THE RETURN

Russia, 2003, 105 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Andrej Zvjagintsev.

The Return is the first film by the director and won several awards At the Venice Film Festival, 2003, including the SIGNIS prize. Comments were made about how the film related to the tradition of Tarkovski. In fact, the film draws on classic cinema traditions from Russian cinema, a great deal of introspection, some mysticism, a focus on the Russian soul. The photography is both beautiful and bleak, a journey in the Russian countryside, side roads, lakes, finally, an island.

The film was also a powerful road movie, tense and symbolic where two boys, one who is devoted to his father, the other stubborn and resentful, travel with their father who has been absent from the family for twelve years. The tensions along the road make demands on the father who disciplines his children. The older boy tries to please. The younger boy is very angry. The film explores the demands of trust, the difficulties in communication, forgiveness and grief. There are overtones of biblical commentary (the photo of the father contained in the Bible, the relationship between fathers and sons, the sacrifice of Isaac). There are also symbolic echoes of the journey of the dead on the River Styx.

Water is used as a symbol throughout the film, opening with an underwater scene which in fact is the end of the film, the boys in the town jumping into the water, there is a lot of rain, voyages on water, storms. Another dimension is height where the young boy is afraid to jump - while his father, trying to rescue him from a tower falls to his death.

The film is a multi-layered look at relationships, set firmly in a Russian context and mood, but with enough universal values to interest world viewers.

1. The quality of the film? In the Russian tradition? Meditative, introspective, mystical? Pessimistic or optimistic? Salvation or not?

2. The town, the water, the road, the cafes, the road stops and the bridges, the island? The sequences on the water, calm and storm? The musical score?

3. The mythical overtones from Greek mythology? The references from the Bible?

4. The title, the focus on the father? His simply turning up, his relationship with his wife, travelling with the sons? His dying and their realising the loss of their father?

5. The structure of the film with the seven days of the week and the accumulation of the facts, the journey, the emotional impact?

6. The underwater opening and its resume at the end? The father sinking in the boat, with the box which is never opened?

7. The boys on the tower, their diving, Ivan and his fears, refusing to jump, their taunts? His staying for hours, his mother coming to get him? The irony of the heights and his later going up the tower, his father coming after him, the rotten wood and his losing his balance and falling from the height?

8. The two brothers, their relationship, at home, the older and his leadership, the younger and his being taunted? Their relationship with their mother? The presence of their father, looking in the bedroom, mystified? Going to the attic, finding the Bible, finding the photograph of themselves with him? The mother's explanation that he simply arrived?

9. The meal, the boys' reaction, the discipline, the grandmother and her care?

10. The father and his decision to take the boys with him? The preparations, the joy, the prospect of fishing and being with their father? Yet the mysterious nature of who he was, their talking in the bedroom, wondering whether he was really their father?

11. The days of the week of the journey, in the car, stopping for meals? The father and his discipline, manners, requiring proper behaviour from the boys? Their reaction? Ivan and his refusing to eat in the restaurant, his father giving him a time limit, his refusal? His later moodiness in the car and wanting to eat and the father refusing?

12. The fishing, learning, sharing the experience? Later on the island, the father giving them an hour's limit, their catching a big fish, their staying four hours, the reprimand? The watch and the older boy keeping the watch after his father's death?

13. Ivan, his age, experience, stubbornness, resentments? His father putting him out of the car, his standing on the bridge, the rain and the father returning? The effect of all of this on them? Going camping? His training them for survival in the woods?

14. The journey to the island, the motor going out, their rowing, the storm, arriving on the island hooded? Their being on the island, enjoying it, having to go?

15. The mystery of the father's occupation, their speculation whether he was a gangster, the box and not knowing what was in it, his phone calls and his not revealing what his work was?

16. Outside the restaurant, the father watching on while on the phone, the gang attacking the boys, the fight, the father getting in the car and pursuing the boy, his wanting to eat, urging his sons to hit the boy and their refusal?

17. The climbing of the tower, Ivan and his resentment, the older boy chasing him? The father, climbing the tower, falling to his death? The impact of the death on the boys? Their carrying the body, feeling lost, putting it on the boat? Rowing, getting to shore? The boat getting loose, the boat sinking? Their calling out "father" just as he was sinking?

18. The aftermath, their experience of knowing their father, his death? The camera going underwater to the submerged boat?

19. A portrait of family relationships, the long-absent father, the mother and her acceptance of her fate, the boys without a father and their growing up, the effect, the strange experience of their father, his inarticulate love, his severity and discipline? What might have happened had he lived? The aftermath for them and the memories of their father - and the photo from which he disappeared?