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1960s – 1980s

Soviet Poetic Cinema

Soviet directors who pursued spiritual, personal and poetic cinema despite official pressure.

After Stalin's death in 1953, Soviet cinema began to breathe again. In the 1960s and 70s directors from Georgia, Armenia and Ukraine made films full of metaphor, folk myth and painterly images, often working around censorship by speaking in symbols. Sergei Parajanov's The Colour of Pomegranates (1969) treated an Armenian poet's life as a series of living tableaux, Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev and Mirror reflected on faith, memory and time, and Larisa Shepitko, Elem Klimov, Kira Muratova and Otar Iosseliani brought their own voices. Many of their films were cut, banned or shelved, and released only later.

Where
USSR, notably Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and Armenia
When
Late 1950s to the 1980s
Key figures
Andrei Tarkovsky, Sergei Parajanov, Larisa Shepitko, Elem Klimov, Kira Muratova, Otar Iosseliani, Tengiz Abuladze
Landmark films
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965), Andrei Rublev (1966), The Colour of Pomegranates (1969), Come and See (1985)
Legacy
Showed that film could be spiritual, painterly poetry, and strongly influenced later art cinema

What to look for

  • Image as poetry: slow movement, long takes and rich symbols
  • Religious, folk and historical themes
  • A deliberately indirect way of speaking about politics

Famous Directors

Larisa ShepitkoUSSRAndrei TarkovskyUSSRSergei ParajanovUSSR (Armenia / Georgia / Ukraine)Elem KlimovUSSRKira MuratovaUSSR / UkraineOtar IosselianiGeorgia / FranceMikhail KalatozovUSSRGleb PanfilovUSSR / RussiaAleksei GermanUSSR / RussiaTengiz AbuladzeGeorgiaAndrei KonchalovskyUSSR / Russia

Top films · 64 films

  1. Mother (1990) 1990 · Gleb Panfilov · IMDb 8.4
  2. The Cranes Are Flying 1957 · Mikhail Kalatozov · IMDb 8.3
  3. Come and See 1985 · Elem Klimov · IMDb 8.3
  4. Me, Grandma, Iliko and Ilarion 1962 · Tengiz Abuladze · IMDb 8.3
  5. I Am Cuba 1964 · Mikhail Kalatozov · IMDb 8.2
  6. The Ascent 1977 · Larisa Shepitko · IMDb 8.2
  7. Stalker 1979 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 8.0
  8. Ivan's Childhood 1962 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 8.0
  9. Andrei Rublev 1966 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 8.0
  10. Repentance 1984 · Tengiz Abuladze · IMDb 8.0
  11. The Wishing Tree 1977 · Tengiz Abuladze · IMDb 8.0
  12. Solaris 1972 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 7.9
  13. Mirror 1975 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 7.9
  14. Nostalghia 1983 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 7.9
  15. Siberiade 1979 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.9
  16. The Sacrifice 1986 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 7.8
  17. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors 1965 · Sergei Parajanov · IMDb 7.8
  18. Welcome, or No Trespassing 1964 · Elem Klimov · IMDb 7.8
  19. Twenty Days Without War 1976 · Aleksei German · IMDb 7.7
  20. Falling Leaves (1966) 1966 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 7.6
  21. Magdana's Donkey 1955 · Tengiz Abuladze · IMDb 7.6
  22. Salt for Svanetia 1930 · Mikhail Kalatozov · IMDb 7.5
  23. Wings 1966 · Larisa Shepitko · IMDb 7.5
  24. The Color of Pomegranates 1969 · Sergei Parajanov · IMDb 7.5
  25. Farewell 1983 · Elem Klimov · IMDb 7.5
  26. The Tuner 2004 · Kira Muratova · IMDb 7.5
  27. Vassa 1983 · Gleb Panfilov · IMDb 7.5
  28. The First Teacher 1965 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.5
  29. The Steamroller and the Violin 1961 · Andrei Tarkovsky · IMDb 7.4
  30. My Friend Ivan Lapshin 1984 · Aleksei German · IMDb 7.4
  31. The Legend of Suram Fortress 1985 · Sergei Parajanov · IMDb 7.3
  32. Dear Comrades! 2020 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.3
  33. Ashik Kerib 1988 · Sergei Parajanov · IMDb 7.2
  34. Pastorale 1976 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 7.2
  35. The Theme 1979 · Gleb Panfilov · IMDb 7.2
  36. Khrustalyov, My Car! 1998 · Aleksei German · IMDb 7.2
  37. Uncle Vanya 1970 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.2
  38. Runaway Train 1985 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.2
  39. Brief Encounters 1967 · Kira Muratova · IMDb 7.1
  40. Farewell, Home Sweet Home 1999 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 7.1
  41. Brigands: Chapter VII 1996 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 7.0
  42. House of Fools 2002 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.0
  43. The Postman's White Nights 2014 · Andrei Konchalovsky · IMDb 7.0
  44. Sport, Sport, Sport 1970 · Elem Klimov · IMDb 6.9
  45. The Red Tent 1969 · Mikhail Kalatozov · IMDb 6.8
  46. Among Grey Stones 1983 · Kira Muratova · IMDb 6.8
  47. Favourites of the Moon 1984 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 6.8
  48. Monday Morning 2002 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 6.7
  49. Ukrainian Rhapsody 1961 · Sergei Parajanov · IMDb 6.6
  50. Asthenic Syndrome 1989 · Kira Muratova · IMDb 6.5
  51. Hard to Be a God 2013 · Aleksei German · IMDb 6.5
  52. Gardens in Autumn 2006 · Otar Iosseliani · IMDb 6.4
  53. Andriesh 1954 · Sergei Parajanov · IMDb 6.3
  54. Long Farewells 1971 · Kira Muratova
  55. The Debut 1970 · Gleb Panfilov
  56. The Plea 1968 · Tengiz Abuladze
  57. I Wish to Speak 1976 · Gleb Panfilov
  58. Kiev Frescoes 1966 · Sergei Parajanov
  59. The Story of Asya Klyachina 1967 · Andrei Konchalovsky
  60. The Letter That Was Never Sent 1959 · Mikhail Kalatozov
  61. Trial on the Road 1971 · Aleksei German
  62. Chasing Butterflies 1992 · Otar Iosseliani
  63. Agony 1975 · Elem Klimov
  64. Valery Chkalov 1941 · Mikhail Kalatozov