Woodyanders Two men come into a small town diner looking for a third man that they have been hired to kill. Directors Marika Beiku, Aleksandr Gordon, and Andrei Tarkovsky do a masterful job of creating a bleak and haunting fatalistic atmosphere, build plenty of tension (the scene in which the counterman waits on a whistling customer while the two killers watch him the whole time is incredibly nerve-wracking), and maintain a tough gritty tone throughout, with especially startling casual use of the n-word. The fine acting by the able cast keeps things humming: Valentin Vinogradov and Vadim Novikiv are appropriately cold and menacing as the two killers, Gordon excels as pragmatic "bright boy" counterman George, Vasily Shaksin brings a chilling resignation to his role as the doomed Ole Andreson, and Yuliy Fayt does well as Ole's loyal friend Nick Adams. The lack of music gives this one a potent sense of stark realism. Gorgeously shot in crisp black and white by Alfredo Alvarez and Aleksandr Rybin, it's well worth a look.

Horst in Translation ([email protected]) This is a Soviet black-and-white movie from almost 60 years ago. It is based on an Ernest Hemingway short story and actually he was still alive at that point. This was the very first filmmaking effort by BAFTA-winning director Tarkovsky and he wrote and directed it in his 20s together with Aleksandr Gordon. The best thing about it is maybe how atmospheric it was. I have to say I struggled a bit with the Swede's decision and I'm not sure that's somewhat realistic. Apart from that, I had some problem keeping the characters apart, but that may only be because I have never seen anybody from the cast in anything else I think. That's not surprising though as most people involved (including Tarkovsky who has a little cameo) worked at least as much behind the camera as in front of it. So all in all it's a decent watch for people who like mafia films or movies on contract killers and to them I recommend it certainly.

hte-trasme This short film was a student project for a Soviet state film school, and I don't know how much exposure it would have had at the time it was made. It survives for viewing because one of the three students directors was a young Andrei Tarkovsky, and though his resources were constrained, the strength of the work is made evident through how much is done with a very basic production. The door out of the restaurant seems to lead to a blank wall, but we nonetheless get the lonely atmosphere of a small-town American diner; the filmmakers really seem to have drank in the feel of the Hemingway they read for this adaptation. It's really a twenty-minute atmosphere piece, and it does that very well - the two murderers create a complete and stark sense of threat and menace. In a constrained setting they made a claustrophobic and memorable film, with a real film-noir feel where we weren't necessarily expecting to find it. High marks!

Herr Nosferatu Pure genius, though a short, it sends out images of poetry and passion. Seeing an early stage of formation of majestic artistry will astonish all who sees this film. Rich and powerful, it is an element that sends emotions through all who experience this inspired film.