This documentary depicts the life of a famous Soviet-American poet Joseph Brodsky, a man expelled from his own country for his literary works and liberal world views. His life has been marred by tragedy from the beginning. Born just a year before the Soviet Union got involved in the Second World War, he was a survivor of a siege of Leningrad by the Nazis when people were dying of starvation. A high school dropout because he could not stand the false propaganda of the Soviet lifestyle, Brodsky did not openly oppose the socialistic regime but his poetry was considered to be too free-spirited by the Soviet government.
Denounced as an Anti-Soviet poet and a parasite who was not contributing enough to society, he was sentenced to hard labor at a farm in Siberia. In 1972, he was forced to leave Russia within 24 hours or perish. Upon immigration to the US, Brodsky found his niche in the American literary society and not only was appointed a United States Poet Laureate but also won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1991.
Joseph Brodsky...In the Prison Latitudes features beautiful shots of St. Petersburgh where Brodsky created his most famous poems and is accompanied by hauntingly somber music. Viewers are also able to hear Brodsky's poems performed in his own voice. The film offers interviews of Brodsky's friends and literary critics from both Russia and the US who explain why his poetry is considered so unique and relevant.
Even though Brodsky had a rather traditional approach to poetry with his reflections of life and death, loneliness, and the meaning of existence, his stance remained that poetry is a supreme form of the language of a country. In his own words, Brodsky believed that poetry generated history and a poet was a mouthpiece of the language.
This film will help viewers understand the reasons why Brodsky is considered to be a classic of modern Russian poetry and attain a deeper appreciation of the beauty of his most memorable poems. Highly Recommended. Aud: C, P.