Mikhail Kalatozov

 Mikhail Kalatozov




The Cranes are Flying (1957)



RANKED:


1. The Cranes are Flying (1957)


After the death of Joseph Stalin, the Soviet Union entered a new age of Soviet cinema known as the "Soviet thaw." This renaissance ushered in new, inventive cinema that would have never been creatively possible under Stalinist rule. One of the central filmmakers behind this movement was Mikhail Kalatozov. His 1957 film "The Cranes are Flying" struck global cinema like a lightening bolt, even winning the Palme d'or at the Cannes Film Festival. The shots of the film are composed like well thought-out photographs while Kalatozov's camera is utterly free to explore its environments. There are unforgettable shots, tracking shots, compositions, and uses of cranes that would send a filmgoer into an exciting thrill. Never had the camera been explorative in its ability to traverse the environment of its landscape. On top of the impressive visual imagery, the film itself represented a new vision of the Soviet Union and Mother Russia. Although the film continues the Soviet orthodox of patriotism (or nationalism), the film is still vehemently anti-war, feminist, and represents a new individual perspective that is more commonly held for Western cinema. 


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