'Those Old Love Letters' is a love film as one can guess by its title, but the film is not only about love between its protagonists, but also love towards the music, and filmmaker's love towards the musician. Raimond Valgre was talented and popular singer/songwriter whose best years unfortunately fell into the era of World War II and Stalin's regime, and finally cut short way too early. It is a tragic story how a simple man full of dreams and talent is rolled over by war and politics.
Technically the low budget of the film shines through, and occasionally the film looks like made for TV production. The script is strong though and not banally corny, but rather sweet and compassionate with enough sympathy towards all the main characters. Little bits of nice dry Estonian humor adds more charm to the film.
I really found the black and white image usage in 'present day' and color in flashback interesting. This might have to something with the most of the story being told in flashbacks, but I think the black and white is also great metaphor for coldness and bleakness of Stalin era when the 'present day' events in the movie happened.
Technically the low budget of the film shines through, and occasionally the film looks like made for TV production. The script is strong though and not banally corny, but rather sweet and compassionate with enough sympathy towards all the main characters. Little bits of nice dry Estonian humor adds more charm to the film.
I really found the black and white image usage in 'present day' and color in flashback interesting. This might have to something with the most of the story being told in flashbacks, but I think the black and white is also great metaphor for coldness and bleakness of Stalin era when the 'present day' events in the movie happened.