Ex. 1 Read the text. The films of the late Alexei Balabanov can be viewed as a kind of iconography of Russian life

The films of the late Alexei Balabanov can be viewed as a kind of iconography of Russian life. A filmmaker of cult status, Balabanov also created new cult figures.

It was Balabanov’s action films, “Brother” and “Brother 2” that introduced the handsome Sergei Bodrov Jr. to squealing young women (and serious movie critics, some of whom were squealing young women in the past). In 2002, Bodrov was shooting a movie in Karmadon Gorge. He went missing alongside his production team following a devastating landslide. His body was never found, and his status as the lost, tragic hero of Russia’s turbulent 1990s was solidified in a way that no one could have predicted.

Even the usually staid director Nikita Mikhalkov could be counted on to don a wig and a ridiculous, magenta-colored jacket for a role in Balabanov’s “Dead Man’s Bluff.” The movie approached the topic of Russian gangsters in a breathless fashion – utilizing gallons of fake blood and loads of dark humor. Mikhalkov’s role showcased his innate charm in a way that many of his own later films did not.

Balabanov also did well by working alongside the late Mikhail Skryabin, who had a small but important role in “Cargo 200” – a chilling look at the Soviet Union of 1984, which was the same year that serial killer Andrei Chikatilo managed to get away with killing 15 people (Chikatilo continued murdering people until he was caught in 1990). Skryabin went on to star in 2010’s “The Stoker,” but sadly died soon after gaining widespread fame for the role. There is something about Skryabin’s screen presence – the combination of muted emotion and precision – that characterized Balabanov’s oeuvre perfectly.

Balabanov’s work has frequently been described as “brooding” and “dark.” But there is also a go-forbroke attitude that ultimately offers a very honest, real and refreshing look at Russian society.