Siberia and Him (2019) User Reviews

A series of beautiful compositions doesn't make a film

[onefineday36 · 4/10 · 24 May 2021]

I had high hopes for this film. I do like a bit of human drama and tragedy cased in an artistic presentation... and a gay film taking place in rural Russia should be a rare offering too... But it fell short a big time, I'm afraid.

Now, the tragedy of 2 leading characters' doomed relationship is understandable and well established early. But then it just drags on without any real build up or change. Up until the very sudden and unexpected turn at the end, the rest is just very beautiful but totally artificial scenes of their journey.

2 big issues there; first, it doesn't make sense realistically. They start off driving a car. Then they suddenly abandon it, leaving the car somewhere... then they walk, then suddenly get horses out of nowhere, then they walk again... one moment it's dark, next moment suddenly sunny. It feels like they just filmed all these scenes and patched them randomly without a care about continuity or the rational choice for means and route that a real traveler would have taken.

Second, how the scenes are composed are totally artificial. All those close-ups, how the characters are positioned and posed in the scenes, and endless presentation of beautiful nature scenes of Siberia. It really feels more like a stylish TV commercial or an atmospheric music video, but all those style doesn't contribute much to the characters or their drama.

I would rather have preferred it if the director dropped his pretentious ambition and shrunk the film to, say, a 15 min short, really focusing on the intense human drama itself.

Why ?

[jromanbaker · 10/10 · 19 May 2020]

In the middle of this amazing film there is a cry from a man who has gone beyond his limits of endurance. I watched this the day we, the world should think of homophobia and I wept watching what was happening on the screen. Somewhere in Siberia in that beautiful, terrifyingly alone landscape two men are travelling. They are lovers and what happens to both of them should be shown everywhere; in schools, in cinemas. The only other review mentions ' Brokeback Mountain '. America has places of retreat from homophobia, but in Russia ? The cry of why is because of Russia and all homophobic countries where it is normal to destroy the human heart. The acting is beyond praise. It just is and there are many moments in the film where it becomes so painful to watch I questioned where they got the resources to play their parts. It is that real that they surpass acting itself. I could call it a masterpiece, a great film. Those are clichés I will not use. I could say that it reminded me of the best of Russian cinema and evoke Tarkovsky and Sokurov. It is on its own and it is clear and painful, and so full of the right to love that it makes me want to scream against an unjust world. Especially for those who live in their own Siberia and can find no way out.

Depressing but never boring

[laduqesa · 8/10 · 13 July 2020]

Once more we are reminded of how fortunate we are in most "liberal" democracies. Two stunningly shocking scenes occur in the first fifteen minutes of this film to set the tone of oppression and repression.

Two men, secret lovers, go on a trip through Siberia to visit a sick relative. The scenery, while wild and beautiful, does nothing to lessen the pervasive sense of doom of the film - it festers with ruined villages, depopulated industrial units, half-witted villagers too deprived to have moved, widows eking out an existence. It's a metaphor for the poison that has been instilled into the minds of these two men. What they have is beautiful like the landscape, but it is riddled with decay and hopelessness.

The denouement, when it comes, is shocking in its suddenness. The epilogue to this is just as dreadfully hard to watch.

I was riveted throughout. The dialogue was to the point, alien to someone brought up in the milieu of cosmopolitan London despite homosexuality being forbidden during my formative years, but atrociously fascinating. The persecution shown in this film was of a different order from what went on in my youth. We had the swinging sixties, at least. Here in Siberia there is no relief even in an escape to a big city.

I certainly recommend this film.

A sad Russian version of Brokeback Mountain

[mattman149 · 9/10 · 28 April 2020]

The film is about 2 incredibly conflicted men who have found love but are otherwise cursed by circumstances. From the first scene one knows it isn't going to be a haply film, but it is beautiful nonetheless and, like Brokeback Mountain, features silences that speak volumes.

Very powerful

[vmalarcon · 10/10 · 11 October 2020]

I don't know why this film had 5.5 on imdb. For its technical merits and acting alone it should be at least a 7. But ok, we have to hate Russia? Also, they toast to peace... I don't know if its a common thing in Russia but hey! Wouldn't it be nice?

A tragic Russian "modern story".

[fabiog-26-358885 · 9/10 · 12 July 2020]

In a remote, small and modest rural town in the interior of Russia, a story happens, which could be dramatic even without the homosexual seasoning. If you include that (in a very homophobic society like Russia is), it becomes horribly suffocating, unbearable, and with no apparent possible solution, unless it is tragic. Everything takes place in the midst of the unlimited and timeless natural beauty of the Siberian landscape. And this story happens to young, strong, beautiful and common people, with the simple desire to live and love. The type and employment position of some of them does not favor at all. But ... Stop! We cannot accept that the mentioned circumstances justify what happens in the film. There are always possibilities of giving better answers. For one it might have been walking away, even if it hurts a lot. For the other, give up positions, income, and family, and also decide to leave, to another city and start again. Perhaps, unfortunately, estrangement and loneliness were the only other option, in this case, at least at first. Perhaps this could also have caused pain and suffering in them and in the whole family. But what finally happens in the film is a tragedy too disproportionate for the 21st century. I do not want to blame people who are already victims of an oppressive culture, since this oppression leads some to go crazy and commit acts of madness (in other countries, sometimes, there are other kind of oppression and acts of madness) ... What I mean is, no matter where we live, please do not believe that there is no possible way out. On the other hand, the film is very beautiful, with good shots, good actors, and good direction. A valuable film to watch and reflect on.

Poignant

[rahuldevnath · 9/10 · 25 January 2021]

Two person in love with each other can't be together because they belong to the same sex. When Dima (Ilya Shubochkin) tells Sasha (Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy) their secret relationship is over, it leaves Sasha heartbroken. The faith of their future is decided over their far-away visit to Sasha's grandmother's place to check on her well being.

The agony of fighting one's feeling of love for someone, when you cannot help it. The struggle of choosing between what's right by you & what's right by the society. The societal norms & pressure that thrusts you deep down this dark inhumane place where the only option you are left with is to give in.

Siberia and Him captures these emotions skilfully. The way it shows the feeling of confliction is realistic. It is slow paced. It's shot in Siberian countryside which is pleasing to watch. Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy has done a great job with direction & Wayland Bell with cinematography. The acting by him and others is great as well.

No one could deny this!

[tranngocthanhtu · 8/10 · 7 September 2020]

I would take my time to watch thia film because of such beautiful landscape, or just to look at these eyes, without regret, they so sad, anytime the music come, i just feel so painful but don't know why, the atmosphere always so quiet, they just look at each other in silent, and then they said they can't be together though their eyes show that there so much love between them. Like in day1 they had love each other, but they can't, especially in their country, i'd enough of tragic love stories, but this times this film is really memorable, touch my heart and my feeling, i feel miserable but in the final scene i smile, cause at least they can be together now, heaven or hell.

The Walking Dead

[akira-hideyo · 8/10 · 18 July 2021]

Literally, it's as good as being a zombie if 2 men dare fall on love in soulless Russia. Heartache to see something so basic, so natural, so precious, as in like breathing, can have its life sucked out of one's full existence for just being one's true self. Vacuum land of doom.

Why do gay movies involving Russia always have sad endings?

[TanHoDuc · 8/10 · 29 August 2021]

Because it's a hard truth that no filmmaker wants to falsify. When I was 18 years old - a full scholarship from ITMO university was given to me by effort plus luck. But the thing that I feel the most fortunate is giving up that scholarship. That's right because I'm gay. It is better to give up a good opportunity in the future than to give up the right to be true to yourself.

True love story

[chanceram · 8/10 · 29 December 2021]

Plausible. Tragic. Love story. It's slow. Measured. Methodical. If you're not a deep person, move on. This is not a movie for the average person. Well acted by all. I'm shocked I liked it as much as I did, as I read ALL the reviews prior. If you're a simpleton, just spare yourself. Trust! Watch a rerun of Everyone Loves Raymond (did I get the title right? Never watched it.)