Search - The Outskirts on DVD

One of the Greatest Movies Ever

S. Koropeckyj | The Bright Side of the Moon | 12/20/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Some people claim that if you are not Russian then this movie is hard to understand, I couldn't disagree more. This movie gets straight to the point, then strangles that point in a macabre display of virtuosity. Director Lutsik manages to create an environment that looks like it could have been a dissident film in the 30s, but somehow manages to capture the attention of a modern audience. There is nothing wrong with this movie. It is sublime: subtle, yet as loud and audibly conspicuos as a sledgehammer, uprorious, yet at times somber and solemn.

The movie is about a group of Russian farmers living in the Ural mountains who find out that some know-it-all sold all of their land to the oil companies. The men gather their guns and their comrades to teach those punks a lesson. They take it all the way to the Soviet oil Ministry, and once there it is dubious that they will stop.

The movie changes pace constantly. It goes from being an action film, to surrealism, to mildly droll drama. Lutsik directs each different mode of this film with equal skill, while at the same time maintains consistency, never letting the actors be someone who they are not, or letting the story slip far from his fingers. The comedy is performed perfectly, often in a slapstick fashion. Yet even in the comedic scenes, the movie retains its seriousness, actually showing how much the characters bond with each other.

There is nothing wrong with this movie. It is perfectly paced, perfectly directed, and acted just as it should be. I found this movie completely by accident and what a fortunate accident that was. Watch this movie, love this movie. To be watched with: vodka and potatoes."