Shinel

Nikolay Gogol's short story is one of the major classics in Russian literature and tells the story of a small man constantly humiliated by his fellows and by his fate, which strikes him with overwhelming cruelty, as he reaches some kind of glory at his humble situation as a clerk by raising his status considerably as he acquires a decent overcoat, for which he is even celebrated, until one evening some hoodlums attack him in the street and rob him of his overcoat, turning his life into mortal humiliation. The film sticks to Gogol's original with pious fidelity, and Rolan Bykov's impersonation of Akaki Akakievitch is more than convincing - it is overwhelming in its heart-breaking pathos. This is a film you will never forget. I saw it as a child which brought me headlong into Russian literature, and I always looked forward to seeing it again. After almost 60 years I recognized almost every detail, as the film is made with an expressionistic cijnematography that makes every scene visually impressive in its exquisite art. This is a oarallel masterpiece to "The Lady with the Small Dog" of the same year with Alexei Batalov as the male lead, who directed this picture.