Far-right extremism causes havoc in a Russian school in this strident but timely tale
A teenage boy finds religion, causing waves through his school in contemporary Russia. Slightly strident in tone, but unnervingly timely, this slow-burning drama works as a small-scale satire of the rise of extremist rightwing views and religious intolerance. Director Kirill Serebrennikov employs elegantly choreographed, long, unbroken takes to absorbing and sometimes uncomfortable effect, as Veniamin (Pyotr Skvortsov) mounts a concerted assault against his liberally inclined science teacher.
There is a theatricality to the film that can feel a little overbearing at times – it’s hard to sympathise with the grandstanding central character – but this is forceful and provocative film-making.
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A teenage boy finds religion, causing waves through his school in contemporary Russia. Slightly strident in tone, but unnervingly timely, this slow-burning drama works as a small-scale satire of the rise of extremist rightwing views and religious intolerance. Director Kirill Serebrennikov employs elegantly choreographed, long, unbroken takes to absorbing and sometimes uncomfortable effect, as Veniamin (Pyotr Skvortsov) mounts a concerted assault against his liberally inclined science teacher.
There is a theatricality to the film that can feel a little overbearing at times – it’s hard to sympathise with the grandstanding central character – but this is forceful and provocative film-making.
Continue reading...
- 3/5/2017
- by Wendy Ide
- The Guardian - Film News
This hypnotic adaptation of Marius von Mayenburg’s play finds the comedy in the actions committed by a devout teenager in the name of his beliefs
In another cinematic attack on the Russian Orthodox church, following 2014’s magisterial Leviathan, The Student’s scripture-spouting teenager Venya (Pyotr Skvortsov) launches a one-man protest against decadent modern education. He refuses to strip off for swimming practice, but getting naked to disrupt sinful contraception classes is fine, apparently.
Director Kirill Serebrennikov, adapting Marius von Mayenburg’s 2012 play for his eighth feature, wrings significant humour out of the Messiah/naughty boy dichotomy, particularly in Venya’s mother’s exasperated responses to her issue’s latest decree. Propelled by restless long takes and Skvortsov’s imposing presence (he shares the lofty pugnaciousness of Michael Shannon, whom he physically resembles), The Student finds a higher satirical calling. The toadying responses of the local priest and school principals...
In another cinematic attack on the Russian Orthodox church, following 2014’s magisterial Leviathan, The Student’s scripture-spouting teenager Venya (Pyotr Skvortsov) launches a one-man protest against decadent modern education. He refuses to strip off for swimming practice, but getting naked to disrupt sinful contraception classes is fine, apparently.
Director Kirill Serebrennikov, adapting Marius von Mayenburg’s 2012 play for his eighth feature, wrings significant humour out of the Messiah/naughty boy dichotomy, particularly in Venya’s mother’s exasperated responses to her issue’s latest decree. Propelled by restless long takes and Skvortsov’s imposing presence (he shares the lofty pugnaciousness of Michael Shannon, whom he physically resembles), The Student finds a higher satirical calling. The toadying responses of the local priest and school principals...
- 3/2/2017
- by Phil Hoad
- The Guardian - Film News
On Wednesday, Russia's Nika film awards, the local equivalent of the Oscars, announced its nominations. Kirill Serebrennikov's Cannes film Uchenik (The Student) earned the highest number of nominations with seven.
The Student, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes last year and won the François Chalais Award, is to compete in the best film, best director, best cinematography, best music, best supporting actor and best supporting actress categories.
The film's lead actor, Pyotr Skvortsov, was also nominated in the discovery of the year category.
Alexei Mizgirev's Duelyant (The Duelist) and Nikolai Dostal's Monakh i bes...
The Student, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes last year and won the François Chalais Award, is to compete in the best film, best director, best cinematography, best music, best supporting actor and best supporting actress categories.
The film's lead actor, Pyotr Skvortsov, was also nominated in the discovery of the year category.
Alexei Mizgirev's Duelyant (The Duelist) and Nikolai Dostal's Monakh i bes...
- 3/2/2017
- by Vladimir Kozlov
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Student, which is translated on screen as “The Disciple” (an interpretation far more fitting, although the Russian word used is also close to “Martyr”) is, if nothing else, an intensely frustrating film. Directed with the subtlety of a shotgun by Kirill Serebrennikov and shot with a formally energetic approach full of vim and vigor by Vladislav Opelyants, it is a film which actually has the force and rigor to take on the thorny subject of religious fundamentalism. But even if it is visually up to the task, The Student is hobbled by its script and hog tied by its characters.
A screed against religion, or to be more precise, the fundamental devotion to a religious text, in this case The Bible, The Student is a film with the potential for great satire and importance, grounded in the decision to show a conviction towards the text not often seen on...
A screed against religion, or to be more precise, the fundamental devotion to a religious text, in this case The Bible, The Student is a film with the potential for great satire and importance, grounded in the decision to show a conviction towards the text not often seen on...
- 10/20/2016
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
Teen stories often share similar DNA. They'e either romances or comedies or tales of kids acting out and the later usually include booze, drugs and sex or some combination of the three. That's not the case Kirill Serebrennikov's The Student.
Pyotr Skvortsov stars as Venya, a highschool student who finds himself at odds with his parents, friends and teachers when he becomes, as one review put it, "aggressively Christianized." Venya begins to lash out against everyone around him, particularly his biology teacher who seems to be the only one willing to stand up to him.
The idea, a high school drama with religion at its core, doesn't sound particularly interesting but there's a kinetic energy in th [Continued ...]...
Pyotr Skvortsov stars as Venya, a highschool student who finds himself at odds with his parents, friends and teachers when he becomes, as one review put it, "aggressively Christianized." Venya begins to lash out against everyone around him, particularly his biology teacher who seems to be the only one willing to stand up to him.
The idea, a high school drama with religion at its core, doesn't sound particularly interesting but there's a kinetic energy in th [Continued ...]...
- 8/18/2016
- QuietEarth.us
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