Russian cinema has always been considered as one of the best in the movie industry. They entered the movie business almost around the same time as Hollywood with the first screening around 1896. Some of the most famous Russian films include House of Fools and Brother which has gained interest from people across the world. A distinctive feature of Russian cinema is that it derived much of its thought process from other creative forms of art and literature. This gave it a more intellectual weight unlike a lot of Hollywood entertainment.
The legacy of Russian cinema is marked with brilliant minds like Andrei Tarkovsky and Sergei Eisenstein which makes it a tough act to follow. Bear in mind that this also happened in a time and in a nation where recreational activities like even casinos were banned. These days, people still find a way around it by playing on online casinos. There are hundreds of these online casinos now and sites like this will tell you which ones are the best. Similarly, you don’t have to go to Russia to watch a Russian film anymore. As long as you have Netflix, the best of Russian cinema will come to you. Here’s a list of some of the best Russian movies available on Netflix.
Russian Ark
Russian Ark is one of the most beautiful Russian films out there that is a definite must-watch. The film is a sort of tribute to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. The most unique part of the film is that the whole film is shot in one take. This is a massive feat considering the film is around 96 minutes long and has over 2000 actors in it. In the film, an artist is transported back in time and finds himself in the Hermitage sometime in the 19th century. It’s almost like a virtual walkthrough into the Russian imperial history that gives you a great first-hand view of what things used to be.
Elena
Elena is a lovely Russian drama which shows the inequality of lifestyles in Russia. Elena is a nurse who marries her glamorous patient – Vladimir. They both have children from their earlier marriages. She has a son who’s struggling to make ends meet while Vladimir’s daughter is rich and carefree. When Vladimir suddenly dies, Elena discovers that all his wealth is going to his daughter which leaves her broke. It’s a great film that found an audience even in America as this article states.
III – The Ritual
This Russian horror film is not for the faint hearted. The film is about two sisters who lose their mother to an illness. When one of the sisters also gets the disease, the other one seeks the help of a priest who tells her that perhaps diving into her subconscious mind might be a good idea. The chills are real.
There are many more films that are definitely worth mentioning in this list like How I Ended This Summer, Day Watch and Ballerina. However, if you really want to go down the Russian film rabbithole then perhaps you should start with Eisenstein’s works.
