VeteranLight
I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
Kaydan Christian
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Kirpianuscus
it is a testimony. honest. cruel. not easy to understand in its deeply roots. it is the story of Orthodox Church, not Russian only, under war and Communism. a touching and powerful fresco about resistance, courage and pain. about conscience 's voice and about the small things who defines yourself in better times. an artistic film who has status of documentary not only for historical accuracy but for the precise portrait of a state of soul in cruel fight against different forms of evil. a film who could be a remember. or a remember. the status is not important. only the message. and the message is about the need to not ignore the scares from the past.
elbabun
The events are tragic for all - people in dire need of spiritual support and priests striving to serve, but under very difficult circumstances. It is the increasing resistance not only from population, but even Soviet solders tasked with rounding up supposed collaborators in cassocks, that forced Stalin to reverse early policies on religious intolerance. The story of the church on occupied territories was not taught neither in academia (even when majoring in history) nor seminaries until 1991. Materials were accessible only to those doing actual research on related topics under specially granted security clearances.
Tonino
Watched this film on a Russian DVD, which had just been released. Frankly, it came as a huge disappointment. Every time the director wants to make a point he uses a cliché. Makovetsky as a priest is laughable, and the whole film resembles a kind of parody because of that. I bet the director didn't want that to happen! Usatova as the priest's wife is brilliant, as she almost always is, but she can't save the film which is nothing short of a piece of straightforward religious propaganda. Enough to say that the film was made by the Orthodox Church film company. By the way, the prototype of the priest (who bore the same surname) didn't stay put when the Russians came but fled with the retreating Nazi troops. So much for the truth of life... The only positive Jew in the film is the converted Jewish girl. Well, what can we expect of an adaptation of a novel by an ultra- nationalist Russian writer - and, generally, of a film made by a church film company? Gazprom that subsidized the making of the film could have found a much better way of investing their money.
Dmitriy Zheleznyak
Its a real creation of Art! Film impressed me a lot. I'm an actor and in 90% of films I see how good or bad was made editors work, I think about how bad or good was play of actors etc... When I watched this film I forget that picture on a screen is "just a play" - everything was More Real than ANY 3-d or "23-d"... In some moments I cry... I don't remember when I cry because of film... "Pop" is the one of the greatest films I ever seen...I can't believe that I communicated with the person which played Father Alexander... It's some magic when some (even a little bit, but familiar) person turns Role into Real Person! I know that Makovetsky is an actor but at this film he is more Real Priest than some Priests in Churches... Makovetsky is one of the Greatest actors today and may be here is the best his role... Soon I will watch this film again because it touches my heart...
