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7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Happiness remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, only if you have a thing for Russian satire from the thirties. If you go in expecting a lighthearted romp, you're going to hate it. It is weird, it is loud in its own way, and it is deeply strange.
It feels like a fever dream directed by someone who had just read way too many political pamphlets. You spend most of the runtime just trying to figure out why the horse looks so tired. That horse has seen things.
The whole thing with the clergy is just relentless. Every time the main character tries to breathe, a priest pops up to take his last crust of bread. It’s not subtle. It’s not meant to be.
Sometimes the movie reminds me of the chaotic energy in Mickey's Athletes, but with way less charm and way more collective farming rhetoric. There’s a scene involving a walking granary that just goes on for way too long. It’s like the props department got bored and decided to make the building itself a character.
The pacing is all over the place. One minute we’re watching a slow, painful walk across a field, and the next, everything is exploding with socialist joy. It’s jarring. Maybe that’s the point?
If you have seen The Plow Woman, you might recognize the vibe, but this is much meaner. It feels like the director was trying to shake the audience by the shoulders and scream 'BE HAPPY OR ELSE!'
I don’t know. I watched it twice, and I still can’t decide if I like it or if I just feel bad for the actors. It’s definitely not like King Neptune, that’s for sure. 🤷♂️
The ending is pure fantasy. It’s like they ran out of ways to make the guy miserable, so they just gave him a tractor and called it a day. It’s kind of hilarious if you don't think about it too hard.