Syn rybaka: A really old, cold movie about a guy who just wanted to read

If you have about an hour and you don't mind reading subtitles while watching black and white footage that looks like it was dragged through a puddle, you should give Syn rybaka a shot. It is definitely for the people who like history or those weird nights where you just want to see how movies looked a hundred years ago. If you need explosions or fast talking, you are going to hate this so much. 🐟

It’s a story about Mikhail Lomonosov. Most people know him as the guy who did everything in Russia—science, poetry, glass-making. But here, he is just a kid named Mikhail played by Pyotr Podvalnyy. He lives with his dad, and they fish. A lot.

The father, played by Ivan Khudoleyev, has a face that looks like it was carved out of an old boat. He is very serious about fish. He doesn't really get why his son wants to look at books instead of nets. There is this one scene where they are out on the water and the wind looks brutal. You can almost feel the salt hitting your own face. It’s not like the clean sets in Millionaires. This looks dirty and real.

I kept thinking about how cold the actors must have been. There is so much snow. Mikhail eventually decides he’s had enough of the fish life and just starts walking to Moscow. He walks. It isn't a short trip. He joins a caravan and just goes. It’s kind of inspiring in a very slow, quiet way. ❄️

Things that stuck in my head:

• The way the light hits the ice in the opening shots is actually really pretty.
• Nikolai Simonov shows up later and he has these incredibly intense eyes. He looks like he hasn't slept in three years.
• There is a lot of staring at horizons. Like, a lot.
• The costumes feel heavy. You can see the weight of the wool and the fur.

The pacing is... well, it's a 1924 silent film. It doesn't move fast. Sometimes a shot of a boat just stays there for ten seconds too long. It makes you check your phone, but then you look back and the grain of the film does something cool and you're back in it. It’s got more grit than something like To Have and to Hold. It feels more grounded in the mud.

I noticed a weird smudge on the corner of the lens in one of the indoor scenes. It’s distracting once you see it. It’s right there while they are talking about education. I wonder if they even knew it was there back then. Or maybe the camera was just old even in 1924. 🎥

The ending feels a bit rushed, honestly. He gets to Moscow and suddenly he's the smartest guy around. I wanted more of the struggle in the city, but the movie seems more interested in the journey there. It’s less about the science and more about the guts it takes to leave home when everyone thinks you're being a weirdo for liking books.

It’s not as trippy as Überfall, but it has its own vibe. It’s very sturdy. That is the best word for it. It’s a sturdy movie about a sturdy guy. If you’ve ever felt like you were stuck in a small town and wanted to do something bigger, you’ll probably get what Mikhail is feeling here. Even if you don't have to smell fish all day.

One more thing—the music in the version I saw was all over the place. Sometimes it was very dramatic for no reason. Like, he’s just eating some bread and the piano is screaming at me. It’s kind of funny. I don't think it was supposed to be funny, but it is. 😂

Is it a masterpiece? I don't know. I’m not a professor. But I didn't turn it off. I liked watching the big hats and the way people bowed to each other. It’s a nice little window into a world that’s totally gone. Just make sure you have some snacks because watching people walk through snow makes you hungry. 🥖

Overall, it's a decent watch if you're in the mood for something slow. It's better than Babes in the Jungle anyway. At least this one feels like it’s about something real.