Everyone has, of course, heard of Pavel Lungin's film “The Island,” and most have seen it, so there's absolutely no point in retelling the plot. However, there wouldn't have been any need to retell it anyway. Films like this are meant to be seen.
Much has been said and written about the film. And that's not surprising. It's not enough to simply watch this film. You want to talk about it, you want to discuss it, you want to share the vast amount of emotions left after watching it with someone. It's an interesting situation: despite the film being somewhat specific, seemingly not intended for a wide audience, and certainly not entertaining, it hasn't been ignored. And yet, I haven't yet encountered a single negative review of the film, which is quite rare for a film with such a raucous reputation.
“The Island” has been talked about a lot because it's simply impossible not to talk about it. Against the backdrop of today's prevailing bad taste and lack of spirituality, where it's become commonplace for a director's right hand to be an accountant and his left hand to be a special effects specialist, Lungin's “The Island” is a landmark not only in cinema, but also in Slavic culture.
I didn't even learn about the film “The Island” from the internet, even though I spend a lot of time watching it. A friend of mine, who was once very interested in Orthodoxy (he went to church, observed the fasts, and once, at his initiative, we even went to a Slavyanogorsk monastery to talk with the monks), once told me, “You should definitely watch “The Island.” You'll like it. It's a very good film about Orthodoxy.” And that was the best “advertisement.”
Often, when something is much talked about, after seeing it, you're left with the feeling that you expected more. As for “The Island,” my expectations were completely met. It may sound a bit extreme, but I'd put “The Island” on par with Tarkovsky's “Andrei Rublev.” It's clear that people watch films to enjoy themselves, not to ponder the director's message. And “The Island” is a rare case where many people liked it, despite the fact that it's clearly not entertaining. It doesn't have expensive special effects, a convoluted plot, large-scale battle scenes, or pretentious jokes—in short, none of the usual trappings that attract audiences. What it does have is a wonderful script by Dmitry Sobolev and superb performances by a superbly chosen cast that doesn't act, but lives the lives of their characters.
It's a shame there aren't more films like this, but then again, there can't be too many. This isn't just another formulaic comic book adaptation. But in the vast ocean of gothic thrillers, glamorous comedies, action-packed thrillers, and big-screen epics, there absolutely needs to be at least one such island.
