ELENA

Russia, 2011, 109 minutes, Colour.
Nadezhda Markina, Andrey Smirnov, Aleksey Rozin.
Directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev.

Enthusiasts for Russian films will remember the impact of The Return, winner of many awards, Golden Lion in Venice 2003, SIGNIS award, the story of a father and his two sons. Director, Andrei Zvyagintsev, went on to make The Banishment, a powerful film of relationships and family. He has now gone to a modern Russian city and offered a portrait of a woman who seems to be a person of integrity who is transformed into a suburban moral monster while thinking that she is doing the right thing by her family. Love can also be evil.

The film uses the contemplative Russian style of film-making, right from the very long single shot at the opening with only a movement of birds and gradual light glowing within a house, a scene that marks the end of the film as well. We are interested in what is going on, then surprised at the moral turn of events, then left to ponder what has happened, especially to Elena.

Elena has retired from nursing and has married her older companion. They live in some comfort. We are made aware of this in the minute detail of Elena’s waking, dressing, her make-up, breakfast and waking her husband in his room. An issue is raised. Her son, a lazy, unemployed married man, needs money. Elena’s husband, Vladimir, is unwilling to give anything. He also has an estranged daughter from his first marriage.

We are given a close-up of Elena’s family after she travels across the city to a run-down suburb with three nuclear chimneys dominating the area. She is devoted to them, playing with the baby, friends with her daughter-in-law, who seems a decent woman, tolerant of the selfish and churlish grandson who prefers playing video games, though his father is after money to pay for his education so that he will not have to join the military. Later in the film, we see the son go out with a gang, bashing other young men. The audience is not invited to have any sympathy with him.

The core of the film concerns Vladimir’s death, his will, the bequests to his daughter and cutting out his wife. Elena takes matters into her own hands with his death, the will, the money in his safe – and all for her family. They finally move from their dingy home to the comfort of Vladimir’s house.

In 19th century novels, Russian authors like Dostoievsky explored crime and punishment, some of the banality of evil and its consequences. Elena is a film about crime and no punishment, a critique, an indictment of the loss of moral integrity in the aftermath of the Communist era, which does not bode well for the future of Russian society.


1. Russia in the 21st century? Upper classes, working classes? A portrait, a critique? The director’s perspective on Russia – hopeful or not?

2. The title, the focus on Elena herself, a character, a good woman, her age, experience as a nurse, her relationship, marriage, her son and concern for him and his family? A good woman making an evil decision? The evil of love? To help her son? Killing her husband, stealing from him, lying about the will? The loss of integrity?

3. The city setting, the wealthy apartment, comfort? Modes of travel around the city, buses and trains? The train – and the image of the horse being killed by the train? The contrast with Elena’s son, the dingy apartment, the streets, the nuclear chimneys? Philip Glass’s score and its tone?

4. The director asking the audience to contemplate, the long opening image, cinematic style, pure cinema, the less use of words at the beginning? The increasing use of words? And the banal television shows on the television throughout?

5. The effect of the opening long shot, the camera held, the birds, the light increasing – and the return to this scene at the end? With the family within the house? The moral judgments of the audience about what has happened in between these shots?

6. The detail of Elena wakening, the minute detail at the start of her day, ordinary? Her dressing, made up? A woman of some gravity? Waking her husband up, his room? The breakfast, his sharing? The quality of the relationship? Ten years together? A few years married? Her concern about her son? Vladimir and his sternness, not wanting to give money to the son, considering him a wastrel? His attitude towards his daughter and the alienation?

7. Elena and her travel around the city, visiting her son, the suburb, the chimneys, the streets? Love for her son? Her relationship with her daughter-in-law? The baby? The role of the surly son – the role of the surly grandson? Whether these people were worthy of Elena’s plans?

8. The character of the son, the slacker, lack of work, drinking, his brusque treatment of Tatyana taking her for granted? His devotion to his son, hopes for him, education? The need for funding? Documents? Tanya as a good woman, coping in the situation? The grandson, playing computer games, lazy, selfish, the blackout – and his going with the gang, beating up people in the neighbourhood?

9. Vladimir, his taking ill, in hospital, Elena with him, her nursing background, her visits? His daughter – and her visits, her reconciliation? The issue of the will?

10. Elena, a woman of dignity – and then her decision about killing her husband, the pills, administering them? His death?

11. The issue of the will, the meeting with the lawyer, Vladimir’s daughter, her attitude? The money in the safe – and Elena saying there was nothing there? The nature of the will and the division of the property? The daughter satisfied?

12. Elena taking the money, travelling to see her son, the train and the incident with the dead horse? The son and his receiving the money, delight? Tanya pregnant again? The prospects for the grandson? The son and his gratitude towards Vladimir – and calling the baby after him? Elena revealing nothing of what she had done?

13. The family moving into the comfortable home? The changes? For the better? Their prospects? Elena satisfied with what she had done? The final scene and the family within the house?

14. Audience response to this view of Russia, materialism, the lack of moral perspective? Immoral behaviour in the name of love? Loss of integrity?