Totalitarian society invades Russian screens

05 January, 2009, 10:31

A classic Soviet science fiction story has been the big New Year hit in Russian cinemas.

The Inhabited Island, the story of an astronaut struggling to survive on a totalitarian planet, is the most expensive Russian film ever produced.

However, it's not just the multi-million dollar special effects which grab the audience's attention. The novel was written four decades ago and its plot takes place in the future, but the producers say it is still very relevant for today.

“This is a story, quite understandable across the whole world where the totalitarian regimes are quite real. Secondly, we tried to do it in a very universal way to articulate the ideas set up by the authors,” producer Aleksandr Rodnyansky said.

The story concerns a young space traveler who gets stuck on an unknown planet living in a post-apocalyptic reality populated by totalitarian regimes, violence and mutants was written by the Strugatsky brothers and consists of three parts. After they were published in thirteen countries the trilogy has established itself as a science fiction classic.

Film director Fyodor Bondarchuk admits the biggest challenge was to keep to the writing style of the Strugatsky brothers, and it appears he has succeeded in doing so.

“We've shown the movie to one of them, Boris Strugatsky, and he said that it's one of the most precise film adaptations of their novel,” Bondarchuk said.

However, some of those who've already watched the movie but haven't read the book did have trouble following the story.

“I couldn't understand anything for half of the movie. And I still don't understand what happens to some of the characters by the end,” said one of the viewers.

Still, despite some criticism, many have enjoyed the movie – some liked it for the visual effects and acting, while others looked deeper, finding metaphors of modern society.

The movie has two parts with the premier of the second planned for this spring. Its budget set a new record for Russia, standing at nearly $US 30 million.

The producers say they are currently working on releasing the film in Europe and Asia.
It is also expected to come out on DVD in the United States in the near future.