DESPITE THE FALLING SNOW
Canada/UK, 2017, 93 minutes, Colour.
Rebecca Ferguson, Sam Reid, Charles Dance, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Anthony Head, Antje Traue.
Directed by Shamim Sarif.
Despite the Falling Snow is a film about the Soviet Union, the collapse of the Soviet Union, transitions, espionage. The director, Shamim Sarif, adapted the screenplay from her own novel.
The film has two time eras, the late 1950s in Russia, the early 1960s in the United States. This establishes the main characters, especially the Russian, played by Australian Sam Reid (Interview with a Vampire, The Newsreaders). Then there is Russia in the early 1990s, after the collapse of the Soviet Union, as will the sequences at this time in the United States. The Russian displayed this time by Charles Dance.
There are complexities in relationships, seeming betrayals, efforts to make atonement. The leading character in the later period is played by Rebecca Ferguson (Mission Impossible, Dune).
The film was made in Serbia standing in from Moscow. At the time of this film’s release, even the 1990s was becoming part of Soviet and American history.
- The title? Moscow and snow? Moscow and espionage? Moscow and romance?
- The work of the director, novel, screenplay, production, direction?
- A cold war story? The USSR in the Christian era? The US in the Kennedy era? The transition to 1992, election year for Bill Clinton, the collapse of the Soviet Union, Boris Yeltsin?
- The filming in Serbia, the Moscow sequences, the winter, the streets, the river, the Kremlin, official offices, apartments, schools? The contrast with the US, receptions in the 1960s, apartments in the 1990s? The musical score?
- The introduction, the US reception, 1961, meeting between Soviet officials and Americans? Sasha and his presence, nervy, accompanied, meeting the US contact, his making a run for it, pursued, the car, the photo of his life, the contact had been lost?
- 1959, Sasha, is political career, his parents, friendship with Misha, his boss, severe protocols in secrecy? The meeting with Katia? The attraction? His being used, her getting the documents, her falling in love, mission and his influence, the preparation for the wedding, her hesitancy, her commitment, life together? The romance with Katia? Meal with his parents? His going to the US, the on, security? His boss, the revelation of espionage? Katie telling him the truth, the effect on him, wanting to save her, going to America?
- The film has cut his story, her background, the flashbacks to the brutality against her family, work at school, connections with Misha, the contacts, the documents, passing them on? The relationship with Misha? The relationship with Sasha, using him, his attraction, her attraction, the decision for the wedding, life with Sasha, the revelation of the truth, the dangers?
- Misha, his political affiliations, espionage, photographing documents, passing them to County, his friendship with Sasha? The complications, the discovery?
- 1992, the older Sasha, his war with the documentation, the loss of cut here? With his niece, her artwork? Going to Moscow? His being unwilling to go?
- Laura, artwork, going to Moscow, the Moscow connection, the artwork of cut here, the exhibition? The impact of the art of cardio on visitors, on the audience? Is trying to make connection with Misha?, Personality, reserved? Pretending to make the contact? Lauren, lesbian, her approach to mania? Millions resistance? Telling the truth, the conflict between the two?
- The visit to measure, old age, invented, staying in Moscow? His hostility, drinking? His going to the exhibition, getting the suitcase? Seeing the artwork? Meeting with Sasha? The clash, leaving the suitcase?
- Sasha, going to Moscow, the exhibition, the encounter with Misha, the suitcase, the letter and his reading it?
- The audience seeing the flashback, Misha and the torture, the soldiers, his meeting with Katia, the confrontation, her running, her being shot?
- An espionage story? The Cold War? 30 years later and consequences? But, principally, a romance story?
