Molytva za hetmana Mazepu

"A Prayer for Hetman Mazepa" is a very strong movie which belongs to the Ukrainian postmodernism.

It is courageous and opens eyes to our history. Some historical events described in the film were completely unfamiliar to me. I love that the film is unbiased. Historical figures are shown as multifaceted. There is no black and white game.

Now this movie is more relevant than ever. We see history repeating itself. The genocide in Baturyn continues in the 21st century with the genocide in Bucha.

I think it's time to remove any unspoken taboos about this film and finally give it the green light because it is part of the Ukrainian civilizational choice.

The film seems to me to be an interpretation of Hetman Ivan Mazepa and Ukrainian history of his time as seen in a phantasmagoria dream in the mind of the director Ilyenko. There is much in the film that I liked and much that I admired without necessarily liking it.

Much of the cinematography was very effective, some of the symbolism, many images, the occasional humor. There were many very striking parts, in particular the vertep sequence, the devastation of Baturyn, the representation of Peter I. The other strength is the image of Ukraine which is represented in many ways – in the women that populate the screen, or the map of Europe with Ukraine as a woman that gets raped by the powerful men around her, and other symbols. I think that the combination of this image of Ukraine as a victim of violence and the image of Mazepa who attempted to do something for this country that was probably doomed to failure are the main messages that I got from the film.

On the other hand, the film is simply too long. It would benefit from editing and pruning, which could enhance its effectiveness both as a piece of art and as a medium to convey its message. It lacked a certain sense of economy particularly in the last half-hour. Some of the sexual and scatological imagery (especially that involving Peter) seems to me artistically valid and effective, but some seems gratuitous and by its overuse weakens the point it tries to make.

I've made a brief quiz through my friends, colleagues and relatives (about 60 people in all), after the "Hetman Mazepa" was shown on the wide screens here, in Ukraine. The question was simple: "Did you like it?". Everybody said "no", except for one person, the professional critic, who admired it much, and compared with "Plan 9 from Outer Space".

And this is true. "Hetman Mazepa" compete with films by Edward D. Wood Jr. for the right to be called the worst movie ever made. Don't expect, that you'll make it through all the 2 h 32 min of the show. Usually, 98% of audience left after the first 40 minutes.