The Return

The Return is far and away my favorite of the ten films I've watched. I loved how the story and the cinematography appeared simple yet contained so much meaning. Among the films many layers of symbolism I noticed several art historical references. While the comparison of the introductory shot of the father to Andrea Mantegna’s Lamentation over the Dead Christ {1490} has been commented upon several times, I was struck by how the use of light and the gray palette was reminiscent of Johannes Vermeer's portraits, such as Milkmaid {1658 - 1660}. Other references include the use of an old illustrated bible where the one photograph of their father is kept and a dinner reminiscent of the Last Supper, with the father at the center of the table sharing food and wine with the family. Photography is also used as a leit motif throughout the film starting with the picture of the father, continuing as the eldest son Andrei documents their trip and the slide show of these images at the end of the film. This demonstrates that Andrei's nostalgia forces him to become a passive observer of the situation instead of analyzing, and ultimately, rejecting their father as his younger brother Ivan does. It also serves as a reminder that, like the film, photographs are constructed narratives that can present false realities.

+ KinoKultura review
+ Decent Films review
+ Official website