A memorial to Russia's anarchy during the late president Yeltsin times, shot in sepia colors, just like some other Balabanov movies. The film is focusing on the simple Russian lad (played by late Bodrov-Jr.) who's just got demobilized from the army. Everything's new to him in the big city of St. Petersburg where he comes to see his hit-man brother: Russian cult band Nautilus, mores of the new Russia, hectic imitation of the Western lifestyle, foreigners, drugs, and even the new Russian slang. He cannot tell the difference between English and French, doesn't like Jews and filmmakers. He tells everybody he was just a scribe at the headquarters, but definitely lies, demonstrating brilliant skills of a hit-man, quite surpassing those of his older ne'er-do-well cowardly brother (and doing jobs for him). A spectator of this movie from outside Russia, especially the one who doesn't hail from the Soviet Union, may think of Medieval Dark Ages into which Russia of the 90's was immersed. The "mysterious Russian soul" interlaced with interesting contemporary Russian rock legends soundtrack goes on to be depicted in "Brat 2", focusing on the same character Danila's adventures in the US, further emphasizing the difference of Russia's and America's mindsets. In 2005, Same filmmaker Aleksei Balabanov shot "Zhmurki" ("Blind Man's Bluff") further mocking Russia's 90's period and further emphasizing the difference between that interim period Russia and and cold-blooded modern Russian Federation where same crimes are done in much slicker way.
