| Compartment No. 6 |
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 Film poster |
| Directed by | Juho Kuosmanen |
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| Screenplay by | - Andris Feldmanis
- Livia Ulman
- Juho Kuosmanen
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| Based on | Compartment No. 6
by Rosa Liksom |
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| Produced by | - Emilia Haukka
- Jussi Rantamäki
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| Starring | |
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| Cinematography | Jani-Petteri Passi |
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| Edited by | Jussi Rautaniemi |
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Production
companies | - Aamu Film Company
- Amrion
- Achtung Panda! Media
- CTB Film Company
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| Distributed by | |
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Release dates | - 10 July 2021 (Cannes)
- 29 October 2021 (Finland)
- 25 November 2021 (Russia)
- 3 December 2021 (Estonia)
- 31 March 2022 (Germany)
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Running time | 108 minutes[2] |
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| Countries | - Finland
- Estonia
- Germany
- Russia
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| Languages | |
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| Box office | $3.2 million[3][4] |
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Compartment No. 6 (Finnish: Hytti nro 6; Russian: Купе номер шесть) is a 2021 internationally co-produced drama road movie co-written and directed by Juho Kuosmanen, starring Seidi Haarla and Yuri Borisov,[5] based on the 2011 novel of the same name by Rosa Liksom.[6]
The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival.[7] It shares the Grand Prix with Asghar Farhadi's A Hero.[8][9] It was selected as the Finnish submission for the Best International Feature Film at the 94th Academy Awards[10] and was one of the 15 "shortlisted" films in the category[11][12] but was not nominated for the Oscar.
During the Cannes Film Festival, Sony Pictures Classics bought the distribution rights to the film for North America as well as Latin America, Eastern Europe (excluding co-production country Russia, where the film was distributed by the domestic branch of sister company Sony Pictures Releasing in the country), Southeast Asia and the Middle East, marking the company's second acquisition of a Finnish film following Aki Kaurismäki's The Man Without a Past in 2002.[13]
Traveling by train from Moscow to Murmansk to study the Kanozero Petroglyphs, a Finnish student finds herself in a compartment with a gruff Russian miner.[14]
Reception[edit]
Critical response[edit]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 96 critics' reviews are positive. The website's consensus reads: "Compartment No. 6 can get a little stuffy within its narrative confines, but this well-acted, subtly told love story rewards the viewer's patience."[15] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 79 out of 100, based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[16]
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Compartment Number 6 (2021) Poster
Compartment Number 6 (2021)
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8/10
long journey to the north
dromasca26 November 2021
I was curious to see 'Compartment no 6', the film by Finnish director Juho Kuosmanen, which became one of the most awarded movies on the festival circuit during this special year which is 2021. The film is a 'road movie' or if you wish a 'railroad movie' , whose story takes place most of the time in a train that runs through the Russian steppe from Moscow to Murmansk, in the far north, beyond the Arctic Circle. Two young people, a Finn woman and a Russian man, who have nothing in common except enough reasons not to be able to tolerate each other are forced to spend the three days and two nights of the trip together. The formula seems pretty rusty, especially as what almost everything viewers expect after the first ten minutes of watching the film happens, and yet, beyond the not very original story, the film manages to catch the attention through sincerity and the natural and empathetic way in which the characters and the reality around them are treated.
The film director and the lead heroine are Finnish, but the story takes place in Russia, sometime in the late '90s. Laura (Seidi Haarla), a student in Moscow, is planning a trip to Murmansk, in the far north of Russia, together with Irina, her Russian girlfriend. The friend gives up at the last moment and from what will follow we understand that the relationship was almost over from her point of view. Laura takes the trip alone, in a sleeping cars train, the purpose of the trip being to see some petroglyphs 10 thousand years old, which arouse her interest as a future archaeologist. In the train she is assigned to the same compartment with a young Russian man named Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov), a drunk and rude person. She tries to find a place in another compartment, but this proves to be impossible. The trip promises to become a nightmare, the communication between the two being hampered by differences in language (Laura speaks only elementary Russian), culture, and alcohol fumes. From here, however, things will evolve.
The interaction between the two works wonderfully, and even if the situations are not that original - we have already seen similar ones in too many romantic comedies - the subtlety of the script writing, the talent and the chemistry between the two actors manage to make the relationship credible and human, leaving room for multiple subtexts and interpretations. The romantic element appears late, and until then the communication between the two young people is based neither on language (which is a tool of misunderstanding rather than understanding) nor on sexual attraction. Cultural differences are subtly described, juggling around stereotypes. We can of course ask ourselves how true to realities is the image of Russia in the first decade after communism that is presented to us on screen. I know too little about Finnish cinema, except for a few films by Aki Kaurismaki, so I'm not sure if my assessment is correct, but it seemed to me that compared to what I saw, the focus is less on the comic and sarcastic dimensions and more on the human connection and communication between the heroes. In other words, 'Compartment no 6' looks more like a Russian film about a young Finnish woman directed by a Finn than like a Finnish film. Anyway and whatever shelf we lay it, it is a simple and good film, whose viewing has chances to please many spectators. The actors do an excellent job, and the camera work makes watching the scenes on the train, in Russian homes, or from the frozen steppe an immersive experience. The decisions of the juries of festivals such as Cannes or Jerusalem, I believe, will in this case be validated by the reception of the public.
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8/10
Railroad to Somewhere...
Xstal2 October 2022
What would you do, in a carriage made for four, there's just you and a drunk guy, and he thinks that you're a whore, there's nowhere to run or hide, this will not be a great ride, but you're stoic and heroic, you will take it in your stride.
A wonderful story, as Laura and Ljoha, two strangers on a train, gradually allow the ice that encapsulates us all to thaw, defrost, puddle and merge, creating a bond that was as distant as the poles when they first encountered each other at the beginning of their journey from Moscow to Murmansk. A story that proves what a catalyst we can be to each other when the barriers are removed to reveal the compassionate and emotional beings we are deep inside.20 out of 22 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
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7/10
Polar Express
evanston_dad25 February 2022
A Finnish romance of sorts about a woman whose first negative impressions of her fellow train compartment passenger make way for warmer feelings as she gets to know him.
I think "Compartment No. 6" is a lot about the importance of being open to new experiences and the rashness inherent in instantly forming judgements about people. The female protagonist in this movie studies anthropology because she feels like knowing our history is important to understanding who we are now. But is it really? In a cultural and sociological sense, probably. But at the individual level, when does attachment to the past interfere with living in the present?
There's a great scene in this movie that takes place after a fellow Finn, a tall strapping guy with a guitar no less, is crooning songs to the woman as he crashes in their compartment for a bit, and she looks out the window to see the off-kilter Russian who has set her on edge standing out on the train platform punching and kicking snowballs. In that moment, we get what she's feeling, because we feel it to. Yeah, the Finnish guy is good looking and "safe," but he's also boring. The Russian guy is weird and maybe crazy, but he's different, and sometimes different is exactly what you need.
Grade: A-
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9/10
Much more than just a brilliant character study!
thao17 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
This is such a beautiful film and way deeper than some might realize. It is not only a brilliant character study, but also hints at some brutal facts about Russia's past.
There will be spoilers from here on!!!
So what's the problem with Ljoha? It is never spelled out but from all we see and hear we realize that he was an orphan during the collapse of the USSR. Orphanages were never good in the Soviet Union but they got no better after its collapse.
This is from Wikipedia: "There have been reports over the years that the conditions in the orphanages are not providing proper mental and physical care. Researchers have stated that children 3 and under lose one IQ point for every month spent inside. Children adopted from Russia are also more likely than any other country to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. Doctors visiting some of these institutions have even reported seeing toddlers sitting alone, rocking back and forth, staring blankly, or even banging their heads against walls. Children in the 1990s were often not provided with proper nutrition and were not given quality living and sleeping conditions.
The older woman whom they visited (who was more than a mother) probably worked at the orphanage. This is why he struggles with rejection. And this is also why he does not write down his address. He probably does not have one.
I love how the film first presents him as a terrible person but slowly shows us his humanity. How he is much more than what is on the surface.
The main theme of the film is lies. Lies the government tells through statistics (as the old woman points out). Laura's life in Moscow is also a lie. She is really not in a loving relationship and all these educated people are just performing for each other. She slowly realizes this and loses her camera at the same time with all the fake memories. And Ljoha is hiding his past.
And then there's the whole purpose of the trip, which ends up being the least interesting thing that happens, because even though the past matters, the connections we make here and now matter more.
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7/10
Nicely rough-edged and vodka-soaked
rubenm21 February 2022
Aah, the pleasures of traveling by long distance train! Admiring the scenery from the compartment window, enjoying nice meals in the restaurant car, and dozing off at night to the clickety-click sound of the wheels.
Everybody who once took a long distance sleeper knows the reality is different. Those people will enjoy this film. One of the drawbacks of international trains is the company in the compartment to which you have been assigned. Finnish student Laura has bad luck, having to share hers with a drunken Russian miner who asks without much ado if she is a prostitute.
During the long ride from Moscow to the northern city of Murmansk the two travel companions get to know each other better, and even learn to appreciate each other. This sounds a bit cheesy, but it isn't. Laura is dissapointed and lonely: her lover couldn't accompany her on the trip and reacts coolly to her phone calls. When, during a long stopover, she has to choose between the company of her rude but adventurous travel companion or no company at all, the choice is a no-brainer.
An extra attraction is that the movie takes place in the not-so distant past. It is the pre-internet era of pay phones and Walkmans. This is no major issue in the film, but it explains why Laura takes the train instead of flying.
There's a bit of 'Lost in Translation' in this film, a bit of 'Before Sunrise' and a bit of 'Ma nuit chez Maude'. Plus: it's Russia, so everything is nicely rough-edged and vodka-soaked. Na zdorovie!
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7/10
Sensitive journey
bea3721 October 2021
I have just watched this at the Mostra Internacional de São Paulo.
It feels very genuine: the acting is naturalistic and the story, simple. It's a road movie/coming of age experience that teaches us a few valuable lessons without preaching them. Also a reminder of how much we miss natural-looking people on the big screen.
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8/10
A real rail movie
frankde-jong2 March 2022
Juho Kuosmanen is knwown for small films. With "The happiest day in the life of Olli Maki" (2016) he won a certain regard award in Cannes. With "Compartment number 6" (2021) he even won the Grand prix. "The happiest day in the life of Olli Maki" was hard to see in Dutch cinema's. I saw it a few years later on TV. "Compartment number 6" is shown in more then 30 Dutch city's when writing this review.
"Compartment number 6" is situated during a long train journey. It thus is a road (rail) movie. Road movies are about chance encounters, and in "Compartment number 6" this is between a Finnish scientist (Laura played by Seidi Haarla) and a Russian mine worker (Ljoha played by Yuri Borisov).
Alfred Hitchcock often used the train as a closed system from which it is hard to escape, for example "The lady vanishes" (1938). In this movie you cannot escape danger. In "compartment number 6" you cannot escape a person that is very different and gives rise to a lot of annoyance.
Of course during the journey the two gradually grow towards each other, without the film ever becoming a romcom. In essence their relationship is more symptomatic for the years in which the film is situated, just after the end of the Cold War, with Eastern and Western people still interest in each other and still eager to get to know each other better.
While Laura gradually grows towards Ljoha, she gradually drifts apart from Irina, in Moscow her teacher, landlord and lover at the same time. At the beginning of the film we learn that in this relationship Irina is the dominant and not always sympathetic one, just like Emma (Lea Seydoux) in "La vie d'Adele" (2013, Abdellatif Kechiche). Laura just needs some more time and more distance to come to the same conclusion. Quite striking in the present time is the fact that in this film in relation to the main character her male companion (Ljoha) becomes more and more sympathetic while her female companion (Irina) turns out to be abusive.
The film is based on a novel of the same name by Finnish writer Rosa Liksom. In the novel the trainjourney is on the Mongolian express, in the film the final destination is Murmansk, above the arctic circle. This, combined with the fact that Laura is on a scientific journey (she wants to study the Kanozero Petroglyphs), reminded me of "Beyond sleep" (2016, Boudewijk Koole). In this film (after the novel of Willen Frederik Hermans) a geologist (Alfred) goes on expedition in Finnmark. Alfred never reaches his goal. Laura ultimately reaches her goal, but does not get any satisfaction from it.
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9/10
Finnish movie that won Grand Prix at Cannes this year.
suuronenmiro7 November 2021
Only finnish director that has won that before this was Aki Kaurismäki with The Man Without a Past 2002.
So i was very excited to see this one.
I'm always little skeptical with finnish movies.
But this ended up being very delightful movie.
Very good and beautiful story about finnish woman who travels across Russia to see petroglyphs in Murmansk.
Main part of movie is when she travels by train.
She meets russian guy and they are completely different peoples.
Their unique friendship develops beautifully.
There are also many other very different peoples who she meets in her journey.
Good and little less good peoples.
This movie has many sweet and funny moments in it.
It's mostly spoken in russian but it was very fun to hear finnish language in it too.
Very good performances from two leads definitely.
I also heard that this was chosen to be Finland's Oscar runner for foreign category.
So best of luck with that too.
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8/10
Very Good
atractiveeyes10 January 2022
Finland's official entry to 2022's Oscars, that made it to the shortlist, is beautiful, simple and genuine. The relationship between the leads is so unique and likable. Their performances are superb and their characters are catchy too. The film also tackles interesting topics like passion, relationships and trust. It's sensational but also sometimes feels empty and flat.
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10/10
Open Mind
thebeachlife1 September 2021
Warning: Spoilers
A woman from Finland, who's been staying in Russia for quite a while and who speaks the language really well, sets out on a journey from Moscow to Murmansk. At the outset, it doesn't go exactly as planned but later on things change drastically: two people she trusts implicitly turn out to be a con-man and a liar but the one who looks the most revolting appears to be a friend.
And what always helps her on her way is her curiosity, sincerity and an extremely open mind.
The film is full of terrible stereotypes about Russia but once you see through them, you start genuinely enjoying it.
And there's a sweet surprise at the end.
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8/10
Oh, what a sweet little romance
pasaribuharisfadli1 February 2022
It took time before it finally shows its true color. When it did, Compartment No. 6 is really a rewarding experience. After The Happiest Day in the Life of Olli Mäki and then this, I'm really looking forward to what's next from Juho Kuosmanen.
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8/10
"Haista vittu" (I love you)
TheVictoriousV29 January 2022
In Compartment No. 6, an energetic Russian man asks his Finnish train companion to teach him some Finnish words to pass the time. He is told that "Hello" and "Goodbye" sound about the same, and that "Haista vittu" means "I love you". If you're from my neck of the woods, you won't need subtitles to be amused by this (here in Sweden, we know raunchy Suomi words too well and there's even a saying that you're not 100% Swedish unless you're also 50% Finnish).
The first great film of the new movie year, Juho Kuosmanen's Compartment No. 6 (original Finnish title Hytti Nro 6) possesses a certain magic that's hard to pin-point; something that makes us utterly believe this setting and make us feel as if we've truly ventured backward in time. (I don't know for sure what year it's supposed to be but it certainly takes place after the fall of the Soviet Union and also the cassette release of Desireless' "Voyage, Voyage".)
There's just something about the image quality, sets, locations, and the look of the characters -- a certain glow to their faces -- that flawlessly evoke the 1990s. It plays like so much more than a period piece. It plays like an actual 90s film that just happened to get released in the 2020s by some decidedly odd mistake. It makes for a nostalgic experience (even if you know little of the Russian climate of the era) and nostalgia is certainly one of the film's themes.
More precisely, we follow a Finnish student in Moscow, Laura (Seidi Haarla), as she bids her friends and family farewell and goes on the Trans Siberia Express (which also featured in an episode of An Idiot Abroad that I just happened to view a few days after this because the matrix has been glitching out for me lately). It is on this long journey that she befriends a Russian drunkard named Lyokha (Yuri Borisov) and a strangely deep connection begins to take form between the two strangers -- a bond that might only be possible when two souls are forced to share the same train car for days on end, allowing for even the starkest of differences to fade from one's sight.
Glenn Kenny described the two characters as being anxious in their own different ways. They're certainly not Hollywood stars; this is precisely what makes them work.
Much like the "vintage" setting, the actors are eerily convincing. On top of the believability and old-fashioned feel of it all, the film is just plain gorgeous on a superficial level -- the colors and lighting choices are superb and the cinematography is in perfect coordination with the actors, even when the camera is forced to follow them through cramped and lively settings (without the operator falling over or getting stuck on some Russian guy's shoelace). It's just a damn fine piece of filmmaking on a technical level that gets at something sweet when you look deeper and more closely.
I mentioned before that Compartment No. 6 was the first banger of the year, but I realize this isn't quite true. The first movie I watched this year was the Norwegian dramedy The Worst Person in the World, which I loved even more. I'm actually saving that review for my annual #KeepingUpWithTheOscars marathon, as I'm certain it will appear amongst the Best International Feature nominees.
See, I'm trying to avoid a repeat of last year, where I had already watched and/or reviewed the likes of Nomadland, Promising Young Woman, et cetera before the nominees were announced, and so I was left with only three reviews for the actual nominees-marathon. This year, I'm more eagle-eyed and I'm fairly sure which films will be better suited for Oscars-nom reviews, including The Worst Person in the World (I'm also holding off reviewing Spencer, but this is partly because, well, I haven't seen it yet).
The reason I'm doing Compartment No. 6 early is that, even though it made the Oscars Shortlist, I'm quite certain we won't actually see it at the ceremony. There are films of greater importance to the Academy (in terms of representation and headline-worthy "firsts"), never mind how great this one is. Nevertheless, this is a movie that won't leave my mind any time soon. Some parts feel unnecessary, but seeing this film at least once is a must.
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10/10
So Close, yet so Far!!
li09044268 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The movie "Compartment 6" has a beautiful script about human relationships, one of the best in the road-movie genre, even though this one is on rails. Two complete strangers share a train compartment and during the trip, they avoid each other, and the more it happens the closer they get. Seidi Haarla as Laura and especially Yuriy Borisov as Ljoha are simply wonderful in their performances. The chemistry between them is so intense that their eyes reveal the slow connection that begins to emerge between them. Two lost strangers, one for lack of knowledge of the world and the other for love disappointment, two worlds that intersect and manage to empathize with each other.
Laura realizes the emptiness of her love relationship when a Russian taxi driver tells her that any Russian knows that it is impossible to reach her destination because of the rough weather in winter. And Ljoha realizes that his uneducated world is restricted to working in the mine.
The script intelligently accepts the sexuality of each one, not forcing sex scenes, especially when there is a man and a woman sharing a tiny train compartment for 3 days. Also, they do not confront each other, they accept each other the way they are. This is an adult movie where human connection is the main subject.
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8/10
COLD WAR
js-661308 March 2022
If ever there was a movie for this time in history. This is it.
"Compartment No.6" is the creaky train battle ground for a bright Fin and a bellicose Russian, brought together in uncomfortable circumstance. She solo tripping (after a partner bail) to check out ancient petroglyphs. He solo tripping for slavish mine work. Destination Murmansk, as frigid and unforgiving as a quick map query would suggest.
The student and the brute. Things don't start well. Booze fuelled and smoke ashes flying, Lhoja inflicts his party hardy manchild personality on a retreating Laura. Cornered, she flees the dungeon compartment to find no sleeping alternatives. A rail ride from hell, perhaps to hell. Hell is involved it would seem.
Flip Finland for Ukraine (not much of a stretch in current and past circumstances) and we have a political allegory of current events - a bizarre coincidence. Yet this is more a personal clash where language, ideals, class, and gender are in play. Borders be damned.
Out of options, Laura reluctantly returns to her intended journey, keeping the clumsy Russian at arm's length, which proves difficult in their claustrophobic pad. Of course there is more to the simple boor that only time and patience could reveal, the train being the ideal vehicle for a relationship to develop. Where and how this cold war interaction of lost souls goes is the glorious guts of this stark, cramped film.
Yuriy Borisov and Seidi Haarla are pitch perfect as the strangers on a train, with little in common, much to despise, and yet an odd dependence that slips out every now and then. The human condition is a funny one, sometimes ha-ha, sometimes strange, and sometimes, if only briefly, confoundingly wonderful. This movie has all the feels, without ever slipping into sloppy cliche.
Nazdorovie!
hipCRANK.
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7/10
Good performances and a good script (possibly based on a equally interesting novel)
JuguAbraham22 February 2022
Very unusual film that keeps your interest to the end. At Cannes, this film shared honors of the second best film in competition with Farhadi's Iranian film "A Hero." I found this work to be far superior to the Iranian film. "Compartment no. 6" is based on a Finnish novel by a reputed lady novelist from that country. As I have not read the novel, how well the Finnish director adapted it is unclear. The performances of all the actors are convincing--especially that of the Russian miner (Yuriy Borisov) from start to finish. Definitely, one of my best films of 2021. Actor Yuriy Borisov had a small role in Zvyagintsev's "Elena," (the actor's debut in feature films)--and it is impressive for him to evolve into a major character actor in this film. He was evidently Zvyagintsev's discovery.
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8/10
Thought
AM001212 January 2022
I really enjoyed the melancholic way in which this was filmed and how there is a yearning behind both character's actions, just cause they can't bare being alone. Both happen to be so alone, yet they don't care if they're total opposites, just to make each other company. I think it talks about the importance of basic human interaction.
I would have craved more depth in their relationship, I was left with a lot of questions. I would assume this happens since it's based on a book. I guess I'll have to read the book in order to know a bit more. Who knows?
Good one though.
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8/10
very funny
chrislawuk9 April 2022
I really enjoyed the 2 lead actors. Will be checking out the director and the casts other work. Its light entertainment, heart-warming.
Yuriy Borisov's performance was particularly memorable. Its an interesting part of the world, and you really do get a sense of it, despite most of the film taking place inside a railway carriage.
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9/10
Travel is Education for Living
Blue-Grotto11 August 2022
Snow swirls around Laura, a tourist from Finland, as she surveys the Arctic city of Murmansk for the first time. She appears lost in a dream. This is not the vacation that Laura expected. On the train from Moscow she encountered a drunk and rough looking man, Ljoha, in her sleeping compartment. "I can't stay here," Laura tells the conductor, but there is no other compartment available. Laura is compelled to confront Ljoha. In the process she finds something surprising within herself. She discovers her own heart to be as eerie and mysterious as the pathways of this strange and snow-covered city. Ljoha is a key to helping her understand both.
"Travel is not reward for working," said Anthony Bourdain, "it's education for living." In Compartment No. 6 this wisdom is accentuated. In exploring remote Russian towns and meeting new people, Laura realizes there are essential parts of her that she never uncovered before.
Travel is important in life and this compelling, insightful film helps sink this in. The masks that the main characters constructed over their entire lives are broken down. In their vulnerability and in the company of strangers they become capable, if they so choose, of recognizing what kind of person they want to be with and who they are in themselves.
There is good chemistry between Laura and Ljoha and they have significant, fascinating, heart-breaking, uplifting, and beautiful adventures in store. There are tender scenes including one where they exchange drawings of each other.
Sometimes the whole world seems to be breaking apart it is hard to know what to do or where to go. Everything one desires appears to be too far away. At such times it is comforting as well as unsettling to watch Laura and Ljoha attempting to find their way, rolling in the snow, and taking things as they come. At one point they follow a strange dog through city streets at night to an open door. "The dog came here and so did we," Laura announces to started occupants. We all should dare to go on such adventures more often.
Compartment No. 6 is the co-winner of the Cannes Grand Prix. Now streaming. Based on a story by Rosa Liksom.
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10/10
Fascinating
jonathanswift-6772017 January 2022
I hope this film will go to Oscar nomination! Makes a real arch of the characters following their inner world. An absolute masterpiece. Do not miss it.
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7/10
Fascinating developing story
laduqesa10 August 2022
Let's put one thing to rest. Anywhere at all where there are night trains, the sexes are mixed. Even in Muslim countries - the night sleepers in Morocco, for example, are not single sex cabins. Not knowing this is not a reason for giving low marks just because they find the situation unbelievable!
As for relationships in the film, ideas of distance and travel played a huge part. The further from Moscow, the more the lesbian lover receded and rejected. But the nearer to the petroglyphs, the deeper the bond between the ill matched compartment mates became.
However, the script didn't go overboard - there was no sentimentality in the refusal to swap addresses.
90s Russia was portrayed perfectly. Not yet a consumer society, there were hangovers from the communist times, notably in the appalling service offered on hotels and restaurants as well as the train itself.
As a speaker of (very poor) Finnish, I loved the joke about the terrible swear word in that language that framed the narrative on the train. It means a lot more than the tame subtitled translation that was offered.
I loved this film. The actors were perfect as were the locations. I personally enjoy train journeys and would now want to go on this one.
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5/10
"I'm not going if there's no balalaika."
classicsoncall18 September 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Well, I stuck with it - all the way to Murmansk to get a look at the petroglyphs. Nothing to see there! A lot of the movie was like that in a stream of consciousness sort of way. I suppose if you're a romantic at heart you'll get the point by the end of the movie, but it takes a while to get there. The plot of the film can be summed up by a statement Laura (Seidi Haarla) made to Ljoha (Yuriy Borisov) at one point - "You never know what fate holds in store". True enough, but it's hard to warm up to a person like Ljoha who believes "All humans should be killed". For those looking for a happy ending, the picture only partially succeeds, and you'll have to see it to its conclusion for this unlikely match made in Murmansk, if not heaven.
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10/10
AMAZING Movie
TBTFseenu17 September 2022
It is about human connection.
Lead actors hit it out of the ball park.
If you ever rode trains OR grew up or lived in a cold country OR love Travel - you will LOVE this movie.
Direction and photography OUT of this world.
End is bitter sweet.
You will root for the male lead
He plays a guy that probably was an introvert growing up and didn't have (and or ) was able to feel much love .
When female lead starts connecting to his world he moves heaven and earth to get her to go where she wants to go.
Visuals are stunning.
Acting was amazing.
Background score / music perfect.
At the end you WILL have a tear or two
10/10 STARS.
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9/10
A touching russian road movie
frcata22 February 2022
That's a great film. Defintely. There is the classic themes of a road movie with all sorrounded by a melancholic atmosphere. The two main characters are alone and in their loneliness they find each other.
The directing choices are great with some moments that remind Tarkovskij's films. The director brings you perfectly through the spiritual trip of the main character that becomes also a spiritual trip for the audience.
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6/10
Just Ok
yespat24 March 2022
It was ok, nothing special. It did give a realistic sense of what winter in the far north looks and feels like. Might be a nice relief to watch in the dead of summer. Also gives an idea of the kinds of things young and adventurous people in their 20's do that can lead to a fatal outcome or new horizons. Everything looked good, realistic, and the actors were great, casting perfect. All that said, there is no reason to rush to the theater to see it. Watch it at home when it becomes available, or not.
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2/10
Not Believable
westsideschl12 July 2022
An odd story of a Finnish female in Russia studying the language as she prepares to take a train to visit a remote archeological site containing her favorite hobby - petroglyphs. For some not explained reason she's forced to share a sleeping compartment with an obnoxious aggressive male. Story is unbelievable as she is stalked, but then encourages her new traveling mate. A life threatening policy for alone females - not good.
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