Silent Souls (2010)

IMDb Listing
This is a very elegant Russian film about a man who helps his boss prepare for his (boss’s) wife’s funeral. It’s very short, at only 75 minutes, and steeped in local folklore about funeral rites and other customs. I had mixed reactions to the film. I found its focus on customs and folklore to be quite intriguing; it’s not often that we see films like this, that show a relatively remote part of the world in such detail. I also enjoyed the flawless photography, often of natural locations in the Russian wilderness or of small towns that dot the remote Russian landscape. But I’m tempted to say that, as helpful as it was to my understanding, the movie is almost too accessible to foreign audiences. It relies on voiceover narrative that simultaneously enlightens audiences about what’s happening and why, while simultaneously keeping audiences at arm’s length emotionally, by stripping away any of the mysticism and meaning that these ancient customs have for the characters. In short, it gives the film a documentary feel that I don’t think is entirely successful. It also spells out many of the movie’s themes in ways that feel unnecessary, such as the erosion of distinct cultural practices over generations and the resulting loss of cultural identity. Still, it’s an unusual, very beautiful, and occasionally fascinating movie that I’m glad I managed to see. 8/10