THE STUDENT/ THE DISCIPLE (M) UCHENIK

Russia, 2016, 118 minutes, Colour.
Puotr Skvotsov.
Directed by Kiril Serebrennikov.

This is quite a striking film and for those interested in contemporary Russia, more than interesting.

Marketing explains that the Russian title (M)uchenik is a play on words – one word meaning disciple and the other meaning martyr. Certainly very apt for this film.

Memory indicates that in the 1990s, with the collapse of the Soviet Empire, Russian television became interested in screening religious programs and went to production companies, in the United States and Western Europe, to buy programming, often from wealthy companies with a fundamentalist bent.

While the atmosphere of The Student is fairly secular – and with many of the characters, very secular – the central character has been bitten by a religious bug or, more respectfully, is intensely religious. Throughout the film, he communicates to those around him as well as to the audience that he is an embodiment of the Bible, reading it incessantly, quoting it incessantly. The exact scriptural references all appear in the upper left side of the screen.

The Student is Yenji, in his final year at school, living with his hard-working mother who holds down three jobs to support him. His perspective is that these are evil times and that the world is in a state of moral collapse. He resents his mother being a divorcee. He has a low opinion of girls and their flimsy bikiniwear at the swimming pool. He is forever delivering scriptural tirades to all and sundry.

When he dives into a pool fully clad, the principal, her assistant, the sports master and one of the teachers have a meeting with the mother to handle Yenji. His mother is anger personified, aggressive towards the staff as well as to the Russian Orthodox priest who is brought in to the discussion. Yenji later condemns him and his affluent hypocrisy.

In one dramatic sequence, the teacher, Helena, wants to warn the students about sexually transmitted diseases and brings in carrots and condoms for the class to work with. Yenji reacts vehemently, stripping down to the embarrassment of all – and another session with the staff.

In the meantime, a young boy is bullied, put in bins, ridiculed. He limps because one leg is shorter than the other. Yenji is sympathetic but, as it emerges, is eager to have a submissive disciple, inviting him home to meals, having prayer sessions so that his leg will miraculously stretch. The disciple is attracted to Yenji physically as is one of the young girls in class. Yenji has been avoiding these sexual considerations and his reaction to each is violent.

As with so many films from continental Europe, it just stops rather than come to any neat conclusion, leaving the audience to wonder about Yenji and where this religious fervour came from and what it will lead to, as well is considerations of contemporary Russian society, families, education (including a class on evolution where Yenji arrives derisively dressed in a gorilla suit).

As indicated, a very interesting film.

1. The title, its focus, student and/or disciple? The play on Russian words of the title, a martyr and a disciple?

2. Russian society, 2016? The aftermath of the Communist era and the memories? Contemporary morals and mores? Secular society, Russian Orthodox Church and ministers, religion and morals?

3. The town, the home, school, the sea and the rocks? The atmosphere of the town? The musical score?

4. The focus of the film on Yenji, his age, at high school, the clashes with his mother, loving her yet anger with her? At school, refusing to change into bathing gear, his attack on bikinis, into the pool fully clad, his problems?

5. The Scripture texts, the references coming up on the screen? His being an embodiment of the Bible? The texts, his literal understanding of the texts, no biblical context, his own personal perspective, seeing the times as evil, his condemnation of behaviour, his mother’s divorce, sexuality and nudity, his denunciations?

6. The staff, the meetings, trying to deal with him? His mother’s presence, her outbursts of anger? Her being upset at Helena? Her holding down three jobs, the divorce, the outbursts against her son?

7. The staff, the principal and her trying to cope, her assistant and support, the swimming coach and his orders, Helena and classes, discussions, the penalties?

8. The bullied boy, put in the bin, one leg shorter than the other, his friendship with Yenji, becoming his disciple, the meal at the home, praying over his leg, his pants down, his kissing Yenji, the emotionality, intimations of homosexuality? Yenji’s reaction? His wanting him to be a disciple, strictness of belief? The final confrontation, Yenji bashing the boy with a rock, killing him?

9. Helena, sexuality classes, the condom class, the carrots and the condoms, the jokes, Yenji denouncing the activity, stripping, mocking the carrots and condoms? The principal’s arrival, the explanation?

10. The girl, attracted to Yenji in class, the floating, the kiss, his reaction? The possibility of succumbing?

11. Helena, her stances, the sex class, attitude toward religion, the preventative attitude by education and condoms? Science, evolution, Yenji disguised as a gorilla? Her relationship with the swimming coach, the scene on the rocks? Her being fired? Her changing her mind, nailing her shoes to the floor, taking a stance?

12. The teenagers at school, permissive attitudes, on the rocks, naked, in class?

13. Yenji at home, taking off the wallpaper, the mattress on the floor, the austerity?

14. The meetings with the priest, the clashes, his talking with Yenji and his mother, his being at the staff meetings, the religiosity of people? Yenji clashing with him, accusing him
of a comfortable life and driving in luxury cars?

15. Yenji, the woodwork, making the cross, the guards and their reverence towards the cross? Helena and her presence – and Yenji later accusing her of a sexual assault?

16. The film stopping – and leaving it to the audience to reflect? On Russian society? On issues of morals and mores? On religion? On fundamentalist beliefs and literal quotations of Scripture?