LITTLE VERA
Russia, 1988, 130 minutes, Colour.
Natalia Negoda, Andrei Sokolov.
Directed by Vassili Pitchul.
Little Vera caused some reaction in the West on its release. It is a slice of Russian life, set in a drab suburb of a drab Russian city. The parents, products of the Communist state under Stalin and Khruschev, lead drab lives. However, they have more possessions, are more influenced by the West.
This is particularly the case with their children, the young Victor who is ambitious to be a doctor and find his place in the system, and Vera, the rebel with the punk tinted hair and the tape recorder. The film is also striking in its presentation of the older generation and their drinking, the sexual freedom of the younger generation. The film, apparently, caused some stir with its frankness and nudity in the screenings in the Soviet Union.
The film is reminiscent of many British slices of life, especially such films as Mean Time, directed by Mike Leigh. The film is fairly western in style, shows a slice of life in the Soviet Union - and implies, of course, a strong critique of what has happened in the Soviet Union since the revolution to the '80s.
1.The impact of the film? Interesting? Enjoyable? Soviet style of film-making? In contrast with the period pieces? The Russian way of life, the beginnings of a permissive society?
2.The drab city, the land and seascapes, the houses, the bars, the meagre beach? Musical score and songs?
3.The title, the new generation, the focus on Vera, her life and future?
4.The family background: the apartment, wages and work, education, the younger generation, the influence of the West, the house and its decorations (even posters of Meryl Streep's Still of the Night)? Meals, clothes? The drinking? The product of the Communist state?
5.The portrait of Vera: her offhand manner, her punk tinted hair, clothes, sullen and silent, work on the telephone exchange, her background of studies? Her relationship with her parents, their nagging? Their stating, in anger, that they didn't want her but she would get them a better apartment? Her friendship with Lina, sharing ideas with her? Andrei as her boyfriend? Her love for Sergei, their sexual relationship? The frankness of the portrayal of this relationship? Going home, trying to cope, her father's drinking, getting him to eat, her mother's nagging about cleaning the house? Their ringing Victor for his advice? The sequences with Sergei, Victor's arrival, his banter with Sergei and then discovering her there, his attack? Her story of her pregnancy, her mother's reaction? The plan to marry, going to the official for the licence? At home, the preparation of the meal, Sergei's arrival and treating everybody badly? Her anger? Yet going with him, the love and sex? His coming to live in, the clashes, the picnic at the beach, Victor and his attitudes? Sergei's being bored, his angers? His build-up of antagonism towards the father, putting the father in the toilet, Vera's angry reaction? The stabbing, her hysteria? Her mother giving her advice to explain things to the police? Visiting Sergei in hospital? The pills and the gin, her abandoning all hope? Her being revived? The prospects for her life?
6.The portrait of the parents: their age, life, working in the sewing factory, the truck-driving? Their worries about Vera? The nightly drinking? The bickering? Not understanding Vera, their pride in Victor, calling him in to help solve all the problems? The pregnancy, the plan for the marriage? The fuss for the dinner, Sergei's brutal behaviour? The mother and her wanting everything to be nice? The father and his angers, drinking? The outing at the beach? The complaints about Sergei, yet wanting Vera to marry him? The build-up to the fight, the attack on the father, putting him in the toilet, his breaking the basin? Sergei stabbing him? Their worry, the father going to prison, the police interrogation, the mother and her plans for what Vera would say? The finale in the night, Sergei coming from the hospital, Victor and his arrival (and their seeing him off with the fruit)? The mother's bewilderment, the father and his heart condition, his collapse and lying on the floor? The end of the film?
7.The portrait of Victor, the older brother, his success in Moscow, as a doctor? Coming to fix things up? Friendship with Sergei, yet turning against him? The toasts and the behaviour at the meal? The picnic? His going back and forth to Moscow? The parents seeing him off? His never bringing his wife? His not wanting to lose his job - part of the system?
8.Sergei, the reader, the rebel, his clothes and hair, music, sexual frankness? Love for Vera? The proposal, the plan for the marriage, the story of her pregnancy? His deciding the clothes that he would wear to the dinner, his rude behaviour? His abruptness with the parents, moving in with them, bored? The outings? His build-up of anger, his being stabbed by the father? In hospital, morose, the visits? His decision to leave the hospital, with Victor, wandering around the home? Any coming to his senses or not?
9.The sketch of Lina, the two girls around the town, their youthfulness, western influences, talk about sex? Lina and her meeting the married man in the cafe, the affair with him, decisions, leaving the city? Making the dress for Vera and the wedding? Their friendships, their separation?
10.The detail of life in the Russian city, the ordinariness of home, its appearance, meals, drinking, clothes, etc? The role of the state in controlling people's lives? Relaxation? The lack of values - Communism as an ideal in the head, but not lived up to? The film's comment on Russian society?
