Aleksandra (2007) was written and directed by Aleksandr Sokurov. The movie stars Galina Vishnevskaya as Aleksandra Nikolaevna. Aleksandra is an old woman who travels to Chechnya to visit her grandson, who is an army officer.
The movie is set in a time when Chechnya was a war zone, and the Russian troops were seen by the residents as a foreign occupying force. Of course, people did business with the Russian soldiers, but never on a friendly basis.
Because Aleksandra is a dignified older woman, people--both Russians and Chechnyans--treat her with respect. The movie plot is basically the story of her trip, from arrival to departure.
The success of the movie depends on Galina Vishnevskaya. She is an amazing actor, and also a famous Russian opera singer. Her acting is brilliant, and it's a pleasure to watch such a talented star inhabit her role so thoroughly.
We watched the film on the small screen, where it worked well enough. Aleksandra has an anemic 6.8 IMDb rating. I thought it was much better than that, and rated it 9.
The movie is set in a time when Chechnya was a war zone, and the Russian troops were seen by the residents as a foreign occupying force. Of course, people did business with the Russian soldiers, but never on a friendly basis.
Because Aleksandra is a dignified older woman, people--both Russians and Chechnyans--treat her with respect. The movie plot is basically the story of her trip, from arrival to departure.
The success of the movie depends on Galina Vishnevskaya. She is an amazing actor, and also a famous Russian opera singer. Her acting is brilliant, and it's a pleasure to watch such a talented star inhabit her role so thoroughly.
We watched the film on the small screen, where it worked well enough. Aleksandra has an anemic 6.8 IMDb rating. I thought it was much better than that, and rated it 9.