THE LIFE AND EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURES OF PRIVATE IVAN CHONKIN

Czechoslovakia, 1994, 110 minutes, Colour.
Gennadiy Nazarov.
Directed by Jiri Menzel.

The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin is a film of the '90s: based on a novel by Vladimir Vojnovic, a Russian author who lost his citizenship and was expelled from the Soviet Union for writing this novel, and directed by Jiri Menzel, the celebrated and Oscar-winning Czech director (Shop on the Main Street, Closely Watched Trains) who, during the oppressive regime in Czechoslovakia, was not allowed to make films for a period of five years.

The film is set in the Soviet countryside in 1941, a sunny but poor place where the townspeople tried to do their collective farming and are ruled over by very petty (very) bureaucrats. The slow-witted Private Chonkin is sent to guard a plane, but enters into the life of the village and into a relationship with one of the local women. The film is treated in a very light-hearted way - but there are dark undertones with the bureaucracy, the orders from on high, the outbreak of the war and the fear of the advance of the Germans. However, with misunderstandings and stubbornness, the petty bureaucrats turned the events into a kind of Catch-22 war.

The film is quite extraordinary as a Russian film critical of the communist regime and, especially, the Stalinist years. There is an ironic humour and humanity about the film, even in its criticism of dire times.

1.A film of the '90s, the satire on the Soviet Union, the satire on war?

2.The Russian settings, the village, the '40s? Poverty and the look of the village and the countryside? The musical score? Songs?

3.The title of the film (and the echoes of the classic The Good Soldier Schweik), the echoes of such stories as Catch-22?

4.Stalin and his regime in retrospect, the opening with the flag, anthems, the history of communism, the distinction between communism and socialism? The Soviet bureaucracy even to the local level and its control, literal understanding of regulations, encouragement of reporting? The icons of the Soviet Union? Authorities, control, economic plans, military deployment? Espionage and denunciation? The atmosphere of war?

5.Private Chonkin and his work on the garbage, in the kitchen, his questions? The drill? His punishment? The question of the plane, his being taken to guard the plane, going to sleep, the encounter with Anna, a genial young man, finding Anna good company, working in the garden, the vegetables, the food and the meals, the sexual relationship, looking after the house? She at work and he at home? The encounter with the scientist, his theories, the making of vodka - and the smell of his house and being sick? His jealousy of Anna? His being fed stories? The story of the pig? The hostility towards the pig? The reconciliation?

6.The story of the plane, the crash, the reaction of the village, the various individuals and authorities, the lack of supervision, the officers in charge of Chonkin having to do drill? The pilot, the needing of the sentry, the choice of Private Chonkin?

7.Anna, her work, the post office, alone in the house, looking after the pig, the garden? Her encounter with Chonkin, her response to him, their life together and its happiness? His jealousy, the question of the pig? The reconciliation?

8.The picture of local authorities, their drinking, fears of inspection, the accountant and the denunciation, the phone calls to the authorities, the authorities and their discussions about going fishing? Their lack of intelligence and comprehension?

9.The local party secretary, torture, secretary and sexual encounters, the fishing, the antagonism towards the Jewish prisoner and his name of Stalin? The fear of the authorities?

10.The build-up to the announcement of the war, the advance of the Germans? The growing complications, the siege, the house and its destruction, the advance of the Russian soldiers? The full-scale battle and the idiotic misunderstandings?

11.The final resolution, the future of Russia in the war? Ordinary citizens like Chonkin? The authorities and the Stalinist era?

12.A humorous critique of a dangerous time?