13: The Asthenic Syndrome (a.k.a. Astenicheskij Sindrom – Original Russian title)

           Unlucky number 13.  I hated this movie.  I hated that it tried to be deep in offering an explanation of the state of glasnost Russia.  I hated that it had no real plot, and only the frame (or more than one frame) of a structure.  I hated its muted tones, unimaginative shots, and languid pace.  I hated that in its attempt to encompass, it only confused (me, at least).  About an hour into Kira Muratovoa’s The Asthenic Syndrome (1989) I was sure I would start my review like this: “Imagine a late 80s Russian film that runs 2 ½ hours.  Now double the boredom you’ve just imagined and set it to the incoherent unconnected ramblings of middle-aged professionals who feel unfulfilled by the trappings of post-communist life in the Eastern bloc.” Those were my thoughts less than half way through this turd of a movie.  I’m sure you can picture by now how my feelings on the matter progressed. 

            This section of the review is usually where I begin to give plot points and character descriptions.  I’m really not sure what to give you here this time because I frankly couldn’t have cared less about the plot or the characters in this case.  A woman whom I presume we are supposed to care about turns out to be something quite different than what she is presented as.  A narcoleptic man who teaches high school questions his relevance.  He eats some caviar.  In the end he may be dead on a train…or is he just asleep?  This isn’t exactly a burning question after the bludgeoning of banalities that lead up to this moment, and I honestly don’t have the mental fortitude to ponder this film’s ending, or it’s beginning and middle.

            Certain that I hadn’t missed any major nugget of substance that might change my perspective, I nonetheless felt compelled to consult the now tattered copy of 1001 that has been both my driving force and my companion on this journey, to see what wisdom it might offer.  Even the review of this film is boring.  It’s directionless and speculative, and in ways that don’t exactly hold merit, much like its subject matter.  If what I am picking up online and squeezing out of this review is accurate, The Asthenic Syndrome is supposed to be a statement piece about a general hypochondria and lethargy that is affecting the post-cold war world.  If that is (or was) the case, then perhaps this movie is to blame.  I know I felt sick and tired by the time the credits rolled.

 

Language: Russian (primary)/English

Runtime: 147 Minutes

Grade: .5 Hats Off