Vol 4, No 2-3 (2012)

The article explores the theme of the war in the cinema of the late 1950s as exemplified by the landmark films of the period: «Soldiers» (dir. A. Ivanov) and «The Cranes Are Flying» (dir. M. Kalatozov) with the protagonist as an ordinary person poorly suited for warfare on the one pole of the conflict, and the tragic character of the alien situations on the other.

The article traces the main age-related personal critical points that formed the conflict in the landmark films of the 1960-1980s — «Ilych Gate» and «July Rain» (dir. M. Khytsiev), «Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano» (dir. N. Mikhalkov), 'Flights in Dreams and in Reality» (dir. R. Balayan) — in the context of the protagonist’s changes in Soviet cinema.

The so called Thaw Period which got its name thanks to Ilya Ehrenburg, holds a specific place in the history of Russian culture. It is characterized by complex contradictory tendencies viewed by the author using the film «Ilyich Gate» (dir. M. Khutsiev, sc. G. Shpalikov) as an example.

The article is a review of the most widely used images of home in the world cinema. Different film styles, genres, trends create a patchwork of various and more often than not antipodal representations. But at the same time there are certain universal characteristics of images of home on the screen, determinated by the specific film language and literature traditions.

The article explores the process of auditory perception as part of scenic communication. The ability to hear plays an important role in theatric action as it generates true intercommunication. When the partners on stage really listen and hear each other, their speech becomes vivid and intimate. How can one achieve the novelty of impression? It is done by means of introducing new shades of intonation and pace connected with the partner’s immediate feelings. The ability to understand the partner’s inner life and expressing the emotional intonation of the actor’s speech is determined by the possession of the emotional ear which can and must be developed at Speech Technique classes.

The present publication is a fragment of a survey devoted to the emergence and development of the music video montage which enhances the sense perception of screen images plunging the spectator into the world of illusion. The search for the origins of this montage form are of not only academic interest, but reveal certain practical possibilities of using music video montage in various audiovisual genres outside TV.

The article is devoted to the role of the classic heritage in the formation of the culture of the Early Modern Period. Opening the series of articles «On the Crossroads of European Culture», the present publication investigates the influence made by the Classic Greek cultural archetype and Hellenistic tradition on the formation of modern philosophy of culture. Their impact was ambivalent because of the fact that the archetype (Logos) was based on reason and the interest for the logical constructing of cosmic models while the cultural tradition was grounded on the interest of studying nature as the basis of universal and human existence and the search for the best way to a happy life independent of the will of gods. And that gave an anthropological shade to the whole culturological process.

The article includes one of the possible philosophical and aesthetical interpretations of the basic metaphysical meaning of A. Sokurov’s tetralogy. Expressed by entirely artistic means, the Moloch of power, being irrational chthonic force, governs not only its earthly bearers (leaders), but the very «Prince of the world» changing lately as useless for the new irrational bearers of the Faust-like satirical epoch of our anthropogenic civilization.

The article treats of New Zealand film history that due to a number of reasons remains little known for a wide audience.

The conference «Hero in Modern Writing « was held in VGIK with the panel discussion «What is an ideal script» as its key event. With the aim of training young scriptwriters the participants discussed the matter of creating a quality film and TV script and analyzed the problem of an ideal script criteria.