Inspired by the oral histories of Soviet war veterans compiled by Nobel Prize-winner Svetlana Alexievich in her 1985 book, The Unwomanly Face of War, Balagov strove to portray the criminally underrepresented experiences of female soldiers grappling with post-traumatic stress disorder. Not only is “Beanpole” one of the first essential cinematic works released in theaters this year, it is also among the most involving character studies in recent memory, bringing us so deeply into the psyches of its heroines that we find ourselves trembling along with them every time they are shaken to the core. Well before the first shot appears onscreen, we hear a soft, high-pitched tone, the definitive motif of “Loveless” composer Evgueni Galperine’s score, that is eerily evocative of the music cue signaling the presence of Heath Ledger’s Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Here, the sound deftly indicates the terrifying loss of control endured by Masha’s friend and fellow comrade, Iya (Viktoria Miroshnichenko, a dead ringer for “Euphoria” star Hunter Schafer), whose service as an anti-aircraft gunner left her with the disorder known as post-concussion syndrome. She will periodically freeze in place without warning, unable to move or speak until the episode has passed, a potent metaphor for the paralysis felt in numerous ways by veterans when they cannot function as they normally would.
Country : Russian Federation
Language : Pусский
Budget : $500.000,00
Revenue : $1.000.000,00
Release : 20 Jun 2019
Cast : Konstantin Balakirev, Vasilisa Perelygina, Viktoriya Miroshnichenko
Director : Kantemir Balagov
