The Banishment (2008)

THE SCOOP
Director: Andrei Zvyagintsev
Plot: A trip to the pastoral countryside reveals a dark, sinister reality for a family from the city.

Genre: Drama
Awards: -
Runtime: 157min
Rating: PG for some mature themes.

TRAILER:

IN RETROSPECT
Giants of Russian cinema included Sergei Eisenstein (The Battleship Potemkin, Alexander Nevsky), Andrei Tarkovsky (Ivan's Childhood, Solaris) and the emerging Aleksandr Sokurov (Russian Ark, Father And Son). All three are recognized as the leading Russian filmmaker of their generations, consistently producing works of immense quality and value. The director of The Banishment, Andrei Zvyagintsev, is one of a few who shows potential to be another great voice of Russian cinema. His previous effort, The Return, was a soporific excursion into the Russian wilderness; though cinematographically stunning, it fails in its ability to completely engage the viewers.

The Banishment shares the same characteristics. The difference is that it is a whole lot longer, running at nearly a-hundred-and-sixty minutes. The story could have been wrapped up in a taut ninety-minute drama but Zvyagintsev chose the more abstract route to film the picture. Only time would tell whether his choice was sound. At its heart, The Banishment has a pitiful story to tell. However, it is told at such a snail-like pace that it appears almost lackluster and feels like it is not making any storytelling progression especially during the final two-thirds of the film.

The character developments of the three main characters are palatable enough to pull viewers through the lengthy film. Each one of them struggles with problems of high emotional intensity, often as a result of miscommunication, selfishness, and jealousy. Zvyagintsev opts to use long static shots of these characters' faces to capture their inner feelings and juxtaposing it with the unpredictability of the Russian wilderness. One top-notch sequence involves a five-minute reverse tracking shot of water flowing downhill into small streams and eventually into a big puddle that shows a reflection of something that is of immense significance. Its monotony is ultimately broken by the onset of rain.

The Banishment while sporadically exhibiting glimpses of promise unfortunately feels too long-winded. It is a commendable piece of cinema and has the potential to become a great character study if Zvyagintsev decides to do a director's cut with a trimmer runtime. The Banishment is made for the art house crowd and yes, for one with a hell lot of patience.

SCORE: 7/10

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