The Cranes Are Flying

The Cranes Are Flying is a 1957 Soviet war drama film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov at Mosfilm, written by Viktor Rozov and starring Aleksey Batalov and Tatiana Samoilova. It depicts the cruelty and the damage done to the Soviet psyche as a result of the Second World War, which was known in the Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War. The film had a profound impact on Soviet cinema and won the Palme d'Or at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, the only Soviet film to win that award. Some say that The Cranes Are Flying is a cinematic masterpiece with many notable features, including: Cinematography Some say the cinematography is one of the best they've ever seen, with Sergei Urusevsky's hand-held camera work conveying the characters' emotions. Others praise the film's medium- and high-contrast cinematography, which captures every shade of gray and the sparkle of sunlight on water. Story Some say the film is a beautiful story about the fragility of human feelings and the power of hope in the face of war. Others say the film is a poetic and resonant work that revitalizes the sensation that films can be magical. Historical importance Some say the film was the first great film of the "Thaw", a brief reprieve from the cultural numbness of 20 years of socialist realist doctrine. Avant-garde stylings Some say the film's near avant-garde stylings make the story even more powerful. Soundtrack Some say the soundtrack is exceptional, conveying the bombast of the score while leaving room for the nuances of the dialogue.

The cinematography is what is hailed the most about this movie, and it is undeniable, especially for its time. The close-ups are reminiscent of silent film techniques, reminding me even of the very famous shot in Jeanne d'Arc when Veronika is witness to the disdain of the men in the hospital, talking about the woman who left her war-fighting fiancé for another man. Some of the shots are spectacularly haunting, and the lighting is something to behold. When emotions and situations are frenetic, it is deeply felt. Some scenes are parallell to each other, like Veronika running up the stairs after the bombing, and Boris fading away in the forest. It is notable that the conversation about consent blooming in recent years has certainly changed the narrative of movies such as this. A New York Times review from 1960 calls the heroine "a sensitive Moscow girl who weakens and is unfaithful to her sweetheart when he is at the front in World War II." For me, there is no way around it - she was raped and forced into a marriage by an obsessive man. Before he succumbs to his horrible urges, he does lead a very powerful scene where he aggressively tries to drown out the sounds of fighter jets on a grand piano. But quickly, he falls from grace, and that feeble yet passionate protest falls apart, just like their city. This movie is beautiful and important, and definitely unmissable in the long string of WWII movies.

Spectacular technique!!! Those moving shots, those sequences in the middle of crowds, the cinematography. Amazing low budget film that reminds us that all you need is a camera

if i ever saw this movie again i think my life would immediately end after crying for another 40 minutes

I am not SURE if I saw this before, and dismissed it at the halfway mark or sooner, or whether that was a completely different film. (this was at LEAST 25 years ago.. and I'm thinking it was a different film.) Anways, simply DEVASTATING and in the most part, BEAUTIFUL movie about War and what it does to lovers, families, and friends. I haven't seen too much of Kalatozov's work, but I should seek out more, because the film is truly a cinematography wonder, filled with simple, yet remarkable scenes, along with the most incredible one shot scoping scenes you'll ever get to see. Just incredible.

A powerful romantic tragedy from Soviet citizens' point of view in World War II, The Cranes Are Flying is visually as well as narratively memorable.

1001 movies to see before you die. This is a cultural film that showed the shift in propaganda towards communism and its cause. It was real and it showed how people lose in war and even though that happens, life still continues. It was moving, and well made. A little dated, but it still is a great film. I saw it on youtube.

Even when the dramatics are teed up and overplayed, this still works as a simple and common war time romance drama. Sadness pervades but in true propaganda spirit, there's always a hopeful ending where the suffering has a reason (just not sure what that reason is). In any case it's enjoyable.

I feel like there's gonna be a good use of crane shots in this movie. That was beautiful that opening crane shot of them skipping by the lake. It almost feels surreal, like a dream. This opening sequence must be a dream because the streets are empty and there's not a single soul other than them. The cinematography is dazzling, almost magical. They really experimented with shots and angles in this movie, and I love it. Veronika's quite pretty. I love how fluid and kinetic the movements of the camera are. It almost feels like we're seeing things through the eyes of a person or even a bird sometimes. Filming with a handheld definitely added more to the shots and scenes making it that much more impactful and emotional. Giving it a raw documentary-like sensation at times. Especially those scenes where Veronika is sifting through the crowds of people while the camera follows her every move. Damn, that's pretty tragic. She wasn't able to say goodbye to Boris. Not even during the march out of the city. Now Boris is left thinking the she never came to say goodbye, when really she was running all over town trying to catch up to him. That whole sequence of her running through the burned building and up to her parents apartment was incredible. It's almost like you know what's going happen. Omg and when she opens the door to her parents apartment and it's completely destroyed, my heart sank. All that remained was the annoying clock and a light fixture. That was haunting. How tragic. That was last thing that needed to happen to Veronika. Now she has no parents. That sequence with the aerial bombs going off while Veronika and Boris' cousin, Mark, are still in the apartment was unlike anything I've ever seen. That was cinema at it's finest. So elegant and haunting. That sequence with Boris and the harmonica dude walking through the mud and barbwire reminded me so much of Tarkovsky. A beautiful tracking shot. I can also see why Spielberg said this is one of his favorite movies. He was probably inspired by this movie to make Saving Private Ryan and Schindler's List. I can't believe Boris died like that. Where the hell did he get shot from? It didn't even seem like he got shot or anything. Ok, that final scene after the speech given by Stepan where Veronika starts handing out flowers to soldiers and their loved ones was a real tearjerker. I started to tear up. That whole scene was beautiful. The heartfelt powerful speech, the emotionally sweeping music, Veronika handing out flowers signifying that she has begun to move on. Really inspirational. And then the cranes at the very end flying over, symbolizing that Boris is embodied as one of them and is moving on. A metaphor for how we must move on and start new after wars are fought. Nobody likes war and everyone wishes they never existed, but sometimes we must fight in other countries wars (like Russia did) in order to obtain peace for everyone. We fight in wars to keep our loved ones safe and to ensure a peaceful future. That whole ending was very Spielbergesque. I can see why he loves this move so much. There's a lot of cinematic beauty that happens throughout this movie. A dazzling display of visuals and cinematography that was especially experimental for it's time. I would even say this movie is ahead of its time. I'm definitely inspired. There's a certain dreamlike magical quality to this movie that I've never quite experienced in a film, especially a war film. Very touching and beautiful ending to a powerful and impactful war movie. A magnificent film! I'd watch it again.

Like many soviets films it has rude script so that all the good production had felt unnecessary at the end. I really love the lead actress (she is so beautiful) and the photography work. 6/10