Father and Son
There's nothing ordinary or everyday in the movie world of Alexander Sokurov, as fans of the Russian director'sMother and SonandRussian Arkare well aware. This film bears no literal relation toMother and Son, but the sense of depth is similar.Father and Sonappears to be about the separation of the fiercely devoted title characters, who look more like brothers. The son is newly in the military, which changes the dynamic in the apartment they share in St. Petersburg (the top-floor flat frequently leads them to the precarious-looking roof). Not a great deal happens, but anything on screen (however obscure) is always imbued with a force that suggests a life lived with more intensity than usual. Sokurov uses a burnished, sepia tone that makes the movie look as though it's already passed into memory. This film has nothing to do with storytelling, and everything to do with poetry.--Robert Horton