Crossing Ingmar Bergman's Cries and Whispers with, say, Andrei Tarkovsky's The Sacrifice closely approximates the look and feel of this measured rumination on filial love. In sometimes lush, often stark, and occasionally skewed images, a devoted son is pictured conversing with, and caring for, his dying mother. Lovely scenes of billowing fields, grassy hillsides, and a rustic farmhouse alternate with long-take medium shots of the two characters. Often the film barely qualifies as a "moving" picture. This unabashed throwback to the more self-consciously artistic imports of the '60s is certainly daring but apt to bore all but the most devoted foreign film buffs. Optional. (T. Rich)[DVD Review—Apr. 4, 2006—Kino, 72 min., in Russian w/English subtitles, not rated, $24.95—Making its second appearance on DVD, 1997's Mother and Son looks mediocre on DVD, with extras limited to a text introduction by director Aleksandr Sokurov, and a theatrical trailer. Bottom line: Sokurov completists will surely want to add, but this is optional for others.]
Mother and Son
Winstar, 73 min., in Russian w/English subtitles, not rated, VHS: $89.98, DVD: $29.98 Vol. 15, Issue 6
Mother and Son
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