Progulka (2003) User Reviews

new Russian adventure

[polatheat · 7/10 · 2 January 2005]

The Stroll is a new Russian adventure in the world of film-making- the adventure that recalls Battleship Potemkin, The Russian Ark and other magical and/or unrepeatable Russian films.

The Stroll has simple plot though it is interesting and the details that frill it are very deep. It is not a typical road movie although 80 per cent of it was shot on streets; the real streets of contemporary St Petersburg. The story takes place in few hours of one day of Olga and her 2 fellows and we get the feeling that the whole film was shot in one day. It is for sure was shot in short time—which I reckon was main part of the entire experimental nature of the film. However, it was obvious that preparing to shoot the film and practicing shooting and acting took very long time before (real) production has started. The crazy use of mobile camera that followed those 3 guys crossing crowded and dangerous streets made me think how lucky was the cameraperson that he/she did not get killed in a car accident. Did he/she? Hope not.

The film style is new. There is that unusual mix of applying new play-acting method to cinema. It is a result of Peter Fomenko's stage-acting method and workshops. Adapting stage-acting styles into films resulted historically in handful of amazing films including Marcel Carne's Children of Paradise and John Cassavetes' Opening Night. From this perspective The Stroll is amazing film.

The Stroll 2003

[maria_isabee · 8/10 · 28 November 2015]

The 2003 Russian film entitled "The Stroll," directed by Aleksei Uchitel completely caters to the appetite of your typical western viewer. The film generally centers around two young men and a woman as they take a stroll through St. Petersburg. The beginning of the film is somewhat confusing as we hear a conversation between a male and our female protagonist, but it isn't until the end of the film that this conversation and the events immediately following this scene makes absolute sense. Throughout the majority of the film everything seems to be in a fast pace: from the quick encounter of Alyosha and Olya, to him immediately professing his love for her within a few minutes of just meeting. Oddly enough the scene were Olya and Alyosha are observing people and judging their personalities based on their appearances you can't help but sense the irony whenever Olya begins describing Alyosha's bad luck with women. Her chatter with the two men that sometimes seems like mindless rambles as well as her actions at one point begin to contradict itself. Take for example the scene where she tells Alyosha that she's unable to sit as she fell off a horse and injured her spinal column, which she forget all about at one point in the film. Or when she said she doesn't drink, but later says she wants a beer after being robbed. This leads the audience to essentially question her true intentions in bewitching the two male best- friends. The camera work throughout the majority of the film is real time in that a vast amount of scenes are presented in an unbroken sequence. Take for instance the scene where Alyosha is insisted in buying tickets for Moscow. This real time footage gives a depiction of St. Petersburg that is quite different to early films are it portrays the city as this beautiful busting city. Shots are often out of focus as the camera work is hand held which can sometimes prove to be too chaotic for a viewer who isn't accustom to such unconventional technique. Take for example the scene where people are cheering due to the soccer match being held. It isn't until the conclusion of the film that the camera work switches to a more conventional method, and the cool coloring of the scenes are entirely different to the scenes earlier in the film Perhaps signaling the film drawing to an end where everything is revealed. The song in the beginning credits also seems to connect the ending showing this sort of "dead end". In how this casual stroll that seemed to have a happy ending turned into something quite dark and depressing.

modern St. Petersburg

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 29 June 2016]

Aleksey Uchitel's "Progulka" ("The Stroll" in English) focuses on some people walking throughout St. Petersburg. I interpreted the movie as a look at general uncertainty about Russia's future. It first it seems naive of Olya to simply let Alyosha start walking with her when she has no idea who he is, but it's as if to say "What can one do given recent events?" The rowdy fans and the gypsies emphasize this.

What I found interesting was the end. It starts raining and the three of them run into the bowling alley. It's after that Olya has a change. It's as though the rain prompted her to see through things. That's my interpretation at least.

I recommend the movie.

The wonderful film about St. Peterburg, youth and a desire for life

[Ale-Che · 10/10 · 10 October 2003]

A guy meets a girl, calls his friend and they go for a walk together on the streets of St. Peterburg doing nothing, speaking, flirting, playing fools. In 90 minutes of a real-time film they live a hole life together. They love and hate each other, they laugh and cry, they FEEL the way you can feel only when you're 20 and the whole world belongs to you. But it seems like a girl has a strange secret. It comes out at the very end of the stroll and turns everything into a real tragedy...

But now the young people are passing by the streets of St. Peterburg - the best city in the world, with its beautiful houses, crowded streets and a bit crazy inhabitants. This St. Peterburg we have never seen in movies before, but always new from real life. I love this film because of its wonderful image of the city and the perfect work of actors. And because this film is about us - or about us some years ago, our desire to live, feel and to do.

a good movie

[vania_only · 9/10 · 17 November 2006]

I like this film. Most of all I like the idea about people, they think they know you. This two boys get to know her better than her husband. so It is not important for how many time u know somebody to know him. Aliosha is very sweet. Is he famous in Russia. That is not important but just asking. : )The film is similar to ' Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN' and to 'ARIZONA DREAM' too. It is about growing up and such a things. The music in the beginning and in the end is very good. Do somebody knows something about it? it made me cry. a little. It made me feel a little nostalgic. The music contrast withe dynamic actions through the film. maybe it is because this meeting even though it is for some hours is more important than the rest of the every days.

A perhaps naive view of the film? I believe not.

[williamfjack-619-266033 · 10/10 · 5 April 2018]

In this film, during one very long walk, we get to look deeply into three distinct, young characters, and we get extremely brief but telling glimpses of others as well: Sewer workers, two guys yelling over a minor car accident, a band of gypsies, workers on top of Saint Isaac's, young folks dressed in historic costumes (a gimmick that has become a tacky part of too many historic places). And we also learn much in just a few seconds about many other characters of everyday life in a big and bustling city. This guy can tell a whole story about extremely minor characters in fewer than thirty seconds.

Other reviewers have said that it paints beautiful pictures of Saint Petersburg for foreigners and tourists. Well, I'm a foreigner and I've been to the city about 20 times, sometimes as a tourist, and I don't agree at all. Where are the "touristy" shots? I see a focus on chunks of everyday life, and it's not always pleasant. I see a heck of a lot of the grit that you can find in any big city. I wouldn't recommend this film to anyone who hasn't been there because there are so many pretty, filmic representations elsewhere. They need to look at them, not this.

I know that great monuments and palaces and squares and astonishing bridges lurk in the background, but attention is never drawn to them. I see a whole lot of dirt and ugliness, the prosaic details of life, unpleasing details that could be observed in any city in the world.

To me, the city often looks more like the bad end of Chicago, but with a couple of dazzling edifices and statues thrown in to negate the naive, highly-superficial, romanticized view of that beautiful city. We see parts of it only as we are dashing through it rapidly, passing by scenes so fast and often with many obstructions.

This film doesn't pause to show off anything. The city is background, unfocused and surely not showing off its best parts. I believe that we learn the very same things about each of the three main characters.

What masters, all who worked on this film! Did the cameramen manage to avoid getting smashed by trucks or cars? And this is astounding: How did they get to film this movie on crowded Nevsky and other places just jammed with people, without them staring into the camera, like I probably would.

Mr. Uchitel is a true master at selecting the most telling details, and so this short, seemingly simple movie tells much. I feel that I know those three people better than I know Dmitri and Ivan and Alyosha Karamazov, after reading "The Brothers Karamazov" too many times to count, watching the ten-hour series of "The Brothers Karamazov" far more times than once.

I think I love this movie as much for the cinematic techniques as for the characters and their truly quirky story. If I was in Russia now, I would try to hunt down Mr. Uchitel and those three actors and all others who worked on the film and ask each of them if I might bow in awe in front of them.

This movie is astonishing, in story, character, plot, and execution. I've been watching movies since 1950. This one is towards the top of my list of films that have affected me deeply.

Amazing perspective of modern day Russia

[christophaskell · 7 October 2003]

Reflection of city in the window of a car . Beautiful but unknown woman steps out of the car . has some quick back and forth with a man in the car (who we don't see) . woman starts walking . young man comes up to her and asks if he can introduce himself . they start walking together . Olya (Irina Pegova) is young women's name, Alyosha (Pavel Barshak) the young man . they start getting to know each other better . Alyosha has a good friend Petya (Yevgeni Tsyganov) who he calls to come join the two on a walk . all three young kids run around town and doing the things young people do . In the most recent film of Russian director Alexei Uchitel, Russia has never looked better. All three young kids are oozing life and energy and youthful romanticism, and seem to have forgotten Russia's recent struggle with poverty.

Playing in the style of Richard Linklater's 'Slacker' or perhaps a little tiny bit like last year's 'Russian Ark', it takes place mostly in real time, and follows these three youthful spirits around the streets of an unnamed Russian city, doing something I don't remember ever seeing Russian kids doing, just being kids. They're love-struck, carefree, financially secure , and the world is their own. Being a sheltered American growing up, all I heard about was the evil Russian empire (being in the cold war) and for those who remember that silliness it is very refreshing to see Russians portrayed as people, not as little red communists. As a viewer, you must throw away all stereotypes before going into this movie as Uchitel wonderfully captures the universal spirit of youthfulness that transcends country lines and nationality. I can't say too much about the plot because it's all surprising and leads to a fun little twist at the end. Definitely go see this if you have a chance, or if it doesn't play near you search for it when it comes to DVD. Rating: 30/40

SPOILERS! Heard so much about it and I am so disappointed now I've finally seen it!

[olgs · 1/10 · 14 May 2004]

To think of all the wonderful reviews I've read of this film! The camera work, the real time walk, the fresh acting, the plot twist and noone would disclose anything, and oh the witty dialogue!

The first thing I didn't like right away was that the opening dialogue between the unseen couple in the car discloses the whole plot twist. It's totally clear that they are about to be married to each other and that there's a bet on and she even says, 'Time it' so there was no surprise in the rest of the film for me and the friends I watched it with and we spent the rest of the film being sorry for the poor boys taken in by the girl.

The second disappointing thing was the witty dialogue. I don't think I ever heard such meaningless pseudo-intellectual blabber in all my life. As for the acting... Well, we've seen way better than that. The girl's fiance is pretty good and some of the people in the smaller street episodes are very very good. But the lead three are plain terrible. Though, I have to say they didn't have much chance to do anything worthy considering the script.

The third thing that I thought very amateurish and ridiculous was the so called real time walk along St. Petersburg streets. And what's more, THE St. Petersburg street, Nevsky Prospekt. Now then, one can't really portray St. Petersburg as an 'unnamed Russian city', can one? Especially by showing its main sights and most famous spots like they do in this film. The couple passed the public library at least four times, the Anichkov Palace at least three, the Hermitage (of all places) twice and bought train tickets to Moscow somewhere at a reconstruction site behind the House of Books instead of in a railway ticket centre across the street where they are really sold. That's just bad work, I say, not taking enough time to think that the viewer might actually recognize the place. Probably admitting that the film would never ever be shown in St. Petersburg itself. And it's really really funny to watch, of course.

And, I didn't like the storyline at all. But that's a minor thing.

There was one thing I did like, though, the episodes with people in historical costumes and the guards on the St. Isaac's observation deck. They were at least funny.

A romantic escape through the streets of modern Saint Pete

[ddonut · 9/10 · 22 October 2004]

Alexey Uchitel's Progulka is probably the best mainstream film about today's Russia. Shot almost in real-time manner with a hand camera, it depictures Olga, a woman in early twenties strolling the downtown streets of modern Saint Petersburg accompanied by two young men.

Her first companion is Alexey, a typical modern Russian youth, easy-going, talkative and romantic, a modern variant of SaintPete intellectuals, who meets her on the street at the very beginning of the movie and takes a walk through the city with her.

Pyotr, his best friend, has lots more of man as compared to Alexey, joins the couple later in the movie to take the day-long with them as they walk near the Isaak's Cathedral of the Russia's North capital .

The scenery is perfect, as the three of them visit the very tourist places of SaintPete, though without paying much attention to monuments and cathedrals, just enjoying life and fooling around. The guys compete for Olga's attention, they walk, see the football fans, they take the tram, Alexey get his wallet stolen by gypsies, they laugh and quarrel.

In the end, it is an easy, amazing and definitely a worth seeing movie. Apart from most of the modern Russian film-making (with a few exceptions), it shows Russia can be an enjoyful place to live . It doesn't focus social problems, terrorism, police violence, and gangsters - it just steals a glance at a day in young mens' life, shows their optimism and happiness.

Maybe a bit sour at the end - well, Uchitel and Dunya Smirnova, the scriptwriter, had to invent something to end the trip somewhere (no one dies though, so life goes on and there is no need to shed a tear) - the movie is just a perfect example of what Russian traditionally low budget mainstream cinema (as compared to US standards) can do without advertising-like special effects, mafia shootings, and superheroes.

9 out of 10 to leave some space for further improvements.

Exhaustingly energetic

[vladislavmanoylo · 5/10 · 28 November 2015]

The Stroll is different than most films, and is with most things that stand out there is a person that loves it and a person that really doesn't. But to figure out which of these two you are only takes the first 10 minutes of the film.

This movie is characterized by long unbroken shots of conversation, mostly only between 3 characters. The entirety of the films events take place over a single day, and we see years go by in seemingly improvised conversation as the main characters meet, fall in love, quarrel, make up, propose, and separate forever. And as the title suggests this entirely goes by in motion, and there is no stop to the movement until the last few scenes.

The pacing established at the very beginning doesn't stop, and depending on the viewer this will either feel energizing or exhausting. The only break from conversation and the jittery close-up camera is when the camera moves to a distance and the characters can't be heard, or when it briefly segues to another group.

It's really impressive that this movie created the feeling of an hour and a half of improvisation from the characters, as if it was actually a few interesting characters being filmed by a nearby person with a cellphone camera. It's an exciting glimpse into an imaginary life, and interestingly even much of Olya's dialogue was revealing a character that didn't exist even within the film's world. It's exciting, but also detached from reality, and the audience is left trying to understand characters from the fantasies and over-the-top personalities they present to each other.

My two cents

[jeflood · 9/10 · 26 March 2006]

This is a must see for any Russian film lovers; or rather, anyone who enjoys something with spice. Fast, slick dialogue, w/ sexy characters, it is more than just a one night stand. In fact, it sits on my shelf. Film techniques are interesting too - borrows a little from Russian Arc and also, a little from Stalker (of which I've only seen a little - unfortunately). Perhaps the most amazing part of it, is that it takes place only in one day...? Also, it makes you want to jump onto a plane to Russia. It's not that it shows romantic landscapes or a wholly 'pretty' view of the country; quite the opposite. It shows the dirt alongside the rich. Thieves and students. Everyone. The colours are grand. The rain is even grand.