Little Vera by Frank s> Beardow (review)

Abstract

REVIEWS 345 goes beyond the Yugoslav War in arguing for a Balkans cinema, but that conflict and the cinema surroundingit is clearly the impetus for the book to be understood in its title. This makes the treatment of those films very important.Disappointingly,shedoes not fullygraspthe problemssurrounding Emir Kusturica'smajorfilm Underground. While there is a very interestingand important treatment of the film and of the controversythat surroundedit therewas a majorpublic debate in Franceconnected to its winning the Palme d'Or at the Cannes FilmsFestival in the end, thejudgement is uneven. On the issue of the film aspropaganda, the author'sexculpatoryconclusion is that 'nobody cared much [... .] the film was perceived [by critics] as a gargantuan [sic] metaphor of the messy state of Balkan affairs rather than as a finely crafted propagandistic insinuation that would work in favour of one of the warring sides [. . .] In the minds of reviewers, these Balkan nations were all the same'. This conclusion, however, misses the point: that set of messages was exactlywhat the Belgradeleadershipwanted;in the contest forheartsand minds, a circus of confusion would mean no clear judgements and, it was hoped, no stronginternationalaction. However, in the widerdiscussion,there is a slightly awkward but still very useful 'moral' 'Question and Answer' creation to discusswider issues, such as the film'sfinancing and production. Other chaptershave thematicconcerns includingvillains,women, Gypsies. These offer an approach that will make parts of the book of interest to those beyond the Balkans. Another chapter offers a strong consideration of approaches to Sarajevo.Earlierchapters engage with the very difficulttopics of 'the Balkans' and 'culture'. These are important contributions to various broader debates, as well as to specific discussion of those topics: the book is both about a particular area and the culture claimed for it and also about areas studies and cultural studies. This discussion which does not concur with my views entirely should be considered by all interested in these topics. In the absence of other books on the topic, and given its quality and depth in many areas, it is a great source of information and analysis. It is a volume that anyone interested in the cinema of the countries, cultures and peoples in South-Eastern Europe will find necessary, while others may find ideas and comparativematerial. King'sCollege London JAMES Gow Beardow, Frank. Little Vera.KINOfiles Film Companion, 8. I. B. Tauris, London and New York, 2003. x + I14 PP. Map. Illustrations. Notes. Furtherreading. fI 2.99 (paperback). GIVEN that the KINOfiles serieshas provided some excellent studiesof major Soviet films, such as Battleship Potemkin, Repentance, and IvantheTerrible, some may question whether Vasilii Pichul's I988 'sexed-up' blockbustershould be up there with the classics. The first thing that needs to be said, therefore, is that FrankBeardow's expertly detailed and gratifyinglylucid analysis makes no claim for the filmto be grantedsuch exalted status.Rather, his book places the film clearly within the context of its age (Gorbachev'sperestroika) at the same time as showing that its fundamental concerns of social alienation and working-classdespairare stillvery relevantin post-Soviet Russia. 346 SEER, 82, 2, 2004 In line with other KINOfiles studies, LittleVera presents the film scene-byscene , then offersdiscussionof its majorthemes. These themes are:humdrum everydaylife in a provincialindustrialtown;public and privatespaces;official institutions;family relationships;friendship;love (or its lack). The book ends by placing the film in the context of other Soviet films about youth, and its reception by both the public and the critics, as well as comments from the leading actors themselves. The public response is particularlyilluminating, especially the negative review by seven 'disgusted' married women from Moscow, who were dismayed by the sexual position adopted by Vera in the film'sonce-infamous sex scene. The book iswrittenin a clear, accessiblestyle, with the subsection 'Humping the Fiance",discussingthis sex scene, particularlydelicious . The author combines an eye for visual metaphor -the goods trainthat moves between the industrialcomplex and the station,representing 'monotony and futility' (p. go), for instance -with an analysisof cinematographictechnique (thehand-heldcamera thatthe actorsfrequentlybump into in the kitchen scenes, thus emphasizing the confines and oppression of domestic spaces). FrankBeardow has provided an excellent presentation and analysisof one of the majorfilms of the late Soviet period, a film...