The Return (2003)

Once again, Exiled has convinced me. This time, it's the debut of Andrei Zvyagintsev. He compared it to Tarkovsky, so how could I resist? And, if you read his comments on the film, whether you know who Tarkovsky is (and can't see his somnolent genius), it's doubtful you'd be able to resist.

As far as the film goes, I was very, very impressed. It's got that languid pacing, that meditative, hypnotic feeling that all of Tarkovsky's masterpieces have. And, at the same time, it feels somewhat mainstream. Mostly, due to its plot and traditional style of storytelling (well, traditional in comparison to most art-film). But, it doesn't suffer because of this, it's only enriched by its deep and enigmatic story. And hey, if it uses this to draw in a viewer and potential open his or her eyes to great cinema, then I'm all for it.

Despite its rich detail, beautiful atmosphere and incredible emotional resonance, I may have to say its strongest suit is its ending. It's funny, because it's bound to frustrate a lot who see it, and rightfully so, but I really loved it, and all the questions it raised. It really leaves a lot to the imagination, and while sometimes the technique can make a film fall flat on its face, here it's a true asset to the work. What I love is that everyone has their unique interpretations as to what happened, if anything even happened at all. You're forced to think, forced to plumb the depths of your mind and your soul to comprehend what you've just seen, and try to put all the pieces together on your own.

A beautiful moment in the film is one of the last scenes, where their Father dies. Up to this time, we've seen the film through the childrens' eyes because the Father has been a prick, for the most part, and we emphasize with them. Yet, it's during this scene that our sympathies lie with the Father, because we really see how irrational and unfairly young Ivan is acting towards him. It's a great moment, because we can look back and see that he has been fairly harsh throughout the film, but it's only now that our sympathies shift ever so slightly, that we see it. Then, moments later, the tragedy occurs.

Of course, the ending is ambiguous, so did a tragedy really occur? Were they looking at an alternate photo, or did the Father never even really exist? And what was with the phone calls and the mysterious box he put into the boat? Was he trying to tell them something, or was this just their imaginations being overactive.

While I'm thinking about it, the entire subplot involving the Father's work was well-done. The scene where he is on the phone while his sons get mugged out on the street, it's perfectly intercut. While watching, your mind immediately becomes preoccupied with the children, because you hope they don't get hurt at all. The intercutting is so well, that most viewers might completely forget all about the phone call in retrospect, because they were far more concerned with the kids' well-being. The film is full of little touches like that, slight, subtle manipulations that really play with the audience and force them to think more.

Despite the ending potentially ruining theories on the Father, I still thought the concept was very interesting. This is what amounts to a miracle for the kids, their Father has returned out of the blue. While it's miraculous, it's very mysterious at the same time. Of course, it turns out not to be so much a blessing, as the Father treats them pretty badly (but, your interpretation of the ending could potentially justify him, again.) It reminds me of a line from Fight Club: "Our Fathers were our models for God. If our Fathers failed us, what does that tell you about God?" I think it has some significance here, because, generally, a Father is supposed to be a wonderous person, who leads you down all the right path, encourages you and inspires you, and does all he can for you. Yet, these kids, who have been lacking this for so long, are stuck with this complete stranger offering none of these things.

I really don't know what else to say about The Return. It's a haunting masterpiece, and I can't believe it's only a debut. I really hope to see more from Zvyagintsev, and I hope to see it theatrically, to boot.