''Burnt by the Sun'' (russian: Утомлённые солнцем,
translit.
Transliteration is a type of conversion of a text from one script to another that involves swapping letters (thus '' trans-'' + '' liter-'') in predictable ways, such as Greek → , Cyrillic → , Greek → the digraph , Armenian → or ...
''Utomlyonnye solntsem'', literally "wearied by the sun") is a 1994 film by Russian director and screenwriter
Nikita Mikhalkov and Azerbaijani screenwriter
Rustam Ibragimbekov. The film depicts the story of a senior
Red Army officer, played by Mikhalkov, and his family during the
Great Purge of the late 1930s in the
Stalinist
Stalinism is the means of governing and Marxist-Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union from 1927 to 1953 by Joseph Stalin. It included the creation of a one-party totalitarian police state, rapid industrialization, the theory o ...
Soviet Union. While on vacation with his wife, young daughter, and assorted friends and family, things change dramatically for Colonel Kotov when his wife's old lover, Dmitri, shows up after being away for many years. The film also stars
Oleg Menshikov,
Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė and Mikhalkov's daughter
Nadezhda Mikhalkova
Nadezhda Nikitichna Mikhalkova (russian: Надежда Никитична Михалкова; born September 27, 1986) is a Russian actress.
Nadezhda is the youngest daughter of actor and film director Nikita Mikhalkov and fashion designer Taty ...
.
''Burnt by the Sun'' was popular in Russia and received positive reviews in the United States. It won the
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
at the
1994 Cannes Film Festival
The 47th Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 1994. The Palme d'Or went to the American film ''Pulp Fiction'' directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The festival opened with ''The Hudsucker Proxy'', directed by Joel Coen and closed with ''Seri ...
, the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
and other honours.
Plot
The entirety of the film takes place within the course of one day in the summer of 1936 in the
Soviet Union. After witnessing Mitya contemplate suicide, the film cuts to
Comdiv Sergei Petrovich Kotov, his wife Maroussia, and their young six-year-old daughter Nadia relaxing in a
banya when a peasant from the local
collective farm
Collective farming and communal farming are various types of, "agricultural production in which multiple farmers run their holdings as a joint enterprise". There are two broad types of communal farms: agricultural cooperatives, in which member ...
frantically tells them the
Red Army's tanks are about to crush the
wheat harvest as part of general
maneuvers
A military exercise or war game is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat. This also serves the purpose of ensuring the com ...
. After hearing this news, Kotov rides out to order the tank officer to halt. Kotov carries authority as a senior
Old Bolshevik
Old Bolshevik (russian: ста́рый большеви́к, ''stary bolshevik''), also called Old Bolshevik Guard or Old Party Guard, was an unofficial designation for a member of the Bolshevik faction of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Par ...
and legendary hero of the 1917
Russian Civil War, and he is also very popular with the common people and local villagers. The opening scene makes it clear that Kotov is a devoted family man, and he claims to be a personal friend of Stalin.
Following this incident, the happy family returns to their country
dacha (country estate), where they join Maroussia's relatives, a large and eccentric family of
Chekhovian
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career as ...
aristocrats. However, Mitya (Dmitri), an ex-
nobleman and veteran of the
anti-communist
Anti-communism is Political movement, political and Ideology, ideological opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed after the 1917 October Revolution in the Russian Empire, and it reached global dimensions during the Cold War, w ...
White Army soon arrives after being away for roughly ten years. He was Maroussia's fiancé before disappearing in 1927. He shows up in a costume to disguise himself, but when he takes it off he is joyfully embraced by the family and introduced to Nadia as "Uncle Mitya". Maroussia is left feeling deeply conflicted, as she had suffered deeply when he left without explanation and even contemplated suicide as seen through the self-inflicted marks on her wrists.
Despite his personable nature, it is clear that Mitya has returned with a secret agenda. It is slowly revealed throughout the duration of the afternoon that he works for the Soviet political police, the
NKVD, and has arrived to arrest Kotov for a non-existent conspiracy that Mitya had framed him for. Mitya is abusing his power for the purpose of revenge, since ten years ago Kotov had conscripted Mitya into the
OGPU
The Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU; russian: Объединённое государственное политическое управление) was the intelligence and state security service and secret police of the Soviet Union f ...
, the predecessor of the NKVD, and was therefore the reason for Mitya being taken away. Mitya detests Kotov, whom he blames for causing him to lose Maroussia, his love for Russia, faith, and his profession as a
pianist. Kotov confronts Mitya about his activities in
Paris, where he gave up eight White Army generals to the NKVD. All were kidnapped, smuggled to the Soviet Union, and shot dead without trial.
Although eventually realizing that Mitya intends to take him away, Kotov believes that his close relationship with Soviet dictator
Joseph Stalin will save him. However, a black car carrying NKVD agents arrives to remove Kotov, just as a group of
Young Pioneer children arrives at the dacha to pay tribute to him. Kotov willingly goes with Mitya, pretending to be Mitya's friend and even lets Nadia briefly ride in the car with them. While riding away in the car with his captors, Kotov reminds them who he is and his status, but he quickly realizes that they don't care and that it was Stalin himself who ordered his arrest. Only after looking into Mitya's eyes does Kotov realize the severity of the situation, causing him to breakdown in tears. Kotov is forced to make a false confession to all the charges Mitya framed him for and is shot dead in August 1936. Meanwhile, following Mitya's success in his revenge against Kotov, he ultimately commits suicide, as his revenge did not satisfy him in the way he thought it would. In addition, Maroussia is arrested and dies in the
Gulag in 1940. Although arrested with her mother and taken to a concentration camp, Nadia lives to see all three sentences overturned during the
Khrushchev thaw
The Khrushchev Thaw ( rus, хрущёвская о́ттепель, r=khrushchovskaya ottepel, p=xrʊˈɕːɵfskəjə ˈotʲ:ɪpʲɪlʲ or simply ''ottepel'')William Taubman, Khrushchev: The Man and His Era, London: Free Press, 2004 is the period ...
, in 1956, and works as a teacher in
Kazakhstan.
Cast
Production
Background
The
Russian Civil War of 1917 was a multi-party civil war in the Russian Empire that followed the two Russian revolutions of 1917. It lasted until 1922 and transformed the lives of many Russians. The Red Army was led by Vladimir Lenin, but after he died in 1924, Stalin was able to establish his position as the ruler of the Soviet regime. Throughout the 1930s, Stalin launched a campaign of political terror that is now known as the
Great Purge. During this time people were regularly rounded up and killed as traitors without a trial. The purges, arrests, and deportations to labor camps affected many people. Loyal party, industry, and military leaders would randomly disappear. People were unable to trust one another as anyone could have been working for the
NKVD, a Soviet secret police agency that was a forerunner of the
KGB.
Conception
Nikita Mikhalkov stated in making the film, his belief was that "
Bolshevism did not bring happiness to our country". However, he doubted whether "entire generations" could be judged for actions caused by wider social problems. Mikhalkov also took inspiration from his young daughter
Nadezhda Mikhalkova
Nadezhda Nikitichna Mikhalkova (russian: Надежда Никитична Михалкова; born September 27, 1986) is a Russian actress.
Nadezhda is the youngest daughter of actor and film director Nikita Mikhalkov and fashion designer Taty ...
,
and memories of his home. Azerbaijani screenwriter
Rustam Ibragimbekov created the storyline with Mikhalkov and collaborated with him on the dialogue.
The title derives from a popular 1930s song composed by
Jerzy Petersburski. Originally the Polish
tango, "''
To ostatnia niedziela''" ("This is the last Sunday"), it became popular in the Soviet Union with new Russian lyrics and the title, "''Утомлённое солнце''" (
Utomlyonnoye solntse
''To ostatnia niedziela'' ( pl, The Last Sunday; 1935) is one of the long-time hits of Jerzy Petersburski. A nostalgic tango with lyrics by Zenon Friedwald describing the final meeting of former lovers just before they break up, it was performe ...
, "Wearied Sun"). The song is heard
repeatedly in the film; the director Mikhalkov said in 2007 that he learned of the song from his elder brother
Andrei Konchalovsky's
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
film ''
Siberiade.'' He compared his use of the music to his having stolen money as a boy from his brother. According to Ibragimbekov, the "sun" depicted in the film is intended to symbolize Stalin, and emphasized a point of the film is that totalitarian regimes "take on a life of their own, destroying not only those whom they were originally intended to destroy but their creators as well".
Filming
The film was shot in
Moscow while
Nikolina Gora
Nikolina is the given name of:
* Nikolina Angelkova (born 1979), Bulgarian politician
* Nikolina Božičević (born 1995), Croatian volleyball player
* Nikolina Brnjac (born 1978), Croatian politician
* Nikolina Grabovac (born 1968), Croatian ...
was used for the village, and the scenes set inside the dacha were filmed in
Nizhny Novgorod. It had a budget of $3.6 million, with major sponsorship from
Goskino.The cinematography on the project was done by
Vilen Kalyuta
Vilen Aleksandrovich Kalyuta ( uk, Вілен Олександрович Калюта; 22 October 19303 November 1999) was a Ukrainian cinematographer.
He was born on 22 October 1930, in Huliaipole, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine. Kalyuta worked o ...
, a Ukrainian cinematographer. For the part of Kotov's daughter Nadia, Mikhalkov cast his daughter Nadezhda, who hoped her compensation would be a bicycle.
Mikhalkov opted to play Kotov himself because he believed it would make his daughter comfortable, explaining "certain scenes
ereespecially delicate on an emotional level".
The scenes were filmed between July and November 1993. Mikhalkov decided on a fast shooting schedule out of consideration for Nadezhda, who was six at the time. He remarked that "Children grow quickly and lose the tenderness, the simplicity, and the charm their youth carries".
Themes
Throughout the film, a fireball appears in several places and sets off fires wherever it goes. This fireball is a burning sun that represents Stalin's purges that come out of nowhere and destroy the most undeserving.
In the film, Kotov is under the impression that he can see clearly and can avoid the excess of the Soviet's harmful rays. He enjoys the warmth of his family and his status as a war hero, but he eventually realizes that he too has been blinded by the severity of his peril and cannot avoid death. Mitya is the burning sun that strikes Kotov.
Kotov draws the viewer's sympathy and is portrayed in a positive light.
Release
The film premiered at the
Cannes Film Festival in May 1994. Although it won the
Cannes Grand Prix, Mikhalkov was said to be bitterly disappointed with not securing the
Palme d'Or, with Russian press declaring "defeat". For marketing within Russia, Mikhalkov personally toured local places and encouraged politicians and businesses to screen his film. It opened in Moscow on 2 November 1994.
It later had a video release in Russia, where it topped sales for 48 consecutive weeks, demonstrating great popularity. The film was aired on Russian television on the evening before the
1996 Russian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Russia on 16 June 1996, with a second round being held on 3 July. It resulted in a victory for the incumbent President of Russia Boris Yeltsin, who ran as an independent politician. Yeltsin defeated Communist ...
, in a possible attempt to discredit
Gennady Zyuganov's
Communist Party.
Reception
Critical reception
In its native Russia, initial reviews were "largely neutral". Common criticisms in Russia were that the film was "too commercial", and lacked seriousness. Marc Savlov of
Austin Chronicle wrote "A brilliant, Chekhovian meditation on trust, love, and the intrusive horrors that period of time brought to otherwise normal families".
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
gave the film two stars, judging it to be derivative of "many pre-1991 Eastern bloc epics".
Caryn James described the film in ''
The New York Times'' as "exquisite, lyrical and tough-minded".
Kenneth Turan of the ''
Los Angeles Times'' wrote "What ''Burnt by the Sun'' does best is elegantly intertwine the personal and political themes of love, trust and betrayal".
David Denby, writing for ''
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'' magazine, said that while he initially found the film had "too much sunshine", concluded "''Burnt by the Sun'' is an extremely powerful work".
Desson Howe of ''
The Washington Post'' called the film "old-fashioned, auteurist filmmaking" with "mostly pluses", adding "The Mikhalkovs work together like
Astaire and
Rogers". ''
Entertainment Weekly'' Owen Glieberman gave the film a B+, writing "''Burnt by the Sun'' builds slowly, reaching a climax of quiet devastation", and said the rowboat scene is "so tender I don't think I'll ever forget it".
The ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'' review states Mikhalkov's "performance is impeccable, and the scenes with his daughter Nadia achieve a rare poignancy". In his ''2015 Movie Guide'',
Leonard Maltin gave the film three stars and called it a "Provocative, moving meditation" on Stalinism. The film has a 80% approval rating on
Rotten Tomatoes, based on 15 reviews, and average rating 7.07/10.
Accolades
The film received the
Grand Prix
Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour
Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to:
Arts and entertainment ...
at the
1994 Cannes Film Festival
The 47th Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 1994. The Palme d'Or went to the American film ''Pulp Fiction'' directed by Quentin Tarantino.
The festival opened with ''The Hudsucker Proxy'', directed by Joel Coen and closed with ''Seri ...
,
and the
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best International Feature Film (known as Best Foreign Language Film prior to 2020) is one of the Academy Awards handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to a ...
.
The Academy Award was voted on by attendees of the academy preview screening, since ''Burnt by the Sun'' was not in theatres in the U.S. at the time, and only attendees had seen all five nominated films.
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
criticized the award as the result of "the Academy's flawed rules", alleging "A publicist merely has to be sure to invite everyone friendly to the film, while leaving it up to others to find their own way".
Both Nikita and Nadezhda Mikhalkov went on stage to accept the Academy Award.
Legacy
Nikita Mikhalkov directed and reprised his role as Sergei Petrovich Kotov in his sequel, ''
Burnt by the Sun 2''. It competed for the
Palme d'Or at the
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films scr ...
.
Oleg Menshikov and
Nadezhda Mikhalkova
Nadezhda Nikitichna Mikhalkova (russian: Надежда Никитична Михалкова; born September 27, 1986) is a Russian actress.
Nadezhda is the youngest daughter of actor and film director Nikita Mikhalkov and fashion designer Taty ...
also reprised their roles from the original film.
Playwright
Peter Flannery's adapted the film as a stage drama by the same name. It opened at the
National Theatre, London, in March 2009.
The cast included the
Irish actor
Ciarán Hinds as General Kotov,
Rory Kinnear as Mitya, and
Michelle Dockery as Maroussia.
See also
*
List of submissions to the 67th Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
*
List of Russian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
Bibliography
*
*
*Katerina Clark, "
eview offilms ''Burnt by the Sun''", by
Nikita Mikhalkov, Michael Seidou, and
Rustam Ibragimbekov; and of ''The Interpretation of Dreams'', by Semen Vinokur and Andrei Zagdansky; in ''The American Historical Review'', Vol. 100, No. 4 (October 1995), pp. 1223–1224
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Mikhalkov Productions
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnt By The Sun
1994 films
1990s historical drama films
Russian historical drama films
1990s Russian-language films
French historical drama films
1990s French-language films
Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award winners
Films about the Soviet Union in the Stalin era
Films critical of communism
Films scored by Eduard Artemyev
Films set in the 1930s
Films set in 1936
Films set in country houses
Films set in Russia
Films shot in Moscow Oblast
Films shot in Nizhny Novgorod
Films about capital punishment
Films directed by Nikita Mikhalkov
1994 drama films
Cannes Grand Prix winners
Films produced by Michel Seydoux
Films produced by Nikita Mikhalkov
Films with screenplays by Nikita Mikhalkov
1990s French films