I have an amazing story. One day I was driving home, when all of a sudden the Lord came to me in spirit. I felt very close to Him. I knew if I asked him to play any song on the radio he would, I guess to bless my faith. So I said "ok, Lord play "Come as you are by Nirvana". I turned on the radio and the song started playing right there on the spot, perfectly… I started getting flooded with chills like a waterfall, crying, and trembling. He stayed with me for 10 minutes in my driveway. until I got outta the car. A couple months after that I started getting amazing prayers answered way more often, because it helped me quit doubting when I pray and I was lined up with biblical instructions. It's 6 years later and I still get answered prayers in Jesus name.
Great to see they are doing this as a limited series rather than trying to fit it all into one movie. Excellent, excellent book-this trailer shows a lot of promise.
@@eliotopian As always, these things are incredibly subjective. I was personally blown away by the book, though. It’s certainly not a non-stop action, and some might go as far as to call it slow. The writing and characters are wonderful, however. And if you have any knowledge of/interest in Russian/Soviet history, you’ll enjoy it even more.
Do you think? I'm sort of pleased it's a limited series so it has more room. Imaging that book stuffed into a single film seems like too much would have to be cut.
@@rvheem7702 You can always believe more than what is shown on TV and prove to a person who has lived in Russia all his life how things are and were in Russia. This is your level. Sad for you ;)
@@e36MPower I feel so sorry for you who had know idea about people like the great grandfather/uncle of Alexander Pushkin or the countless black people that were invited to study in Russia and settled in Russia. Your ignorance is crazy…but your lack of education is even more wild!
@@rvheem7702 Will you speak to me about Pushkin, Alexander Sergeevich?) I'm still waiting for films with black Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and so on... maybe then you will understand what nonsense you are talking about. Although no, you won’t understand)
he realized it has become to the point of being too much of a cliché for him to do so, especially after the disastrous failure of A Haunting In Venice.
This looks fantastic. Ewan McGregor always chooses great roles. It's a great story about humanity, but it is also giving sympathy to a class that got its wealth through serfs and keeping a lot of people poor. Much like the wealthy class would like us to return to today,
@@denisdenisov7623Capitalists are the new aristocracy. They are often very kind and can be generous, but they regard everyone as below them, and will exploit them without batting an eyelid.
Its english-language film, of course everyone speaks English. Feel free to watch any of the thousands of Russian-language films out there. Also there were africans and black Americans in Russia at that time.
I would say its not a good time to be doing a Russian-themed drama\comedy movie. In fact, I would say it's not a good time to be doing anything Russian-themed.
The book was entertaining enough, and so will like be the series. Much of what went on in the Soviet Union should feel nothing but surreal and farcical, but the book did not capture it - and maybe the author did not set out to do that either? It felt like a parody... but I am not sure those who never read anything serious about those times and that place, will pick up on this..
You do realize that most of Russia is in Asia, right? They actually have a very large Asiatic looking population, but we think of Russians as the western Russians or west of the ural mountains which are largely white
I am from Donetsk. And I will tell you my opinion. The fact that they have a British accent is okay, they are filming for their own people. But what the hell are black people there? In the Soviet Union, in the early 1930s, foreign specialists began to be invited to work. Quite a few of them came to us from the USA, where at that time there was an economic crisis. Among these engineers and skilled workers were blacks. Some of them, having completed their contract, returned to their homeland. Others married Russian girls and became citizens of the USSR. But such cases throughout the country were isolated. Our first large influx of African blood occurred in 1957, when the World Festival of Youth and Students opened in Moscow. Nine months after its end, some USSR citizens gave birth to mulatto and mestizo children, whom people began to ironically call “children of the festival.” Further - more: In 1960, the Peoples' Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba opened in Moscow, where students from foreign countries study, including many blacks.
I am from Yaroslavl and i am used to American films taking liberties with foreign history and culture. Seen much worse but enjoyable cases. I just hope this one will be better than any other average western film made nowadays. But my hope is very slim.
The box-ticking in regards to multiracial casting is becoming typical and expected under any circumstances , and I guess if I won't manage to suspend disbelief because of it I'm a racist.
Ewwww When…. Has always been a solid actor since Trainspotting I feel like that’s the oldest first movie I’ve seen him in could be wrong but dudes good with me as long as he doesn’t end up on the list
Seeing the english version of Russia is like hearing english spoken with a clear russian accent. Just stop and don't try. Btw when you try we call it "a cranberry".
A weirdly worded question, but you know there were black people across all of Europe at this time, right? It's a modern globalized society. Black people existed and they existed in every European country to varying degrees of minority status. It's one character. Why is that a big deal
Theres a whole page on Wiki talking about prominent black people in Russia that goes back well before the time of this film. Stop believing the white-washing.
Aaaah yes, a black Receptionist and a black Guest (with Rastas) of a luxury hotel in Post-Zar Russia… just like I always imaged it! See thats what vexes me. It just takes one out of the movie and destroys the suspension of disbelieve for no other reason than the fact that they HAVE to hire blacks for minor roles to please the quota... I had the same Issue with “Sandman” where Africans and Indians run around in medieval London in the middle of everyone else. As if racism and seggregation werent a thing! Already tells me enough about potential other weaknesses of the movie (for which diversity higher is but its smallest sign of badness). Russia doesn^t even have this much diversity nowadays yet alone in between wars... Just another Cashgrab hoping for name recognition of the Fanbase. No thank you.
I mean I noticed you didn't seem to have a problem with the accents or even the fact they're speaking English in post Tzardom Russia so your complaint about Black actors seems wierd if that's the straw that breaks your immersion.
@@AltoStratusX1Language becomes a reasonable accommodation for making the story accessible. The journalist Derek Thompson identified a simple formula for popularity. Human beings tend to like things that are pleasingly familiar, with a gentle touch of surprise. As this story is being told using visual media, the colors used would be quite impactful on the story. Filming in black & white is also an option, but the story is richer for being told in full color. If the story were told/made in Kenya, using Kenyan performers, performing in Swahili, no one would be surprised to see black actors as it would be a in/for Kenya story. If it were a local grade school production, it would be work as everyone expects meager production values from a grade school. No one would be surprised if things didn’t line up with the real world. But this was made by a reasonably large/ambitious studio who invested a great deal in telling a story that would ostensibly have much of the trappings of authenticity in it’s set and costumes. To change the race of the actors without a reasonable cause is rarely a “gentle touch of surprise”, it’s more often a disrespect to your audience’s expectations. It can also be disrepesctful to black people/minorites as it doesn’t affored them the dignity of a “deserved” role in a story, it just throws them a token gesture that cheapens the whole production. If you genuinely feel that Black people/minorities aren’t represented enough/appropriately in cinema(a valid claim), then give them roles and a story that they can participate in with dignity. Africa has a rich history that can be mined for stories, but have you ever seen a film about Mansa Musa? Or a live action adaptation of Anansi? There's ample opportunity to tell entertaining stories with Black people without forcing them in where they don't really fit.
@scottcarpenter1108 thats all well and good, art and enjoyment is subjective. Its true in Russian history there wasn't many people of African descent. However there are still tons of example of Afro Russians in history enough that its not outlandish at all for the purpose of this movies casting. Take Abram Petrovich Gannibal for example. Kidnapped and enslaved as a child by Ottomans, Gannibal was smuggled to Russia and presented as a gift to Peter the Great, where he was freed, adopted and raised in the Emperor's court household as his godson. He had 11 children, most of whom became members of the Russian nobility; he was a great-grandfather of the author and poet Alexander Pushkin. So there is actually a historical precedent senough that something like a black middle class bartender who could trace roots back to nobility. This imo would be more plausible then all the Russian nobles having British accents and being played by Scottish, British and American actors. I'm just pointing out I think it's premature to presuppose the whole movie's quality because a supporting character is cast from a certain race when the movie is already discarding so much "authenticity" to be "accessible."
@@AltoStratusX1That's a reasonable critique. I grew up with dubbed Movies (dubbed in german to be exact) so maybe i was used to "wrong" language from an early age. That might explain why i never have an issue with misrepresented dialogue. 1.) I tried to express how the incorrect and revisionistic portrayal of coloured people in post-zarist Russia is bothering me because it breaks my dispension of disbelieve which is a personal standart after all and may vary from yours. 2.) I pointed out that the Filmmakers deliberate casting choice(s) are merely a symptom of what others may call "woke" Filmmaking with all its ugly and, political and quality lacking aspects. My personal negative impression stems from the fact that the symptom is a clear indicator about the sickness beyond the surface. 3.) I absolutely welcome colourblind Casting in more abstract surroundings like "The green Knight" where Dev Patels Indian medieval Knight actually helped the surreality of the story or Denzel Washington portraying of Macbeth transcendents every consideration of Skintone completely. We're talking about concious revisionism for the sake of a very weird political agenda tough. Something that cheapens the art is is in. If it was made as a stylistic choice like showing Marie Antoinette (in the movie of the same name) wearing Sneakers to express her youth it would be different but I dont see any such stylistic choices in this story so far. Just diversity hires.
It's a big zero for me. I loved the book. The problem is that the actors all appear to be too Westernized. This is inherently a Russian story; I don't expect it the dialogue to to be in Russian, but couldn't they have hired actors from Russia or Europe? Mads Mikkelsen would have been a better casting choice for Rostov or someone like that. And when Mary Elizabeth Winstead shows up, forget it, I want to switch off. She's a good actress but not right for this role. It's like somone turned Moscow into Disneyland.
But, that happens each time when someone from West tries to make a film based on russian text. Russian sensibility is so different that those people can not feel it, can not bring it on the screen properly. All those tries with " War and Peace " are totally disastrous too. It is not the way it goes. And no matter what they make or with whom they make- it is always a flop. There is no perception for the slavish spirit, the way they think, the way they are. Art is emotion and this kind of presentation is not emotion. Just business.
![THE BIKERIDERS - Official Trailer 2 [HD] - Only In Theaters June 21](/img/n.gif)
for a sec I thought I that was Borat sequel 😂
RIGHT!?! 😂😂😂
Me too Lol
Same here 😂😂
MY NAME A BORAT!!! MY WIFE!!!
Lol
I heavily recommend reading the book.
It is so unbelievably good.
I read it right after it came out. It is so good.
I have an amazing story. One day I was driving home, when all of a sudden the Lord came to me in spirit. I felt very close to Him. I knew if I asked him to play any song on the radio he would, I guess to bless my faith.
So I said "ok, Lord play "Come as you are by Nirvana".
I turned on the radio and the song started playing right there on the spot, perfectly…
I started getting flooded with chills like a waterfall, crying, and trembling.
He stayed with me for 10 minutes in my driveway. until I got outta the car.
A couple months after that I started getting amazing prayers answered way more often, because it helped me quit doubting when I pray and I was lined up with biblical instructions. It's 6 years later and I still get answered prayers in Jesus name.
Nice to see Mary elizabeth again, My crush since Final destination & Die hard😍❤
I love her in every universe
I've never seen Death Proof but I've seen scenes with her in that movie 😂
I'm still waiting for a sequel to KATE,she's did great there🤟😎
she's Ewan's wife in real life.
Great to see they are doing this as a limited series rather than trying to fit it all into one movie. Excellent, excellent book-this trailer shows a lot of promise.
I prefer a two-hour movie. Saves me a ton of time to watch other movies.
This was the best book I read in 20 years. Looking forward to this.
Is there a specific reason why that is so?
If you haven’t read the book, I can’t recommend it enough. If the movie does it justice, it’ll be excellent.
this trailer makes me want to read the book. I always thought the cover looked dull, so never got it... ugh!
@@eliotopian As always, these things are incredibly subjective. I was personally blown away by the book, though. It’s certainly not a non-stop action, and some might go as far as to call it slow. The writing and characters are wonderful, however. And if you have any knowledge of/interest in Russian/Soviet history, you’ll enjoy it even more.
Don't judge a book by It's cover.@@eliotopian
Don't judge a book by It's cover.@@eliotopian
Don't judge a book by It's cover.@@eliotopian
I like how all the Russians have British accents.
That‘s why they cast Kenneth Branagh as a Russian. 😂
It's a movie...
And blacks in Moscow? Never, LOL.
@@beanbag9696 yeah and a crappy one at that
Same with biblical characters.
I was all in until they put a black guy in a role.
No offense, but this is where the new rules from the Academy are anathema to the West & America.
Great casting McGregor but the inclusion of several black actors seems forced for inclusion sake.
It's the new religion unfortunately, history be damned.
snowflake. @@normmaclean375
@@xNevikKx Well, it's not like the book the series is based on care much about history, either...
@@tyttiMK maybe we'll finally get to see zulus played by a wh*te brits.
Book is a masterpiece
This looks like a good movie. Have seen many of Ewan McGregor's movies and he's an amazing actor. Love his voice!
Me too!!
get away from my man, Karen! ;D
@@eliotopian I'm not av anywhere near him.
He’s everywhere
It’s a series I think
This was one of my favorite all-time books. Delighted to see it made into a series.
Such an amazing book and love Ewan McGregor!!
I am so hyped for this series. Ian McGregor and Mary Elisabeth Winsted in Soviet Russia setting? Hell yeah ❤
Well ' Hello . . . there '
General Kenobi!!!
@@udim7284Comrade Kenobi *
Something else that should be at the cinema.
Do you think? I'm sort of pleased it's a limited series so it has more room. Imaging that book stuffed into a single film seems like too much would have to be cut.
@@FloraWest Ah, I didn't realise it was a mini series, I assumed it was a straight to streaming film.
Выглядит все, конечно, довольно забавно. Этакая развеселая клюква.
люди здесь не знают, что такое "клюква" в вашем понимании))))
I was hoping to see black / indian actors in a Soviet Union story. Americans didn't disappoint me. 🤣😁🤪
There are quite a few notable Black Russians, some even held very high ranks…so it’s not that crazy to see the depiction in a film
for the love of god, please stop with the NONEESENSE@@rvheem7702
@@rvheem7702 You can always believe more than what is shown on TV and prove to a person who has lived in Russia all his life how things are and were in Russia. This is your level. Sad for you ;)
@@e36MPower I feel so sorry for you who had know idea about people like the great grandfather/uncle of Alexander Pushkin or the countless black people that were invited to study in Russia and settled in Russia.
Your ignorance is crazy…but your lack of education is even more wild!
@@rvheem7702 Will you speak to me about Pushkin, Alexander Sergeevich?)
I'm still waiting for films with black Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and so on... maybe then you will understand what nonsense you are talking about. Although no, you won’t understand)
They can't stop trying to make us hate each other, can they?
as always
This book is amazing I have read it 5 times.
pumped. Book is fantastic
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is so beautiful and so talented ❤
great to see ewan and his wife acting together
I read the book. I highly recommend seeing the movie!!
Теперь ждём новый сезон "Городок" со Стояновым и МакГрегором
Ewan McGregor is like Charlie Chaplin in Moscu ❤❤❤
This was supposed to be a Kenneth Branagh role wasn’t it?
he realized it has become to the point of being too much of a cliché for him to do so, especially after the disastrous failure of A Haunting In Venice.
@@al28854 what are you talking about? A haunting in Venice was a hit and did beater than Nile.
Thank god it wasn't. I can't watch anything with him or that Cumberbatch fart in it. Verifiable pains in the ass.
This looks Very Nice !!!
Ewan McGregor is PERFECT in everything !!!
The way im literally reading this book right now 😮
I hated the ending...not the ending itself, just that I had run out of pages to read..
Ah yes, I should like to watch. I am intrigued.
Nice trailer :)
Imagine how much better (and believable) this would be if everyone spoke Russian.
Search for The Master and Margarita... Master Piece and the book is fantastic
Getting that Wes Anderson vibe here
is that the vancouver art gallery in vancouver? 0:22
This looks fantastic. Ewan McGregor always chooses great roles. It's a great story about humanity, but it is also giving sympathy to a class that got its wealth through serfs and keeping a lot of people poor. Much like the wealthy class would like us to return to today,
You mean capitalists ?
It’s just Russia. They are bad at socialism, bad at aristocracy qnd bad at moderd capitalism. Everything they do becomes a bloodbath.
Great Roles? It would be better if he played a similar role about Julian Assange, based on REAL events, and not this Russophobic nonsense
@@denisdenisov7623Capitalists are the new aristocracy. They are often very kind and can be generous, but they regard everyone as below them, and will exploit them without batting an eyelid.
coming to a state near you
And Mary Elizabeth WINSTEAD is in this, my stars, I would pay money to watch this.
Awesome.
I saw the thumbnail and thought it's Borat.
The long awaited sequel to “An Officer and a gentleman”
Hello Bolton!
Reminds me of the newspaper riddle...
gentlemem make best swindlers
They put a black guy in the film.
For that communust E.S.G. score.
Pretty appropriate.
When I saw the thumbnail I genuinely thought we were getting a third Borat movie.
Very nice.
Obi-Wan Kenobichev
Hello there
Always wondered what Kenobi was up to in the lost years.
The script looks amazing
I wish this was a Borat sequel
Perfect, a Russian movie with more black actors than Russians.
Everyone sounds British
And we're supposed to sympathise with the bourgeoisie
Perfect
Its english-language film, of course everyone speaks English. Feel free to watch any of the thousands of Russian-language films out there. Also there were africans and black Americans in Russia at that time.
@@MichaelGGarryalso 😂 suddenly everyone's an expert on early 20th century USSR.
A poor expert obviously...but an expert all the same.
Great casting McGregor but the inclusion of several black actors seems forced for inclusion sake.
Why does it seem forced? Black people did exist in the 1920's you know
😂😂😂❤k I'm
Hello There!
You can't take away who you are: Brian Cranston Junior.
amazing! Norm MacDonalds last movie
Позор мне: до последних титров я был уверен, что в главной роли- Брайан Крэнстон!😅
действительно, позор)))
Ewan McGregor and Mary Elizabeth Winstead? Husband and Wife? Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hera Syndulla? I'm in.
I thought it's was a movie about Tucker Carlson!
LOL
I would say its not a good time to be doing a Russian-themed drama\comedy movie. In fact, I would say it's not a good time to be doing anything Russian-themed.
Why not?
But... the R trd inclusion...
Seems like the perfect time!
Grand Budapest Hotel vibes
The book was entertaining enough, and so will like be the series. Much of what went on in the Soviet Union should feel nothing but surreal and farcical, but the book did not capture it - and maybe the author did not set out to do that either? It felt like a parody... but I am not sure those who never read anything serious about those times and that place, will pick up on this..
Well the whole plot is pretty surreal if one knows anything about Stalin's USSR, so...
suite life of zack and cody sure got dark
I like how studios only put black people as diversety in movies. Who needs Asian representaion when depicting Russia/Soviet Union?
You do realize that most of Russia is in Asia, right? They actually have a very large Asiatic looking population, but we think of Russians as the western Russians or west of the ural mountains which are largely white
@@tavenstrickert9658 That was my point! There is zero Asian looking people in the movie, but you have black people.
@@tavenstrickert9658 That was my point! There is zero Asian looking people in the movie.
@@Kintabl ah I misunderstood
Why is this triggering some people so much? You don't even know the context yet
Ah, G sharp I believe.
Lol nothing can bring this guy down.
It was such a great book, I hope they do it some justice
McGregor sparked my curiosity. The cinematography took my attention. And Mary Elizabeth Windstead already sold me a ticket.
How do Russians feel about this movie?
I am from Donetsk. And I will tell you my opinion. The fact that they have a British accent is okay, they are filming for their own people. But what the hell are black people there? In the Soviet Union, in the early 1930s, foreign specialists began to be invited to work. Quite a few of them came to us from the USA, where at that time there was an economic crisis. Among these engineers and skilled workers were blacks. Some of them, having completed their contract, returned to their homeland. Others married Russian girls and became citizens of the USSR. But such cases throughout the country were isolated.
Our first large influx of African blood occurred in 1957, when the World Festival of Youth and Students opened in Moscow. Nine months after its end, some USSR citizens gave birth to mulatto and mestizo children, whom people began to ironically call “children of the festival.” Further - more: In 1960, the Peoples' Friendship University named after Patrice Lumumba opened in Moscow, where students from foreign countries study, including many blacks.
I am from Yaroslavl and i am used to American films taking liberties with foreign history and culture. Seen much worse but enjoyable cases. I just hope this one will be better than any other average western film made nowadays. But my hope is very slim.
Мы ржём
@@user-gg1se7fx2b laugh more
"they cant take away who you are" sure they can, its called death. looks good.
I wonder, did Julian Assange have the same adventures in London as shown in the next Russophobic rant?
О-о-о, американише клюква подъехала!.. В худших традициях Голливуда!.. Всё, как мы любим!.. 🤣 Даже негры с дредами есть!
Насрали и размешали)
Pity about the accents.
Is he supposed to be English/ very posh?
Otherwise all very Russian looking.
the accents? pity about the brown/blackwashing of soviet russia!
What accents?? Russians speaking Russian. The only accents are regional.
@@shelbynamels973 I disagree, Ewan Mcgregor sounds like he's from Morshansk, not Moscow.
Any political programming in this movie i wonder?
All movies are political programming. On the bright side, by killing history they kill themselves.
London is sophisticated gentlemen, and Russia is ignorant scum. As usual
1:32 Отечественный предок Никиты я так полагаю 🤭
The box-ticking in regards to multiracial casting is becoming typical and expected under any circumstances , and I guess if I won't manage to suspend disbelief because of it I'm a racist.
sees 2 black people in a show with dozens of cast members and gets triggered. Guess you're a snowflake.
Yes, pretty racist.
Black people did exist in Russia at that time. Shocking, I know.
The elites will definitely be building more bunkers and buying more islands after they watch this film.
the Lost in Translation sequel looks weird
Interesting Charlie Chaplin 🥸🥸
Did they want him to look like he was dying his hair, moustache and eyebrows ?!! This isn't a Nic Cage movie !
Ewwww When…. Has always been a solid actor since Trainspotting I feel like that’s the oldest first movie I’ve seen him in could be wrong but dudes good with me as long as he doesn’t end up on the list
Shallow Grave was before that, he was great in that too. What list?
Ah yes, early 20th century Moscow, the most typical surrounds for a sub-Saharan African fellow 🙄
There were black people in Moscow at that time.
Husband and Wife in the same movie. nice.
Not first time though
Looks like Google Ai did the Historical research.😂
Gemini casting.
Whoever decided to go with all these unnecessary jump cuts needs to find other work.
Snowden is cool.
nice to hear English accents in a movie about Russians
unless it's on purpose and plays with what the movie is about sarcastically 🙃
Seeing the english version of Russia is like hearing english spoken with a clear russian accent. Just stop and don't try. Btw when you try we call it "a cranberry".
продам гараж
i guess
Giving waAAAAyyy too much away in this trailer. Unnecessary if it is a good movie.
Ewen McGregor playing Bryan Cranston playing a russian in moscow. ummm, ok.
Which one is Jesse
Looks goo, Ewan McGregor is a leaving Marvel.
Obi wan
why is there a black?
A weirdly worded question, but you know there were black people across all of Europe at this time, right? It's a modern globalized society. Black people existed and they existed in every European country to varying degrees of minority status. It's one character. Why is that a big deal
Theres a whole page on Wiki talking about prominent black people in Russia that goes back well before the time of this film. Stop believing the white-washing.
Is the film anti-Semetic?
Ridiculous to change the fundamental nature of characters. Loved the book. Going to skip the movie.
Aaaah yes, a black Receptionist and a black Guest (with Rastas) of a luxury hotel in Post-Zar Russia… just like I always imaged it!
See thats what vexes me. It just takes one out of the movie and destroys the suspension of disbelieve for no other reason than the fact that they HAVE to hire blacks for minor roles to please the quota...
I had the same Issue with “Sandman” where Africans and Indians run around in medieval London in the middle of everyone else. As if racism and seggregation werent a thing! Already tells me enough about potential other weaknesses of the movie (for which diversity higher is but its smallest sign of badness). Russia doesn^t even have this much diversity nowadays yet alone in between wars... Just another Cashgrab hoping for name recognition of the Fanbase. No thank you.
I mean I noticed you didn't seem to have a problem with the accents or even the fact they're speaking English in post Tzardom Russia so your complaint about Black actors seems wierd if that's the straw that breaks your immersion.
@@AltoStratusX1Language becomes a reasonable accommodation for making the story accessible.
The journalist Derek Thompson identified a simple formula for popularity. Human beings tend to like things that are pleasingly familiar, with a gentle touch of surprise.
As this story is being told using visual media, the colors used would be quite impactful on the story. Filming in black & white is also an option, but the story is richer for being told in full color.
If the story were told/made in Kenya, using Kenyan performers, performing in Swahili, no one would be surprised to see black actors as it would be a in/for Kenya story.
If it were a local grade school production, it would be work as everyone expects meager production values from a grade school. No one would be surprised if things didn’t line up with the real world.
But this was made by a reasonably large/ambitious studio who invested a great deal in telling a story that would ostensibly have much of the trappings of authenticity in it’s set and costumes. To change the race of the actors without a reasonable cause is rarely a “gentle touch of surprise”, it’s more often a disrespect to your audience’s expectations. It can also be disrepesctful to black people/minorites as it doesn’t affored them the dignity of a “deserved” role in a story, it just throws them a token gesture that cheapens the whole production.
If you genuinely feel that Black people/minorities aren’t represented enough/appropriately in cinema(a valid claim), then give them roles and a story that they can participate in with dignity.
Africa has a rich history that can be mined for stories, but have you ever seen a film about Mansa Musa? Or a live action adaptation of Anansi? There's ample opportunity to tell entertaining stories with Black people without forcing them in where they don't really fit.
@scottcarpenter1108 thats all well and good, art and enjoyment is subjective. Its true in Russian history there wasn't many people of African descent. However there are still tons of example of Afro Russians in history enough that its not outlandish at all for the purpose of this movies casting. Take Abram Petrovich Gannibal for example. Kidnapped and enslaved as a child by Ottomans, Gannibal was smuggled to Russia and presented as a gift to Peter the Great, where he was freed, adopted and raised in the Emperor's court household as his godson. He had 11 children, most of whom became members of the Russian nobility; he was a great-grandfather of the author and poet Alexander Pushkin. So there is actually a historical precedent senough that something like a black middle class bartender who could trace roots back to nobility. This imo would be more plausible then all the Russian nobles having British accents and being played by Scottish, British and American actors. I'm just pointing out I think it's premature to presuppose the whole movie's quality because a supporting character is cast from a certain race when the movie is already discarding so much "authenticity" to be "accessible."
it's called historical revisionism and can be very dangerous
@@AltoStratusX1That's a reasonable critique. I grew up with dubbed Movies (dubbed in german to be exact) so maybe i was used to "wrong" language from an early age. That might explain why i never have an issue with misrepresented dialogue.
1.) I tried to express how the incorrect and revisionistic portrayal of coloured people in post-zarist Russia is bothering me because it breaks my dispension of disbelieve which is a personal standart after all and may vary from yours.
2.) I pointed out that the Filmmakers deliberate casting choice(s) are merely a symptom of what others may call "woke" Filmmaking with all its ugly and, political and quality lacking aspects. My personal negative impression stems from the fact that the symptom is a clear indicator about the sickness beyond the surface.
3.) I absolutely welcome colourblind Casting in more abstract surroundings like "The green Knight" where Dev Patels Indian medieval Knight actually helped the surreality of the story or Denzel Washington portraying of Macbeth transcendents every consideration of Skintone completely.
We're talking about concious revisionism for the sake of a very weird political agenda tough. Something that cheapens the art is is in.
If it was made as a stylistic choice like showing Marie Antoinette (in the movie of the same name) wearing Sneakers to express her youth it would be different but I dont see any such stylistic choices in this story so far. Just diversity hires.
It's a big zero for me. I loved the book. The problem is that the actors all appear to be too Westernized. This is inherently a Russian story; I don't expect it the dialogue to to be in Russian, but couldn't they have hired actors from Russia or Europe? Mads Mikkelsen would have been a better casting choice for Rostov or someone like that. And when Mary Elizabeth Winstead shows up, forget it, I want to switch off. She's a good actress but not right for this role. It's like somone turned Moscow into Disneyland.
But, that happens each time when someone from West tries to make a film based on russian text. Russian sensibility is so different that those people can not feel it, can not bring it on the screen properly. All those tries with " War and Peace " are totally disastrous too. It is not the way it goes. And no matter what they make or with whom they make- it is always a flop. There is no perception for the slavish spirit, the way they think, the way they are. Art is emotion and this kind of presentation is not emotion. Just business.
@@user-pd8hc9if5f Its from a book written by an AMERICAN FFS.
funny this movie isn't in russian
Why would an English-language production be in Russian?