By Steve Ramos

Art House
Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears
Unrated
1981, Kino

Tchaikovsky
Unrated
1971, Kino

The Khrushchev thaw, a period of artistic freedom from the late '50s through the '60s brought upon by the Soviet leader's revelation of Stalin's "errors," is long over. The cinematic new waves in France, Brazil, Japan and Czechoslovakia have come and gone. After film production tripled in the Soviet Union during the 1960s, an invigorated, artistic spirit took hold of the country's filmmakers. The hope was to re-create the excitement of the revolutionary Soviet cinema of the '20s. Today, Russian leader Vladimir Putin struggles to stem the collapse of the former USSR with an emphasis on mass nostalgia. The result is that Stalinist socialist realism has begun to creep back into Soviet cinema.

Two DVD releases of past Russian films reveal the scope and scale of Soviet cinema. They also serve as reminders of what's artistically possible during times of political upheaval

Tchaikovsky (1971) is a stunning, forgotten beauty. Director Igor Talankin's sweeping epic uses spectacular photography and extravagant detail to create a rich and profound drama that unites the personal setbacks and musical accomplishments of composer Pyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky. As lavish as any Hollywood period drama, Tchaikovsky reminds us of the extensive financial resources that once existed in Soviet filmmaking. While actor Innokenti Smoktunovsky's performance as Tchaikovsky is too straightforward, the film's beautiful images keep the story interesting. Tchaikovsky rises on its period pomp and photographic brilliance. Composer Dimitri Tiomkin complements Tchaikovsky's music with a worthy score. Thirty years after its initial release, Tchaikovsky offers the type of Soviet nostalgia currently favored by the Putin government.

Set during the time of the Soviet "thaw," director Vladimir Menshov's heartfelt melodrama Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears (1981) addresses the straitened circumstances and spiritual drift of Russia's postwar generation.

Three women struggle with unease and moral uncertainties as they set out to establish themselves in 1958 Moscow. Stretching its story across 20 years, Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears offers a documentary-like portrayal of the challenges facing Russian women during the 1950s. Its realistic tone connects Menshov's film with the Soviet socialist realist films of long ago. But Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears also embraces the sentimental spirit of classic Hollywood melodramas. Boosted by the likable performances of its three leads, Vera Alentova, Irina Muravyova and Raisa Ryazonova, Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears builds its deliberately told story to a believable climax. While self censorship and accommodation continue to be rife in Soviet cinema, Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears hints at the possibilities for a humanist revival in Soviet cinema. (Tchaikovsky Grade: B) (Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears Grade: A)

And the rest
Morgan Freeman is completely at ease as Washington, D.C., police detective and psychologist Alex Cross in director Lee Tamahori's disappointing adaptation of author James Patterson's Along Came a Spider (Paramount). A lulling thriller about the kidnapped daughter of a U.S. Senator, Freeman's intelligence is undermined by Monica Potter's lifeless role as Cross' pretty assistant. Freeman's believable performance turns out to be the best thing in a film incapable of generating sufficient suspense. ... As two junior James Bonds, Juni Cortez and his big sister Carmen (Daryl Sabara and Alexa Vega), are the pint-sized heroes of writer/director Robert Rodriguez's rousing family adventure Spy Kids (Dimension). Carla Gugino and Antonio Banderas make an attractive pair as the mom-and-dad spies trying to save the world. An array of jet packs, spy planes and an underwater submarine keeps the action moving briskly. But the likable Sabara and Vega ultimately turn out to be the film's true stars.

E-mail Steve Ramos

The Day the Movies Stopped (September 20, 2001)
The Day the Movies Stopped (September 13, 2001)
Losing It in Canada (September 13, 2001)
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