Most post-war dramas can be divided into two categories: one that shows the loss of a man, the hero-antihero angle, and the second that depicts the decline of society, its corruption, and the age-old theme of men hating and killing each other, reminiscent of “Lord of the Flies.”
Now, writers like Virginia and directors like Kantemir Balagov create a third category, focusing on the women of the post-war world.
The astonishing 27-year-old director takes us to Leningrad, a part of the world profoundly affected by the Second World War. Much like society, the people there bear not only external wounds but also inner scars.
In the bleak, desolate, and emotionally numb metropolis of Leningrad during the fall of 1945, two young women form a deep friendship, bonded by their shared experience of miraculously eluding death—or perhaps questioning whether they have truly escaped it.
A tragic event shatters their fragile happiness, exposing the hidden horrors of war that affect them all. Iya is given a heartbreaking task in a desperate attempt to alleviate their shared pain. This poignant tale explores the aftermath of war, the intricacies of love, and the profound burden of sacrifices.
This is not a story of true post-war humans; the war inside them never ended. It’s the scar inside them that keeps them broken and haunted.
In Kantemir Balagov’s 2019 Russian drama, “Beanpole,” Viktoria Miroshnichenko stars as Iya Sergueeva (Beanpole), alongside Vasilisa Perelygina as Masha. If you ever watch their performances, you’ll never imagine it was their first time on the big screen.
Apart from the acting, the color palette and the music will haunt you with their weight, in a profound sense. And some dialogues will stay with you for the rest of your life.
The war drama can be streamed on Prime Video, so consider adding “Beanpole” to your watchlist.
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