'Little Vera' - Russian Movie

Posted by Kerry Kubilius Aug 29, 2007

Little Vera is not a movie to watch on a Friday evening when you're trying to relax after a hard week at work. Even Burnt By the Sun is more enjoyable and light-hearted in comparison. Little Vera, like so many films to emerge from Eastern Europe, is a commentary on domestic life in Soviet Russia. Which means its scenes are packed with chaos, drunken characters who scream at each other with abandon, and cramped shots of Soviet-style apartment living.

Problems faced by those living in Soviet Russia included rampant alcoholism, domestic violence, absence of privacy, and lack of concern about unprotected sexual encounters. These problems continue to exhibit themselves in Russia today, illustrated by the high numbers of deaths from drinking toxic moonshine, the increasing HIV/AIDS-infected population, and the numbers of orphanages full to capacity.

While Ninotchka, a Hollywood film from the 1930's, offers a glimpse of the bleakness of communal living situations, Little Vera forces the viewer to experience some of the stresses, anxieties, and irritants that the characters experience. The tiny apartment, in which the characters have barely enough room to move, is full of abusive individuals who are short on respect for their fellow housemates and themselves. Vera, the main character, is a headstrong, rebellious young adult who tries to bury her inner anguish with drink, cigarettes, sex. She attempts some manner of control over her fate by becoming engaged to a student who only adds to her misery.

Watching Little Vera is demanding. However, the movie accurately depicts a segment of Soviet history that still affects Russian citizens today.