A Disappointing Watch: '1993' Falls Short

Hello everyone, I'm excited to share my thoughts on the 1993 film I recently watched.

1993 (2023, film), reviewWhere to watch:I found this film online while it's still in theaters.

Year of production

2023

Country

Russia

Genre

Drama

Director

Alexander Veldinisky

Screenplay

Alexander Veldinisky, Sergey Shargunov

Age rating

18+

Runtime

144 min. / 02:24

MAIN CHARACTERS:

The Breyantsev family

Father of the family Viktor (Evgeny Tsiganov)

1993 (2023, film), reviewViktor worked as a designer. His pride and joy in life is the lunar rover, on which Vitya left his fingerprint, which was achieved by dipping his thumb in paint.

1993 (2023, film) The red fingerprint is a recurring theme throughout the film. This item of pride for Viktor is probably the only one in his life. Currently, the man works in the sewer maintenance. He's a worker who services the city's sewers."What does your father do?" - they ask Tanya.

"Ninja-turtle. He sits in the sewers too" - replies Tatyana.

"Almost a Ph.D., I'm shoveling crap!" - clarifies Viktor.

Vitya considers himself a very intelligent person, worthy of more. And what does he do with a bunch of uneducated workers? - Life is unfair.

Mother of the family Elena (Ekaterina Vilkova)

Elena works in the emergency service - takes calls. She didn't dream of such a life. She'd rather have her own business, be in charge, not this stuff.

Tanya (Anna Tsveitkova)

I've got a 16-year-old daughter, and she's at that age where she's discovering new things for the first time. It's a tough time for any kid, but especially for a good girl like Tanya. She's got to navigate all these temptations and stay true to herself.

THE PLOT:

The movie is based on a book by Sergei Shargunov called '1993'. It's a time of great change in Russia, with the Soviet Union falling apart and a new government taking over.

1993 (2023, film) For millions of people, life is about to get a whole lot tougher. Mass unemployment, lost jobs, uncertainty, and fear for the future - it's a bleak time for Russia. It's 1993, and the country is on the brink of revolution. The Breyantsev family, like many others, is struggling to make ends meet. The crisis in the country is mirrored in the Breyantsev family's own personal struggles. Viktor, a talented and intelligent designer, is forced to work in a rundown office. Every day, Viktor's stuck in a nightmare of bureaucratic red tape. The Breyantsev family is on the edge of survival. They've sold their apartment in Moscow and moved to the countryside, where they're trying to make a new life for themselves. They've even got a goat to help them make ends meet. But their new home is a dump, and Viktor and Lena are desperate to escape the crisis. To make matters worse, their neighbors are the epitome of success - a wealthy couple with a big house and a new car. They're the envy of everyone in the neighborhood, including the Breyantsevs. But as it turns out, even the wealthy have their problems. The country is on the brink of chaos, and Viktor and Lena are on opposite sides of the barricades in the autumn of 1993...MY OPINION OF THE FILM:

I'll be honest, I watched this movie as an observer. I was really young in 1993, so I don't remember the events. I think that's a good thing - I don't associate myself with any of the characters, I don't take a political stance, and from that perspective, I won't be looking at the movie.

In October 1993, there was a military coup. A lot of people came out to support the temporary government, but just as many supported Yeltsin and the emerging democracy. People started dividing into 'whites' - those who supported the democrats - and 'reds' - those who supported the communists. The film '1993' does a good job of showing this division. It's one of the film's problems, though. Oh, how great it would have been to see it handled better. But unfortunately, the director and screenwriter couldn't convince me that this was a real issue. Everything in the film feels a bit cardboard, theatrical, and overly forced. The division supposedly affected the Breyntsev family. How great it would have been to see some real psychological depth on this topic. The authors of the film did take a step in that direction, trying to explain the characters' behavior. But I just wasn't convinced. The character types aren't bad, though. Evgeny Tsiganov and Ekaterina Vilkova do a great job in their roles, managing to bring their characters to life emotionally.

The crisis in the characters' relationships was conveyed well. And the way the characters' appearances were highlighted is great. You have to give credit to the costume designers and makeup artists. You look at a couple and you believe they're real.

But the unconvincing emotions and cardboard dialogue - that's where the screenwriters failed. If it weren't for the actors trying their best, it would have been really hard to watch the movie.

Another theme the film touches on is the main character's inner turmoil over his dirty job. It didn't come across convincingly, though. I couldn't understand the main character's relationships with his colleagues. He thinks of himself as a big shot in the scientific community, but I have no idea what his past is like. He's forced to work with people he considers inferior. Who is Breyntsev, anyway? - I just didn't get it.

The theme of self-discovery is important for people in the 90s. How many scientists and engineers were left without a job? Some people started adapting to the new reality - they went to the market, started working as loaders or peddlers, and learned new skills. But some people just couldn't adapt.

Another important theme the film touches on is the public's interest in the fate of their country.

‘You can't avoid politics, politics will always be involved with you’

This theme was explored fairly well. But the characters who ended up on opposite sides of the barricades are just too cartoonish and unconvincing.

The one decent scene by the fire on the other side of the barricades is where it's clear who's in charge, and in these games, it's regular people who look like each other. I'll move on to the storyline. They took the book by Sergei Shakurow "1993" as a basis. I'll be honest, I haven't read the book, so I can't compare it to the film. The film's plot consists of several lines. In my opinion, the screenwriters spread themselves too thin, raised several lines, but didn't develop any of them. There's this whole bandido line, but it's not developed.

There's a connection between the powers that be and the people, but it's not developed, it's just mentioned in passing, occasionally. The story of the Breyntsevs' neighbor, Yanis, is interesting, but it's not developed.

They also touch on the theme of infidelity, but it's not developed, it's cut off, unfinished.The most annoying element of the storyline is the random dance and song inserts.

When the Breyntsev crew sang the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles song, I felt embarrassed. Embarrassed for the director, embarrassed for the screenwriter. It's not funny, it's not modern, it's not beautiful, it's just stupid.

1993 (2023, film)This turns the film into a cheap, outdated musical. The main character's dance moves near the lunar rover on the moon look ridiculous. There's no psychological depth, no mystery. The main character is strung up like a puppet and just floats in space. Come on, guys, what year was this film shot? The cardboard moon and lunar rover decorations are laughable, and just plain outdated. It looks comically bad and outdated. The director is stuck in the 90s. The director's work is on the level of early 90s films.They do a decent job of taking us through the atmosphere of life in the 90s. They show the rise of cults and coaching.

They touch on the atmosphere of life: living in suburban trains, metro, crossings, queues, and total poverty.

I've got to say, the decorations are pretty decent. I think the director was going for a conceptual film, but it just didn't come together for me. It felt rough around the edges, like it was trying to be something it's not. The humor in the movie really grated on me - it's like they're trying to be funny, but it's just not landing. It's like they're trying to be a comedy, but it's actually just a drama. And the conversation with Tsolakovsky? Forget about it, it's completely irrelevant.

And don't even get me started on the revolution scenes - they're completely lacking in drama. It's like they're trying to make a point, but they're not really exploring the characters or their motivations. I just don't care about any of the characters, to be honest.

There's just no tension or excitement to be found in this movie. It's not engaging at all. The plot is super predictable, the acting is wooden, and the movie is just boring. It's like they phoned it in.

The music is actually pretty good, though - they used some great songs from the time period.

This movie is way too long, by the way - it's over two hours. I was checking my watch after about an hour and a half, wondering when it was going to end. But I stuck it out to the end, and let me tell you, it was a waste of time.

I think the creators were trying to make a big statement with this movie, tackling some really important events from 1993.

I have to admit, I almost fell asleep while watching this movie. I wouldn't recommend paying to see it in theaters - I barely made it through at home. Maybe it'll be more enjoyable for older folks who lived through those times and can appreciate the nostalgia.

I was really disappointed with '1993'. It's a total mess that doesn't hold my attention. I just didn't like it.

Thanks for reading!