Burnt by the Sun Directed and featuring Nikita Mikalkov – 1994 (film of 1936/7)

Burnt by the Sun Directed and featuring Nikita Mikalkov – 1994 (film of 1936/7)

 

This 1930’s based film opens with a star on top of a building structure and a scan through the street of Soviet Russia. There are RED flags on each light pole and some larger ones on buildings which are seen from just about anywhere you walk or drive.

Once the downtown had its debut the first minute or so into the film, we are brought to a room where one older gentleman and younger gentlemen are talking business. This business doesn’t seem to be of any real purpose to anyone else but those two gentlemen as they talk in codes and/or other languages to avoid anyone else knowing what they are saying. It wasn’t long before I figured out that this must be the scene where plans are made to get rid of someone, as the sense of spy came to mind for me. Those types of people would be using codes and such to avoid getting the info they are sharing into the hands of the wrong person(s). To ensure the person they are currently around ARE, indeed who they say they are.

Once, all details are worked out and they understand who each other is, the details are now shared. I found it odd, that the younger guy by the name of Mitsya, didn’t even pay no mind when his elder was sharing important information. All Mitsya did was pull out a revolver and place a bullet in it (at least from what I could tell), spun the dial and then pulled the trigger once he placed the barrel to his head. I guess it wasn’t the day for him to die; the bullet wasn’t in that particular chamber, this time around.

We now see a couple being serenaded outside in what looks like a very small ice rink decorated with make-shift fence pieces to signify the boundaries. While the talented instrumentalists were doing their music we hear AND see a little girl in the nearby distance singing to herself, in the tune of what she is hearing by the few people that were playing their instruments.

The story in the film had now brought us to a cottage, where we see Sergei Petrovich Kotov and Nadya in the sauna area in an awkward, to me, but natural to their culture, situation. The daughter was on top of dad without any clothes, although she was just on his back, it made me feel a bit uncomfortable. They weren’t without someone knowing, mind you, as mom (Marusia) is certainly there in site, but it seem as if she was in another part of the room talking to the both of them and nothing was out of the ordinary for anyone in the household. It was just time in the sauna for relaxation, I’m gathering from the scene.

Suddenly, we are shown multiple tanks ruining wheatfeild and creating havoc to the owners and workers of the field without hesitation. Not knowing why or being able to stop them heightened the panic. Word of this rampage reached Col. Kotov and he went to the supervisor in charge of the tanks, called someone and off the tanks went without anymore chaos.

By a swift clip of the editor we are met with a scene in which a marching band is working their way through the forest at the entry gates to this cottage. Nadya runs to hear the band and watch as they go by. It’s not long before suddenly, a rambunctious older gentlemen pops out of the marching line towards Nadya which excites Nadya as he plays a guessing game. She is trying to guess who he is,

maybe a doctor or Summer Santa but none of that really is who’s arrived at the cozy cottage as a guest, as we will soon find out. The bearded gentlemen works is way through the gate with his game of guessing, while telling each person he comes to a bit of something about themselves that he knows. This is strange and fun at the same time. Now, everyone is eager to find out who IS this unrecognizable character. They didn’t have to wait for too long as the gentlemen in disguise shows everyone his talneted piano skills; it’s off with the beard and white hair. It’s Mitya, scream a few members of the household as they run up and hugged him, some just laughed and other just simply wondered around the house.

Although the cottage has it’s fun time and laughter, by all means, it’s trouble with a past in which only Mitya and Marusia know about, outside one other family member. It slowly becomes apparent to the rest of the family that Mitya and Marusia had a relationship in the past and it was broken up during its prime moments. The time Mitya was sent out of town and when Kotov was the person who instructed him to go. Now, it wasn’t made clear that Kotov every knew about the past but the message was very clear this time when Mitya told Nadya a story and Marusia appeared agitated by it then walked away. Kotov picked up on it as well, then had his talk, sex and more talk with Marusia. I must say, their way of coping is different, but a learning experience none-the-less.

Once Marusia and Kotov were done with their moments, Marusia came out of the room and suddenly she saw Nadya tap dancing, a new step she learned from Mitya, in the hallway. Since, Mitya was also standing there he noticed Marusia and gestured to talk to Kotov. Mitya asked Nadya to play this humming game and since Marusia wasn’t in the immediate area, it was time for Mitya to let Kotov know the real reason he was visiting. It appears that Mitya had arranged to have Kotov and himself picked up in two hours. While, Nadya was humming, which just helped her not hear what they were talking about, the message was delivered and the reaction on Kotov’s face was one in which you knew that he understood the message and had no choice but to go along for the ride.

Before the vehicle gets here let’s finish what we always do on Sunday and keep the routine, "As is" was a great way to not let anyone else in the family know that Mitya’s ultimate purpose, his job, was to make sure Kotov was no longer alive. Mitya fulfilled his job requirement then ended his own life with the slit of one wrist while in a tub of water.

 I feel that Mitya used personal motives to train harder in the political arena so he can fulfill his ultimate goal and get revenge for sending him away from Marusia. Mitya clearly had a strong bond for Marusia, a dangerous bond in which, he only realized once it was too late to undo the deed at hand. The killing of Kotov didn’t have any rewards for Mitya after all.