He wept from beginning to end (Mother And Son (DVD))

Member Name: moongod

Product:	Mother And Son (DVD)
Date:	06/10/02 (92 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Unique, Stunning

Disadvantages: You will want to cry

“Between a mother and son there is virtually only one relationship, that of love, irrespective of how it manifests itself. “ - Sokurov, Alexandr

The pain of a serene and infinite love for a person, an unconditional bond that goes beyond the physical relation. ‘Mother and Son’ passively observes every dropping leaf as it floats to the ground, every swaying stem, pushed aside by the wind. We watch at a distance, as if we were nature itself - a son looking after his mother as she tries to hide her illness from him, caring for her every need, reading to her, and carrying her outside into the village where they are the last inhabitants. They are alone, but they have each other.

Sokurov takes us on a meandering walk through the heart-achingly emotional last moments of a mother’s life. With extremely sensitive and careful portrayals of the dying mother (Gurdrun Geyer) and the devoted son (Alexei Ananishnov); ‘Mother and Son’ neither stumbles at the sometimes difficult performances, nor at the wonderful use of monochromatic, dying interiors and painterly exteriors, instead falling at its attempt to pay homage to the painted art.

The film is like a series of paintings, each composition carefully executed, clearly influenced by Caspar David Friedrich and the landscapes of the late Impressionists - the film is filled with shots of huge cornfields flattened by strong winds, and expansive moody skies. However, they are too clinical, too carefully composed, lacking the intimacy of the rest of the film. Sokurov’s treatment of filmic space as being two-dimensional is more than evident, leaving ‘Mother and Son’ lacking the spatiality that such a beautiful and intimate film should deserve.

Anything else? Ah, the title. Musician, Nick Cave attested to the emotional intensity of this film with his review for The Independent on Sunday, entitling his review "I wept and wept, f
rom start to finish." If further expression of how this affecting this film is, Nick Cave is a musical hero of mine and I was sat a couple of empty seats away from him at the screening and didn't notice, leaving the auditorium in a daze that remained with me for some time. It's difficult to find, but was released on video by Bluelight. Find it if you can.

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