Nikita Mikhalkov: Between Nostalgia and Nationalism by Birgit Beumers

Abstract

300 Reviews Given themythologizing of folklore, itwas almost inevitable that itwould be en rolled in the cause of the intense post-Soviet discourse about identity. The analysis of theways inwhich folk song has been drafted into the service ofmythic Slav, Russian, regional, group (Cossack), orOrthodox identity isboth thorough and subtle. Perhaps most interesting is the discussion of the role of folklore inCossack revival (Chapter 6). It was folk song and dance that kept Cossack identity alive in Soviet times, but now Cossack folkloreplays amajor role in embodying masculinity, making folk song and dance acceptable to young males and providing a symbolic focus fora bold, in dependent, strong (male) Russian identity. Itwas only amatter of time before revivalists turned their attention to revivify ing folk song and its ritual context in villages that are now largely peopled by older women. In an account full of ironies (Chapters 7 and 8) Olson shows how in some instances villagers may resist the efforts tobring back the supposedly pure folkpast, preferring theirown Soviet-era songs or theirown adaptations ofYuletide traditions. In the concluding chapter, which examines the complex relationship between popular culture and folklore, the author points out folklore's ability to pass beyond folklorism. As she points out, 'all groups incorporate specific rituals,music, slang, expressions, jokes, references and material goods into their lives' (p. 229). When folk revivalists do this spontaneously, 'it isno longer folklorism, but folklore itself'.This view of folklore as a dynamic process is one generally accepted widely in the West, but only in a fewplaces inRussia and not at all among folk-song revivalists. Olson's eye for detail, nuanced discussion, and ability to place her material in a wider discourse about national identitymake this a rewarding study.Criticisms are few.She underplays the importance of trendsand schools in folklore study,which folk revivalists have generally followed. She is also prone, especially inChapter 7 on folk revival in villages and sporadically elsewhere, tomake statements about folklore in general when folksong or folk music iswhat is meant. The absence of a bibliography is also an irritation; the readerwho misses the firstfull referencemust either chase back through thenotes, or else use the index to locate it.Scanning the range of literatureon the topic isdifficult,and the system leads to the occasional error inwhat isgenerally a book with a high-quality scholarly apparatus. None the less, theseminor irritations are faroutweighed by the strengths of the book, which offersvaluable insights into post-Soviet Russian society, culture, and grass-roots political developments. The book iscompleted by a useful illustrativeCD, which can be downloaded using a password obtained from the author (Laura.J.Olson@colorado.edu). UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON FAITHWIGZELL Nikita Mikhalkov: Between Nostalgia and Nationalism. By BIRGIT BEUMERS. Lon don: Tauris. 2005. ix+ I46pp. ?14.99. ISBN 978-I-86064-785-7. Nikita Mikhalkov has been at the forefrontof firstSoviet, then post-Soviet, society from the I96os through to the present, and inmany ways his filmshave served as a bell-wether forthedramatic changes that the region has seen during thatperiod. The modulating positions Mikhalkov has adopted on theboundaries between official and dissident/intellectual discourse, and between mainstream and auteurist cinema, chart the twists and turns taken by Russian culture in its journey from the orthodoxies of Marxism-Leninism to thevagaries of theglobal market. Moreover, by effectivelysyn thesizing three careers into one-he is an accomplished actor, a leading director, and a public figure with strongly held political beliefs-Mikhalkov represents a supreme, modern embodiment of theRussian tradition of art as civic action whose previous exponents include Gorky, Dostoevsky, Herzen, and Solzhenitsyn. MLR, I02. I, 2007 30I Given the importance of its subject, it is as well that the author of this brief but densely packed volume is the leadingWestern specialist onMikhalkov. Indeed, Bir git Beumers's book never fails to impress the reader with its authoritative grasp of the facts and issues surrounding the controversial actor/director.Beumers adopts a chronological approach, dividing herwork into five main chapters dealing with I963 75, 1975-80, 1980-85, I985-9I, and 199I-99 respectively, periods which coincide with key phases inMikhalkov's career. However, from the outset she is alert to the trajectory taken by...