"Return" - life is like a boat

Meredith 2022-09-26 20:31:01

In the sound effects and picture processing, there is a shadow of Tarkovsky.
The background music in the first and second half is brilliant, a fusion of modern synth sounds and classics.
It feels a lot like An Zhe's "Landscape in the Fog". They are all looking for something on the road, exploring the meaning of the symbol "father" on the road.
The more society evolves, the more confusing the symbols of father and mother become.
The entire movie has a diffused shade of blue.
The style of Russian films, I feel, is unsmiling, full of cold questioning and quiet thinking.

Interpretation of the film, and guesses about the director's meaning:






What the film asks is: what role does the father have to play in the context of the "family"?
A: It's what their mother couldn't teach them, the way a man handles things.
Include -
Teachings on Survival Techniques:



attitude towards social interaction





Brave, independent qualities




These are the attitudes of men towards things, which a mother cannot teach. Because of words and deeds.

In the face of the father's unfamiliar education method, the two sons reflected two completely different attitudes: Andre was submissive, and Ivan was rebellious.


The death of the father means that the child uses the income from the father to find his own life.


With the death of his father, Andre's weakness was also taken away.


My own views on these things:

Movies are the separation and inspection of life, which makes people see that in fact all kinds of life are symbols with special functions.
The feeling of life gives the film content; the film allows people to see the essence of life, and then live a better life.

Is the rough attitude of the father advisable? Not advisable. Father's death surfaced the director's attitude. I also think that in the rational world, one can express oneself through various means, which is also the meaning of language existence. Domestic violence shows that it is impossible to convey one's meaning through rational thinking, and shows one's incompetence; in addition, it means that it physically tramples on a person's independent personality. What's more, this kind of trampling comes from relatives, and it also suffered heavy psychological damage.

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Extended Reading

The Return quotes

  • [first lines]

    [on-screen caption: Sunday]

    [boy falls in the water, then floats up]

    Zavodila: Jump as we agreed! Who climbs down the ladder is a cowardly wanker.

    [swims to the shore]

    Boy on Tower: Go on, Vityok. You're next.

  • [last lines]

    Ivan: Look...

    [shows a photo to Andrey]

    Andrey: Hide it.

    [Ivan puts the photo back]

    Ivan: Andrey, my feet are wet.

    Andrey: Take your shoes off.