(Каменный цветок)
Directed by Aleksandr Ptushko
87 minutes
In Russian with English subtitles

Of course we have the illusion that as things change, we are on the road to progress. But all you have to do to question this is to take a look at this Russian movie made in color in 1946. The images are so rich, almost velvety with an incredible poetic resonance. Modern movies today look absolutely drab in comparison. So where did the magic go? 

This film is about the dilemma of the artist, the rich imaginative inner world versus the external commercial materialistic world. But it's also about the driving force beneath an artist's creativity, which can often be painful, and sometimes downright pathologically sacrificial - in such instances, a blessing can become a curse. In the case of this film, it centers on young apprentice gem-cutter Danila, who neglects the girl he loves, and becomes obsessed with his craft to the point where it could destroy him. It is based on a story by Pavel Bazhov, coming from a Russian folktale. 

This film vibrates with an old school craft, where imagination and artistic skills fuse together to create something otherworldly. The hand-painted set designs, along with the rapturous cinematography are spellbinding. What is created is a fantasy, but one with a deep poetic undercurrent. The lush images of this Russian folk-tale were groundbreaking and absolutely glow - so get prepared to be enchanted.