Vladimir-14 I was biased against watching this movie by poor reviews and I was glad that I did not listen to them. Shame on these reviewers. Too much of Hollywood, I gather. The movie cannot be considered outside of the context of timeframe. It is 1979. Exactly a year before his death. Anyone who knows anything about Vysotskiy knows that he was very ill at that time - his heart started giving in. It was rumored that he had 2 or 3 clinical deaths before he passed away. That's how he is shown in the movie: weak body, but indomitable spirit. And all these talks about money - he only needed money as a tool to be free, to do what he wanted - to move around freely and see his people, his audience. It was clearly shown when he comes out to the scene to meet the spectators, when he should not have to, over enormous chest pain knowing full well, that he could drop dead right there. Nobody needs money that much and whoever accused Vysotskiy (or creators of the movie) of that should be ashamed. The scene with KGB colonel is just perfect - the dialog of truly free person and a faithful servant of the communist regime. And the highlight of this whole movie - when he boards the plane, pulls out a wrapper from the cigarette box to sketch down his next masterpiece poem: it's all in the eyes of his companion looking over his shoulder - all the suffering she went through was just repaid. Yes, there was some wardrobe malfunction: in some scenes the mask did not work really well and one can guess the actor behind this mask. I have two things to say about it: 1) You can't hide dirt from a pig 2) Yes, it was a mask, because real Vysotskiy died in 1980 and if one one really demands perfect special effects to believe, than they should be watching movies that require no imagination whatsoever...Anyway, sorry for the tirade. You can tell I feel too passionate about the subject.

hdvdeo I would say this is film about man who is the symbol of the people versus death. And the death in this film closely related to government and KGB. Death is also can be seen as the Visotskiy inability to further work on his poetry - which is the life. Most people who do not know about Visotskiy, how people lived in Soviet Union, will find this film as waste of time. Most people who know Visotskiy well will expect bio type film. It is not. Audience younger than 40 and who lived in former USSR, may expect true satisfaction. As film it is very good. Soundtrack selection sometimes strange. Actors are excellent, except Visotskiy, dialogs are good.

Tamara Nartichti No, not at all. It's a well made film, but still a disappointment in many ways. Cinematography and scenery were magnificent, but the story was not only awful or vague, it was a bad choice, I'd say. If there was a TV-series about Visotskiy, this movie would be a good episode, CERTAINLY not the pilot one, as a feature it fails.Basically, it looks into a couple of days of a troubled artist. Granted, some important things happened during those days, but to choose that as the story for the movie about Visotskiy? Not a smart move. A great artist is shown as some junkie, who is *bravely* handling his ODs and detox issues. That was the idea, at least, but in fact, it could have been any regular junkie's indifference, any regular junkie's need for a shot, absolutely common lack of responsibility. They might have as well called the movie Some Junkie's Hard OD.This is not what I expected from this movie. They didn't show him as an artist at all, his early years, any speculations about the reasons for his inner pain that is clearly felt in his songs or any of artistic confrontations with colleagues during his years in theater and cinema. That's what I was interested in. Apparently all that mattered to the creators of this film was two days of Visotskiy's life. Important days, I agree, but still just two days as opposed to lifetime of fruitful work.As a fan of his music I was also disappointed by the soundtrack. Those few songs of his that made it into the movie were not his best, were not even close to my favorites or favorites of any other fan that I know. Why those few irrelevant and, frankly, weak songs while he has loads of powerful things, real bombs, real hits? I have no answer.Still, the movie was not bad at all. Camera work and acting was flawless. Comedic relief tolerable, at times even brilliant.I hope to see a real movie about Vladimir Visotskiy some day.

darima I am 38. In my childhood my parents had a tape with Vysotskiy songs and used it as lullaby for me. His unique voice always made me calm. When I grew older I began to understand his lyrics and was charmed. It was a life time love. I still have in my collection some of his records and listen sometimes. I have read a few books of Marina Vlady about him. I know that he has a lot of problems with alcohol And that is all I know about him. A few words about very neglect review of eugenep13 from USA. It's difficult to evaluate something you know nothing about. Vladimir Vysotskiy I suppose is one of those Russian singers who can be comprehended and fully evaluated only by Russians themselves, especially by those Russians who lived in times of Vysotskiy. What was Vysotskiy for them at those times? A voice of freedom and liberty, an ordinary man who lived their problems, who suffered their troubles and who had a courage to say it aloud. He was not convenient, ideologically right poet for authorities. He was a poet of people's heart. That's why he was equally gladly met in almost all societies of Soviet people and the same time was a pain in we-all-know-what-place for authorities. He was almost impossible to control. he was a free man in a not free country. That's why it is difficult for me to evaluate this specific movie. Make-up and effects are great. Vysotskiy on a screen is almost alive. But the same time I don't understand why the authors of the movie took especially that moment in biography of a great person. There was 3 director of that movie. Mitta was in the beginning as I remember, then the one in the middle and the movie was finished by the third one. What has come out is something not really good. It should have been nostalgic movie about era and times past. What we have is a movie about last outbreak of strong personality which is already slowly dying because of drugs. I don't understand for whom was that movie. If it is West oriented than it gives very wrong impression about Vysotskiy. Just because that is the first movie of such kind and Vladimir Vysotskiy not very popular abroad. If it was cut for Russians - then why is it so dark? I don't want to see one of my favorite poets in a such pathetic role. Especially when a question of Vysotskiy and drugs was never officially proved. It should have been nostalgic movie about a great personality! Instead we was shown a lot of faults in Vysotskiy's character. I wanted something which would make me proud to live in my country and nostalgic and which would make my eyes full of tears. Something like "Zvezda plenitelnogo schastya". I haven't received what I hoped for. May be with the end of Soviet era great Russian movie has really died. But nevertheless I give it 7 just because it was at least cut. I recommend anyone who knows nothing about Vysotskiy not to watch this movie. You will get wrong impression about him. Or at least read something else about him before watching.