The Return (Возвращение)

Moody and enigmatic, this is one of the best films to come out of Russia recently. Along with a number of others, this movie signals something of a rebirth of the art. A mystery, a parable, an allegory - it is all of these, and discussions can be found on film boards all over the net. Very little explanation for events and actions is given, leaving the viewer to work with the film in order to gain from it. And, like all the best art, the viewers may draw the interpretation that is valid for themselves. The film certainly works on many levels, from a simple cryptic story of a returning father's inability to relate to his unknown family, to a symbolic story of redemption. The style has been compared with the work of Tarkovskii and, while it may be too early to suggest that this is a director of such a stature, there are explorations of many themes that were important to the great master.