewer muddled is just amazing. Coincidentally, "Ivan's Childhood" has at last risen to the top of my Netflix queue, and I'll be watching it within a few days!R. D. Finchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05045080274131718843noreply@blogger.com