POSSIBLE SPOILER: A Western viewer needs to know a few things about Russians to fully understand the meaning and significance of this film. One item of particular significance is the magnitude and nature of war. The film states that a nuclear conflict of some sort (limited or unlimited is not clear) is imminent or has already started. Certainly the noise and vibrations due to the noise of the jets flying overhead indicates that war is about to break out. Now, war damage is actually something of an abstract meaning to Americans; all of the battles fought by our military in the wars of the 20th century were in far off places. Though there were exceptions with Pearl Harbor, the torpedoing of merchant ships of the coast of the United States during the early days of WWII, and of course the events of Sept. 11, 2001 the truly great battles were elsewhere and people who lived in the center of our country, in the countryside such as shown in this movie, were not directly affected or attacked. Now, nuclear war would probably bring about death and destruction even to the Heartland of the United States but that is hard to grasp for most Americans as this sort of war has never happened.
However, the Russians (or Soviets at the time of the making of this film) did suffer tremendous destruction throughout their country in WWII. And, this destruction did affect most of these people. In fact, wars in the past before WWI and WWII (such as during the Napoleonic era) have also caused terrible destruction in Russia. So, to the Russian viewing this movie, the terror shown by the actors is very well understood. War to the Russian is not generally sending troops across oceans to fight but rather fighting the enemy in one's front yard.
The other matter that a Western viewer needs to know to understand this movie is the very superstitious nature of the Russian people. I had long thought that the most superstitious country in the world was probably somewhere in Africa or the Caribbean. It may be, but the most superstitious country with any sort of development is undoubtedly Russia. Those people are very sincere in their belief in Astrology and any other superstition that they have ever heard of. The movie is not being factitious when a woman is cited as being a witch. They still believe in such people in Russia, though the nature of witchcraft there is somewhat different than the traditional depiction of a witch in the West. And, quite a few employers in the former Soviet Union probably believes that one of their servant women could be a witch.
And, most people in Russia could believe (for the sake of the film) that a witch MIGHT actually be able to do something to stop a war. Who the witch is and what, if anything, she can do in this case is something you have to see the movie to find out. Sufficient to say though, that belief in the supernatural is still quite common in Russia, and must be taken into account when seeing this film.
However, the Russians (or Soviets at the time of the making of this film) did suffer tremendous destruction throughout their country in WWII. And, this destruction did affect most of these people. In fact, wars in the past before WWI and WWII (such as during the Napoleonic era) have also caused terrible destruction in Russia. So, to the Russian viewing this movie, the terror shown by the actors is very well understood. War to the Russian is not generally sending troops across oceans to fight but rather fighting the enemy in one's front yard.
The other matter that a Western viewer needs to know to understand this movie is the very superstitious nature of the Russian people. I had long thought that the most superstitious country in the world was probably somewhere in Africa or the Caribbean. It may be, but the most superstitious country with any sort of development is undoubtedly Russia. Those people are very sincere in their belief in Astrology and any other superstition that they have ever heard of. The movie is not being factitious when a woman is cited as being a witch. They still believe in such people in Russia, though the nature of witchcraft there is somewhat different than the traditional depiction of a witch in the West. And, quite a few employers in the former Soviet Union probably believes that one of their servant women could be a witch.
And, most people in Russia could believe (for the sake of the film) that a witch MIGHT actually be able to do something to stop a war. Who the witch is and what, if anything, she can do in this case is something you have to see the movie to find out. Sufficient to say though, that belief in the supernatural is still quite common in Russia, and must be taken into account when seeing this film.