“The Cranes Are Flying” Is A Beautiful, Sad Movie
Directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, The Cranes Are Flying is perhaps the most notable Soviet film and also of the best films of the mid-century. It’s the only Soviet film to win the Palm d’Or. It’s a unique and crushing perspective on World War II. It’s one of the most beautifully shot films I’ve ever seen. Thing movie is amazing and definitely worth a watch if you’re into cinema.
The Cranes Are Flying begins right before Germany invades Russia. Like literally the day before that. And we meet two young lovers named Veronika and Boris, who watch the cranes fly over Moscow. Only problem is, Boris is getting called up and his creepy cousin Mark is all over Veronika. And that’s the gist of what our setting is, because I’m not spoiling this film. And that sounds pretty simple. But it’s all in the portrayal.
For a movie that’s only 96 minutes, there’s a lot of depictions of very routine things and yet this movie feels packed with emotional moments. There are these little scenes, of people talking about curtains, or the factory that would normally feel a little mundane in another movie but in this one, they all feel like gut punches. A lot of working, lot of sad family moments, shots that hold and crystallize emotions. It’s a masterful of daily life and the nuance and depth of human emotion.
Tatiana Samoilova is the star of the show in her role as Veronika. Her character changes throughout the film, but what doesn’t change is the control she shows over her expressions, capable of showing deep sadness even within stone faced endurance. It’s a performance that is haunting and deeply affecting. I loved it highlights both the plight of women in wartime and the plight of women in general in this era in one fell swoop. There’s a sense of helplessness that Kalatozov captures so well.
The film is beautifully shot. I don’t color would improve this film because it shows a technical mastery of black and white. The subtle but sharp contrasts and the dreary framing captures this feeling of dread and oppression. The agony depicted in this film is Sisyphian. Nothing goes right, but it can always go more wrong and the shots in this movie show that visually and structurally as well as narratively. It feels like we are always looking just a little bit down on our characters, like guardian angels to a nightmare.
The pace of the film is great. The plot moves consistently, but it doesn’t do so at the cost of world building. There are ebbs and flows in the tension of the scene, but you are always glued to the screen by something, whether it’s the incredible camera work or the powerful performances. This film isn’t that long, but even for it’s length it flies by. The writing is crafty and efficient, and a scene that looks like it might be a domestic respite can become dark and heavy in a flash.
The impact of this film cannot be overstated. It’s depiction of wartime Russia is deep and cuts to the bone, a microcosm of the devastation bore by a whole nation. This movie will absolutely shred you. It’s a tough watch. But absolutely a worthwhile one. There is so much here that deserves to be remembered, even if it is hard.
What struck me the most about The Cranes Are Flying wasn’t the brilliant technical aspects, or the smart, well structured story. It was the sheer humanity created by the performances and writing. The delivery of the lines and simplicity of the dialogue create a portrait of everyday life that is relatable but also unrecognizable at it’s face. It’s a hardship from another generation, another time. There’s an existential angst here, but unlike the contemporary angst of “What”, they face the question of “Why?” Why has this war happened? Why do the people we love die? Why me? Why us?
It’s a question that has no answer and hangs in the room like a black cloud. The war is temporary and yet is also forever. The Cranes Are Flying is a story of mortality, but also of the permanence of time’s erosion on the things we hold dear. Family, friends, love itself…there are all temporary things in the sprawling darkness awaiting us all. And yet, life itself is such a beautiful thing. And when the cranes fly over Moscow, we remember being loved and dream of reliving.
