MOSCOW ON THE HUDSON

US, 1984, 115 minutes, Colour.
Robin Williams, Maria Conchita Alonso.
Directed by Paul Mazursky.

Moscow on the Hudson is another idiosyncratic film from Paul Mazursky. He made his impact with Bob and Carol and Ted and Alice and a string of arresting offbeat films throughout the '70s. These included Blume in Love, Harry and Tonto, An Unmarried Woman. His films of the early '80s were even more idiosyncratic: Willie and Phil and his adaptation of Shakespeare's The Tempest. This film is much more straightforward, has a lot of comic touches as well as insight into human nature and is strong in its praise of America.

The film wears its heart on its sleeve. While it shows the Russians as human, it nevertheless shows life behind the Iron Curtain as excessively grim. While there is much violence and oddity in the American cities, there is nevertheless a basic freedom and a possibility of achieving the American dream. The film is very strong thematically and visually in its presentation of New York as a meeting-place of many races and peoples.

The film has an excellent performance by Robin Williams (from Mork and Mindy to Popeye and The World According to Garp). He sustains the film and gives it an emotional validity. There is a good supporting cast. (Photography, as with Mazursky's The Tempest, is by Australian Don McAlpine?.)

1. An entertaining human drama? Comedy? A piece of Americana of the '80s? Reflecting attitudes towards the USSR? The period of the Reagan administration? Of suspicions towards the USSR, of Olympic boycotts etc.?

2. The work of Paul Mazursky: writing and directing? Idiosyncratic human beings? Aspects of the United States? Insight into human nature? The mellow touch?

3. Colour photography and authentic atmosphere? Munich standing in for Moscow? The grim and cold aspects of Moscow? The contrast with New York - both bright and dark, hot and ugly, beautiful? The visual contrasts, parallels? The light and dark, the seasons? The variety of the musical score? for emotional response? The contribution of the jazz score?

4. The flashback structure: V1ad and his happiness in New York, telling somebody on the bus the way? His emotional happiness? Colouring the flashback story of his defection? The contented (rather than happy) ending?

5. American themes of freedom, traditions, the American Constitution, the Bill of Rights, loyalty, naturalisation ceremonies? New York as a haven for the odd, the out of place, the exiles? A melting pot of all nationalities? Their adapting to the American way of life?

6. The picture of the USSR: Vlad and the lines of customers for shoes, for toilet paper? The lack of right sizes of shoes? His gift to the manager of the circus? The lines for toilet paper - and the family delighted to have it? The KGB agents and their surveillance, interventions and warnings? The circus, the circus acts, the clowns and their melancholy? The preparation for the visit to New York, the pep talks and the warnings about Western decadence? Stereotype pictures of the USSR, but truth?

7. The portrait of Vlad's family: the strong-minded and humorous grandfather, his clowning and criticisms (and the KGB warning to Vlad)? His reappearance after his death? The effect of his death on Vlad? His parents, his sister? The relationship with Svetlana? His leaving them all? His grief, letters home?

8. The tall, sad clown and his continual talk of freedom, of defecting? His imprudent talk and Vlad's fears? The expressions of his frustration? The contrast with the visit to New York, the impact of the United States, the bus tours for the circus group, the bus with its firm 'Liberty'? The tour and the excitement? The KGB officers and their supervision? The social party and the discussion with the lecturer in Marxism? The performance and the effect on the clown, his reaction, his wanting to go, pressurising Vlad to listen to him? The visit to Bloomingdale's and the excitement of the Russians buying all the clothes? The clown wanting to leave but unable to? His forlorn face in the bus window?

9. Vlad and the sudden impulse to defect? His presence in Bloomingdale's, the comedy sequences of his hiding, crawling? Lionel as the security guard and his reaction? strict American style? Lucia and her help behind the counter? The coming of the police, the television interviewers? The officials and their pleading with Vlad to come back? Their own fears for their future? The reality of his defection? impulse, sadness, happiness? The experience of freedom, then exhaustion?

10. The consequences of the defection: his being alone in New York, leaving his homeland, never seeing his family again, his grandfather's death? The letters to his family ? and his joy in the young Jewish Russian bringing the letter from home? His being interrogated by American officials ? even following him at the dance ? and his humorous thanking the American official? Lionel's kindness in taking him home? The direct parallel between Lionel's family and Vlad's family? The benign grandfather, the critical father, the friendship with Lionel and the outings?

11. The attraction to Lucia? Her work in Bloomingdale's? Her vivacity? Her Italian background, one of so many children, being sponsored by relations in America? The outings and the dancing? Her staying with him, but not wanting the relationship to be too serious? The bath sequence, and the preparing of the study of the Bill of Rights? The build-up to the naturalisation ceremony and her thrill? The aftermath? The clash and her not wanting to commit herself to Vlad? His going to the shop and her ignoring him? The flowers given to the Asian customer? Vlad's hurt?

12. The range of jobs that he had? the salesman in the street with the gimmicky glasses, washing up in the restaurant, chauffeuring the Texan and selling him goods in the car? His becoming more Americanised? The passing of time, the outings, the dancing? His sadness and the visit to the Russian club, Russian dancing, drinking? His sadness with Lionel? And Lionel's story about his child? Lionel's going to see his child and returning to Vlad's chauffeuring job?

13. The impact of the loneliness, the writing of letters? The encounter with the KGB official selling hot dogs in the street? His being grateful for staying in New York?

14. The practising with the saxophone, the reliance on his music, his performing in the nightclub, taking the comments at their worst? Needing to practise? His being attacked and mugged? His going to the bar and denouncing things American, the encounter?

15. Lucia's return and the happy ending?

16. Themes of nationalism, Americanism? The black saying that he was a refugee from Alabama? The satirical comment on the American way of life giving an edge to the romanticism?

17. The satire on the USSR, on Moscow?

18. Themes of freedom, opportunity, rights, respect for human nature? The equality of people of all races?