PRIVATE LIFE

USSR, 1982, 104 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Yuli Raizman.

Private Life is an interesting Russian film from the early 1980s. It shows the effect of retrenchment on an ageing Russian executive and his having to deal with the humiliation as well as his change of life. The film has universal insights and has strong performances. It is interesting to note how similar the treatment of the question is in this Russian film with that of so many similar American films. It is interesting to note the similarities of lifestyle in Moscow with the life style in the United States. despite ideological differences, the similarity in human nature and human lifestyle is quite apparent.

1. An interesting and entertaining Russian film? A piece of insight into Russia? The perspective of middle age and unemployment? Universal themes?

2. Russian production values: smooth cinematic techniques? The similarity of treatment of themes between this film and its American counterparts? The contemporary '80s style?

3. The focus on issues of the '80s: career, age, change of occupation, leisure, family relationships? The portrait of a middle-aged man?

4. The focus on Russian society: recognisable for world-wide audiences? Work, questions of mergers, redundancy? Family, love, interests? Questions of affluence?

5. The focus on the hero: his office, leaving, redundancy? The gun? The portrait of Lenin? His reaction in his family, brusqueness? The shock of their finding out about his redundancy? His reaction to his children ? severe standards? His withdrawing? His going out, wandering? The effect of leisure on him? His reactions? Softening? The circus? The bonds? The death of his wife? The new job? A mirror of contemporary society?

6. His wife: support, going out, the boys, the telling of the truth, the circus and his reflecting on his career?

7. The sketch of the younger generation in Moscow (and comparisons with American counterparts)? Study, sleeping in, laziness, questions of marrying and living together, girlfriend and her liking TV, music and noise, talk? The contrast of styles?

8. Marina and her family, the children, camps? The effect of the death on her?

9. The secretary and her support, the apartment, interest?

10. The focus on important themes of career orientation, age, unemployment?