The Great Consoler

A little too subdued and theatrical/stage-y to really pack that punch. But a shining example of what makes Soviet cinema so intriguing.

"Velikiy uteshitel" is a rough cut movie and nothing elegant about its production, but it shows an very unique mind at work. A strange dark sense of humor and a playfulness you don't see very often. A mix of his two famous pieces The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West(1924) and By the Law (1927). This is a movie which shifts from the absurd madness to the brutal realities without warning perfectly illustrated by the happy ending that gets announced.... a Russian style happy ending, that is!