Russian society has somewhat recovered patriotic feelings by the 21st century, the trend that is being reflected in movies.
Patriots emerged as movie heroes. Serials about border-guards and commandos appeared en masse. Young director Nikolai Lebedev shot a film, "Zvezda" (Star), about a heroic feat accomplished by Soviet reconnaissance soldiers during WWII. His famed colleague, 52-year-old Vladimir Khotinenko, addressed the public demand for patriotic films with "72 Metra" (72 Metres), a picture about modern submariners. "Zvezda" won a State Prize last year, while "72 Metra" has been the most frequently seen film this year.
The picture came out in February 2004. As of today, it has brought over $2 million in receipts. This is a record large sum for Russian films that are rarely booked and seldom find their audiences.
"72 Metra" is a success above all due to the popular young and middle-aged actors recruited for the film. The tragic plot too keeps audiences in suspense. The film is a story of the death of a submarine crew in distress. Sentimental "pauses" are rare in the film that is a screen version of the story of the same name written by Alexander Pokrovsky, an ex-sub radiochemist and the film director's age mate. The legendary Ennio Morricone composed music to the film.
The authors had worked out a strategy of how to make the film popular, which is not often done by Russian cinematographers who cannot generally afford advertising.
TV Channel One, one of the film producers, arranged the advertising campaign. The 3-part television version of "72 Metra" was made specially for Channel One. The channel had continuously shown a commercial, interviews with the director and actors, had shown them in different programmes ranging from entertainment to information ones.
They thereby captured audiences' attention even before the film was completed. Magazines and newspapers devoted articles to the film long before it was released. Advertising billboards featuring "72 Metra" could be seen throughout Moscow.
Critics believe the impressive advertising campaign is justifiable and offer rather favourable comments on the film.
"To me the navy has embodied the best qualities in man," said Vladimir Khotinenko. "Since my childhood I had dreamt of making a film about seamen, a simple and yet dramatic story that would smell of sea and 'iron'." "If patriotism means love for Motherland, responsibility, dignity, honour and duty, "72 Metra" is a patriotic movie. Seamen have got all these qualities," said the director.
"Our response to Catherine Bigelow" is how a newspaper qualified Khotinenko's movie. 72 Metra undoubtedly echoes K-19. Both films venerate the heroism of Russian submariners who sacrificed their lives to the common cause. "This is a story about people in emergency, sealed in a sub at a depth of 72 metres who displayed the best traits of their characters. This is a lesson to people of how they should behave when they have to make a difficult choice. Man must retain humane qualities under any circumstances," said Khotinenko.
The doctor is the only crewman who survived. "The crew members give him a chance to save his life, which is not fortuitous. The man who gets the only breathing device must be a civilian. This is the logic of life," said Khotinenko.
"I believe defending Motherland means defending any civilian," the film director said in conclusion.
