Solomon's Heart: A heavy, quiet slice of history

Is it worth the time?

Look, Solomon's Heart isn't going to be for everyone. If you need a hook within the first ten minutes, you’re going to be disappointed. It’s for the folks who like to dig into old, dusty corners of cinema history and don't mind a bit of stiffness in the acting.

If you prefer your movies to be light and punchy, you’ll probably find this thing a total slog. It’s got that specific, heavy gravity that older Soviet films have—you know, the kind where every frame feels like it’s being pushed through thick water. 🐢

The experience

Watching Nikolai Gorodnichev here feels a bit like watching a clock tick. He’s got this intense, unblinking way of staring at walls that makes you wonder if he’s thinking about the scene or just waiting for lunch. There’s a scene about halfway through—I think it’s in the office—where the lighting gets weirdly flat and everything just stops.

It’s awkward. It’s really awkward. It lingers on faces for about ten seconds too long, and you start to notice the way the paint is peeling on the set walls. I’m not sure if that was the point, but it definitely felt like the crew just went for a smoke break and forgot to yell cut.

Connecting the dots

It made me think of the tone in Restless Youth, though this one feels a lot more tired. There isn't that same frantic energy. It’s much more about the internal grind.

Sometimes the movie tries way too hard to look 'meaningful' with these long, sweeping shots of nothing in particular. It’s like the film is trying to convince you that a shot of a dusty windowsill is a metaphor for the human soul. Maybe it is. Maybe it’s just a dusty windowsill.

• The dialogue is sparse.
• The costumes look like they were pulled out of a very damp basement.
• There’s a cat that wanders into the background of a serious scene and honestly, it’s the best performance in the movie.

I found myself drifting off a few times. Not because it’s bad, exactly, but because it’s so stubbornly uneventful. You can feel the weight of Sergey Gerasimov’s direction trying to hold it all together, but the seams are showing everywhere. It’s an imperfect watch, but kind of interesting if you’re in a weird mood.

Just don't go in expecting a masterpiece. It’s just a film. It exists. It’s there if you want to find it.