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Bakenbardy (1990) More at IMDbPro »

A masterpiece on a topic that never goes out of date, 12 August 2008

Author: piramidon from Germany

Russia, the provincial town of Zaborsk, 1990. The Soviet Union is falling to pieces, the structured, ordered communist life of the last 70 years is no more. The young people of the town enjoy their newly-found freedoms. Many are joining the "Capella" - a hippie/punk group which shocks the public with their open displays of sexuality, wild parties and generally provocative behavior. Others join the "Tusks" - a company of thugs who spend most of their time working out, and then use their muscles to beat the hell out of Capella members (and anyone getting in their way). It is at this point that Alexander comes back to his home town from St. Petersburg, bringing with him his friend Victor. Both young men are clothed in a way that is almost two centuries out of date, which makes them the laughing stock of both Capella and the Tusks. But they are not just dressed up. They aspire to emulate Alexander Pushkin, the 19th century national poet and figurehead of Russian culture. They have the same waistcoats and top hats as Pushkin did. They have the same sideburns (which gave the film its title). And they have the same canes, which they use masterly on the Tusks to inspire awe and subdue them. For Victor has a Vision. His destiny is to revive Russia, its culture, morale and national pride. There won't even be a big fight. The insecure people gather under the banner of a man who knows exactly what to do...

Alexander Pushkin is for Russia what Shakespeare is for England - with the addition of a strong national feeling to the undisputed literary genius. Soon after his death, he was proclaimed "our everything" by a critic - a phrase that stuck. So how could he possibly be used to erect a fascistoid dictatorship?

"Easily" is the answer that this film very convincingly provides. If people are insecure and unsettled, they will follow a man who seems to know what he is doing, and who promises to bring order - any order - into their lives. The mass psychology is accurate, and the topic as actual as ever, abroad as well as in Russia itself. The picture of Vladimir Putin with a naked, muscular torso that went around the world media a few years ago, could have been modeled on the naked, muscular torso of Pushkin briefly visible on posters and banners in the film. The actors are superb; Sukhorukov who plays Victor has become a national star since, but his possibly best performance is here. Director Yuri Mamin, best known for "Window to Paris", has created a study of human nature that should not be ignored. The film is, in fact, very funny - up to the point where, very suddenly, it isn't, and it's too late...

1 out of 3 people found the following review useful:
absurd and hilarious, 17 August 2007

Author: WeGetIt from Los Angeles, CA

In the Russian city of Zaborsk, a crazed fun-loving, x-generation youth group/band/gang known as Capella are terrorizing the citizens with heavy metal, simulations of sex acts (and others), having obscene parades, staging pranks, and just pretty much acting like young punks (i think this is hinting at American culture). The rival gang is one of dumb weight lifters, who we only see working out. Two new arrivals come to the town - one returning to his hometown and his mysterious guest, one who brings a plan for the clearing the city of all the punk trash and rescuing mother Russia from her present shamed status to her greatness of intellect, art respect. This he believes can only be done with the help of only one man, Russia's greatest poet Alexander Sergeivich Pushkin, or simply Pushkin. They form their own club with the help of local communist officials, and recruit the gang of weightlifter, teaching them a new ideology and the gentleman way of Pushkin. Their club is ASP, or A.S. Pushkin, Club of Pushkin. This is really where the absurdity begins!! It gets funnier and funnier. A lot of wonderfully recited poetry by Pushkin (ahaha, they even train with their staffs while they recite Pushkin, and later they beat innocent people while chanting the same poem).

This is Mamin's most absurd film, freely braking boundaries of reality and logic. It had me laughing more than any of his films. The main Pushkinite is a hilarious character. This film has a lot of themes that could be drawn: about idol worship, effect of groups on people, youth vs. older generations, feelings of freedom that come with political change. This film also has 4 actors from "Window to Paris" (that I could think of right now), the Mamin film most famous in US.

This film reminded me and a friend of Clockwork orange, probably because our "heros" all dress like Pushkin and carry staffs with which they thrash people, and of course all of the films groups can be looked at as gangs eventually (just remember this is a most crazy, hilarious, absurd, comedy). GREAT film, i've been watching it over and over lately. Truly hilarious and insanely shot, very color full (though my copy isn't very good quality transfer).

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