Ilyenko returns to, what I feel like, his roots with the anguish and solitude of A Spring for the Thirsty and the enchantment of The Eve of Ivan Kupalo. After two films which felt more reserved and withholding of Ilyenko’s visual talent, this one relishes in its tragic folk tale DNA. Only knowing it was based on a folk tale was enough to get me excited for Ilyenko’s touch. Sure enough, we’re enveloped in a land of strange enchantment.
Without the letterboxd summary, there is no way I would have understood what happened. But that doesn’t matter. For me, things like this unique edit Ilyenko uses to make characters appear and disappear out of the background is far more captivating than a coherent story. Another moment towards the end is when the nymph is left with a red flower weeping. There is so much damn tragedy in this film. And even though it all takes place in a real forest (as far as I can tell?), there is still an element of staginess which adds an extra layer of palpability. I was recalling romance akin to Romeo and Juliet with the doom of this couple.
I also don't necessarily think you need dialogue to understand because of how sparse the actual dialogue is. In fact, we go almost 10 minutes into the film without a spoken word. A number of shots emphasize our own gaze as voyeurs. Here’s where I mention, again, Ilyenko’s window frame shots. But this time he goes a step further. Towards the end of the film, we see another window frame, but this one is burnt. If you’re watching Ilyenko’s window frame motif as I have, this burnt frame really takes on an extra level of impact. The burnt window frame, even more so than the house itself, felt like Ilyenko’s Sacrifice, but maybe I’m just thinking that because I’ve come to like his work so much.
I also thought I’d muse here about one of the most iconic shots from my beloved Sátántangó. Yep, you guessed it, the child’s face in the window. I couldn’t find anything on Google, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Tarr had seen some of Ilyenko’s films. If so, he may have been influenced. That’s just my meaningless speculation, but what isn’t, is my new position that that shot is actually Ilyenkonic. Yes, I believe Ilyenko has affirmed his status as a leading auteur in shots of window frames and faces framed within them.
I hope I’m wrong, but this might be my last Ilyenko in the near future based on what I’ve preliminarily been able to find. I hope I can see more of his work because I’m a firm believer that Ilyenko is one of the greatest undiscovered filmmakers in the world. His images are evocative and stimulating. I’m glad this last entry I was able to see felt a return to form.
Ilyenko returns to, what I feel like, his roots with the anguish and solitude of A Spring for the Thirsty and the enchantment of The Eve of Ivan Kupalo. After two films which felt more reserved and withholding of Ilyenko’s visual talent, this one relishes in its tragic folk tale DNA. Only knowing it was based on a folk tale was enough to get me excited for Ilyenko’s touch. Sure enough, we’re enveloped in a land of strange enchantment.
Without the letterboxd summary, there is no way I would have understood what happened. But that doesn’t matter. For me, things like this unique edit Ilyenko uses to make characters appear and disappear out of the background is far more captivating than a coherent story. Another moment towards the end is when the nymph is left with a red flower weeping. There is so much damn tragedy in this film. And even though it all takes place in a real forest (as far as I can tell?), there is still an element of staginess which adds an extra layer of palpability. I was recalling romance akin to Romeo and Juliet with the doom of this couple.
I also don't necessarily think you need dialogue to understand because of how sparse the actual dialogue is. In fact, we go almost 10 minutes into the film without a spoken word. A number of shots emphasize our own gaze as voyeurs. Here’s where I mention, again, Ilyenko’s window frame shots. But this time he goes a step further. Towards the end of the film, we see another window frame, but this one is burnt. If you’re watching Ilyenko’s window frame motif as I have, this burnt frame really takes on an extra level of impact. The burnt window frame, even more so than the house itself, felt like Ilyenko’s Sacrifice, but maybe I’m just thinking that because I’ve come to like his work so much.
I also thought I’d muse here about one of the most iconic shots from my beloved Sátántangó. Yep, you guessed it, the child’s face in the window. I couldn’t find anything on Google, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Tarr had seen some of Ilyenko’s films. If so, he may have been influenced. That’s just my meaningless speculation, but what isn’t, is my new position that that shot is actually Ilyenkonic. Yes, I believe Ilyenko has affirmed his status as a leading auteur in shots of window frames and faces framed within them.
I hope I’m wrong, but this might be my last Ilyenko in the near future based on what I’ve preliminarily been able to find. I hope I can see more of his work because I’m a firm believer that Ilyenko is one of the greatest undiscovered filmmakers in the world. His images are evocative and stimulating. I’m glad this last entry I was able to see felt a return to form.
