Review of The Island (2007) by Radhika N — 07 Jul 2011

Beautiful photography and what seemed like an interesting film that eventually disappointed me. The story had enough going for it to stand on its own without bringing in overt miracles and demon-exorcism.

It seems like the Russian orthodox tradition is back full strength and so is superstition with it. Father Anatoly's help to the mainlanders seemed nuanced and almost psycho-therapeutic in the beginning.

So much so that I was expecting him to do something more rational than pray over the lame boy before deeming him "cured." By the time the movie ended, I felt like I had sat through the director's profession of faith and a tribute to the orthodox church.

Focus on the different paths to spirituality chosen by the three monks- Filaret, Job & Anatoly- would have made for a more interesting film. Anatoly's grief and self-recriminations were also in and of themselves, interesting center-pieces.

The miraculous powers of the christian church are a farcical distraction to the movie on top of these more interesting subjects. Strange to see that a film which would not have been made in the USSR made now but set in the USSR.