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Russian TFP AU: Classic Russian Sci-Fi Film Inspiration
Alright, so I’ve been pretty busy lately, and I’m gonna still be busy for the next few months probably, but I’m still working on the Russian TFP AU!
You can see my latest Russian TFP AU brainstorming posts here and here!
Since I haven’t had a lot of time to talk much about it in a while, I thought I’d make a fun inspiration/research materials post here with my favourite classic Russian sic-fi movies I’ve been watching to fuel my AU brainstorming!
My Top 4 Classic Russian Sci-Fi Films for Inspiration:
1) Planet Bur / Планета Бурь - Watch Here! (RUS with ENG Subtitles)
No Spoiler Summary: A space crew head to Venus in three separate ships, forming a flotilla; One craft is stricken by a meteorite and destroyed, while the others choose to continue the mission. When they land, they discover an eerie surface world full of hidden threats. Working to complete their mission, they discover something they hadn’t been looking for…
This movie is a slow burn, which I usually struggle with due to my ADHD, but let me tell you– Give this movie a chance. It’s absolutely worth it.
The costume design is incredible, the practical effects and cinematography are excellent as with most Russian classic films, and it’s a beautiful movie.
2) Amphibian Man / Человек-амфибия - Watch Here! (RUS)
No Spoiler Summary: A boy is given gills in a medical experiment to save his life; It is successful, but as an adult, he is forced to hide under the water and lives in isolation. He meets a pearl fisherman’s daughter, and the fisherman exploits him for his condition (by being forced to help collect pearls), which he tolerates in exchange for his secret being kept– And so that he might get the chance to speak with the woman he loves.
First of all, if you saw Shape of Water and liked it, this is the movie for you.
Second, the anti-capitalist themes here are super relevant at this moment in time, and it is genuinely a beautiful movie– They filmed a lot of it underwater, which looks incredible!
And if you thirst for mermen, well, here you go. Enjoy!
3) The Orion Loop / Петля Ориона - Watch Here! (RUS)
No Spoiler Summary: There is a discussion on how best to deal with a potential first contact scenario with an alien civilisation, prior to the crew’s next mission. While some good points are brought up, once they are out in space, they are affected by the radiation that strikes the ship once they are near the edge of the Solar System, and it begins to deteriorate the crew’s mental state. As they struggle to work through the crisis, they begin to see things… Are they ghosts, holograms, or something else?
This is a classic “freak out in space” movie, with some really interesting thoughts about contacting, communicating, and coping with life beyond Earth– Both human life, and alien life.
4) Cosmic Voyage / Космический рейс - Watch Here! (RUS)
No Spoiler Summary: A space mission is threatened when one of the crew members is deemed too unstable to continue on the next flight. Disregarding the medical advisory, the crew departs, unwilling to put their expertise to waste. But once they start their voyage, they face some extreme circumstances and struggle to achieve their goals. Will their mission be a success, or
This is a real Art Deco era masterpiece, with some of the best practical effects in the world at the time. Amazing set design, costume design (seriously, please watch this movie), and honestly it’s just a very beautiful, interesting film to watch.
It’s also one of the earliest sci-fi films to depict a no gravity environment– And when they do, it is mesmerising.
GENERAL NOTE REGARDING VINTAGE FILMS:
These movies, like all media, are products of their time. There may be some dialogue that we would now consider inappropriate, scenes that may impart a different feeling than originally intended, or cultural etc. references that are missing context for modern viewers.
Please proceed with caution when watching any older films; Due to the nature of film archival, re-prints, and so on, it is impossible to provide a 100% fully accurate list of potentially upsetting content or themes for any of these movies, as there are many different edits/versions of these films floating around and some sequences may have been edited out of some or altered in others (for international release or due to variations in film print editions and so on).
My Russian language skills are not very good at the moment, although I am doing my best to improve; Currently, I am unable to personally provide any specific content warnings for Russian language media.
Please also keep in mind that translation errors are always a risk with any film that is not in your native language, and it is often the case that older Russian films are subject to extreme changes in dialogue and sound editing when translated into English (where possible) due to a lot of different circumstances, including the state of international politics at the times these films were released, as well as the innate differences in the languages and difficulties with dubbing/subtitling effectively with the technology and editing practices that were used at that time.
Wherever possible, I suggest watching the original Russian language versions, even if you do not speak Russian, so that you may pick up on the tone and emotion of the original actors on screen. Sometimes, feelings are more clear than words, and it makes a unique viewing experience! :)
END: I hope you enjoy one or more of the above movies; I like to keep these on in the background while writing/drawing, but I have a list of over 50 Russian sci-fi movies that I really love, so it was hard to pick just four to write about before I have to go to work!
Also tagging @milabazal2002 and @everdino, who have been hugely helpful in constructing details for the Russian TFP AU! :)