The title of the film gives you the necessary preamble to its plot (and warns that you shouldn't expect a real story). It's a folkloric Russian tale about three brothers, each of them on a mission from their father, usually seeking something, but each of them has a luck of his own. It's also a traditional Russian tale about 90s bandits, which was thoroughly explored by Balabanov. (The film gives an obvious strong impression of Balabanov's "Me too").
It's a surreal lynchian trip down the river Styx and a dantean wander of souls in a world where there is no wall between the living and the dead. A ragged rhythm of narration, color choice, and laggy raw shots - all can seem repulsive and deliberately non-viewer-friendly, but they're all symbolic and important for this peace, as much as the symbolism of other elements: mirrors, horses, laughing people, playing cards, etc. Overall, a good exercise for your metaphorical perception with some aesthetic shots (the shot with horses eating from the table is beautiful and reminds some kind of tableau vivant).
Despite grim surroundings and some dark themes that are being explored, I caught myself in satirical laughter at some points, and I think it was intended so by authors. Especially the last laugh that you can have with all the bandits gathered in the antique store, completing the ritual of spring greeting (the only open metaphor that ties up loose ends).
The performance of the actors isn't so great. Directors played some roles themselves, and other actors seem amateur. The job of cameraman and editing leave room for improvement, too. The music is also not something I regard highly, but I suppose it suits the general atmosphere.
It's a surreal lynchian trip down the river Styx and a dantean wander of souls in a world where there is no wall between the living and the dead. A ragged rhythm of narration, color choice, and laggy raw shots - all can seem repulsive and deliberately non-viewer-friendly, but they're all symbolic and important for this peace, as much as the symbolism of other elements: mirrors, horses, laughing people, playing cards, etc. Overall, a good exercise for your metaphorical perception with some aesthetic shots (the shot with horses eating from the table is beautiful and reminds some kind of tableau vivant).
Despite grim surroundings and some dark themes that are being explored, I caught myself in satirical laughter at some points, and I think it was intended so by authors. Especially the last laugh that you can have with all the bandits gathered in the antique store, completing the ritual of spring greeting (the only open metaphor that ties up loose ends).
The performance of the actors isn't so great. Directors played some roles themselves, and other actors seem amateur. The job of cameraman and editing leave room for improvement, too. The music is also not something I regard highly, but I suppose it suits the general atmosphere.
