The Island (2006 film)

The Island
Film poster
Russian	Остров
Directed by	Petr Mamonov Viktor Sukhorukov Dmitri Dyuzhev
Cinematography	Andrei Zhegalov
Music by	Vladimir Martynov
Distributed by	Pavel Lungin's Studio
Release date	2006 (2006)
Running time	112 minutes
Country	Russia
Languages	Russian German

The Island (

Thirty years pass. Anatoly now has the gifts of prophecy and healing. But the other monks do not really understand him. People come to see Anatoly for cures and guidance, but even now, he remains in a perpetual state of repentance. He often gets in a boat and goes to an uninhabited island where he prays for mercy and forgiveness and for Tikhon's soul.

Many years pass, and an

Anatoly announces his death by Wednesday; the monks provide a coffin. Dressed in a white garment such as Jesus wore or as an Orthodox baptismal garment, he lies in the coffin, wearing a crucifix. Monks, one carrying a large cross representing the risen Christ, are seen rowing the coffin away from the island.

Spiritual message

The film is focused on father Anatoly's repentance of his sin (therefore the virtually continuous occurrence of the Jesus Prayer); but the transgressions of the depicted character (a fool for Christ) and their impact on the others are the means by which the actual plot develops. The film's director Pavel Lungin, speaking of the central character's self-awareness, said he doesn't regard him as being clever or spiritual, but blessed "in the sense that he is an exposed nerve, which connects to the pains of this world. His absolute power is a reaction to the pain of those people who come to it;" while "typically, when the miracle happens, the lay people asking for a miracle are always dissatisfied" because "the world does not tolerate domestic miracles."

Screenwriter Dmitry Sobolev further explains: "When a person asks

• Pyotr Mamonov as father Anatoly
• Viktor Sukhorukov as father Filaret
• Dmitri Dyuzhev as father Iov (Job)
• Yuriy Kuznetsov
  as Tikhon
• Viktoriya Isakova as Nastya
• Nina Usatova as widow
• Jana Esipovich as young woman
• Olga Demidova as woman with child
• Timofey Tribuntsev as young Anatoly
• Aleksei Zelensky as young Tikhon
• Grisha Stepunov as child
• Sergei Burunov as adjutant

Crew

• Writer: Dmitry Sobolev
• Director: Pavel Lungin
• Producers:
  • Pavel Lungin — main producer
  • Sergei Shumakov — main producer
  • Olga Vasilieva — producer
• Stage-manager: Andrei Zhegalov
• Artistic Directors:
  • Igor Kotsarev
  • Alexander Tolkachev
• Composer: Vladimir Martynov
• Sound:
  • Stefan Albine
  • Vladimir Litrovnik
• Montage: Albina Antipenko
• Costumes: Ekaterina Dyminskaya

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 63% based on 19 reviews, and an average rating of 5.8/10.^[3] Derek Adams of Time Out described the film as "both heartfelt and ultimately optimistic" in a generally positive review.^[4] Wesley Morris, writing for The Boston Globe, gave the film 2 and a half stars, called the film "an aggravating combination of piousness, arty self-pity, and knowing silliness meant to speak to higher spiritual truths".^[5]

Awards

• 2006 — Best Film at the Moscow Premiere festival.
• 2007 — Six awards at the fifth national
  Petr Mamonov), "Best director" (Pavel Lungin), "Best scenario" (Dmitry Sobolev), "Best operator work" (Andrei Zhegalov
  ).
• 2007 - Nika Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, etc.

Gallery

• 
  Bell tower
• 
  Barge

See also

• Starets, the type of character portrayed in the film
• Jesus Prayer

References

External links

• Official site (in Russian)
• Ostrov at
  IMDb
• The Island at Rotten Tomatoes
• Ostrov - synopsis and two opinions: positive and negative (in Russian)