Brother (1997 film)

Infobox_Film
name= Brother
director= Aleksei Balabanov
writer= Aleksei Balabanov
starring= Sergei Bodrov Jr. Viktor Sukhorukov Vyacheslav Butusov
producer= Sergei Selyanov
distributor= Kino International Corp.
released= 1997
runtime= 99 Min.
language= Russian
budget= >$1,000,000
imdb_id = 0118767
followed_by = Brother 2

"Brother" (Russian: Брат, "Brat") is a 1997 Russian crime film directed by Aleksei Balabanov and starring Sergei Bodrov Jr.

Plot

The film begins when Danila Bagrov (Bodrov), a former conscript after demobilisation, travels to St. Petersburg to seek out his older brother Viktor, who his mother is confident will help him make a living. Viktor (criminal nickname "Tatarin") is an accomplished hitman who himself is getting too much independent for his role and irritating for his mob boss "Krugly"(literally: "Roundhead"). So when the latter offers Viktor to assassinate a Chechen mafia boss Viktor offers the job to Danila.

Danila carries it out professionally, however Krugly's hitmen sent to take out Viktor upon completion follow Danila and injure him as he flees the scene in a cargo tram. The driver of the tram, Sveta after helping him begins an affair even though she is married to an abusive husband.

Simultaneously Danila befriends several people from a very wide urban spectrum Kat, an energetic druggie and "Nemets" (literally "German") who is a kind homeless man, who Danila saves from a racketeer and later helps him to find a home and treats him when injured.

After the first job, Viktor once again offers Danila a new one that he must carry out with two of Krugly's hitmen. Upon raiding the apartment, it turns out their main target is away and as they wait first a guest to a party a floor above becomes a hostage, and the famous Rock music star Vyacheslav Butusov (who plays himself), of whom Danila is very fond almost ends in a similar situation. Afterwards Danila decides to save the radio director, Butusov's friend and kills the two assassins after they kill their intended targets. Once again Nemets helps Danila.

By this time Krugly becomes frustrated that all his jobs with Tatarin end in his men being killed. So instead he raids Viktor's home who gives the details of his brother. Danila is first unsuccessfully ambushed near his home by a "Krot" (literally Mole), after that fails Krugly raid's Sveta's communal apartment and his men assault and rape her. Upon returning and seeing Sveta's face he becomes enraged after realising that it was not her husband but his assassins that are responsible.

Just then, his brother rings Danila and tells him to come immediately, by this point, Krugly have beaten Viktor and is prepared to finish both of the brothers off, however Danila proves much too strong a challenge, and ends up killing most of Krugly's men along with Krugly himself.

Afterwards, Danila realises that his own brother has turned him in, yet forgives him, and tells him to move back to his home town. Afterwards in an attempt to rescue Sveta, he stumbles upon her husband whom he shoots and injures. Yet Sveta instead refuses to go with Danila and shows love to her spouse instead. Later on, saying goodbye to Kat, Danila and Nemets hold a final philosophical conversation, and the film ends with Danila in snow covered road hitches a ride to Moscow.

Impact of the film

The film became an instant hit, and raised the fortunes of both Sergey Bogrov and director Alexander Balabanov. The film carefully catches the problems and attitudes of the 1990s Russia: crime, poverty (in face of Nemets), the distance of the Russian youth (In face of Kat) and failing families (Sveta) brought about in the aftermath of the Soviet collapse (which took place six years prior). Yet it exposes that there is still courage and good in the face of Danila who clearly sees right and wrong. As such it carries a powerful psychological message to the Russian audience that even in such gloomy times there is still hope.

ee also

* Brother-2

External links

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