A rare depiction of tenderness and mercy between mother and son. Sokurov really investigates emotional territory not often visited with this film. While the pace is deliberate, it never feels slow or turgid. In fact, the film is quite absorbing and tends to pull the viewer at its own pace. However, the son's interaction with the mother may be too intimate for some, even suggesting the touch of a lover as opposed to an offspring. Still, there's no denying the cumulative power of the images as this short film unfolds. It also has a dreamlike look to it with the many distorted perspectives that, at times, gives it a very unreal quality. Quite beautiful, in all. And quite original. It goes without saying that Sokurov is one of the great modern artists of the cinema.
Review of Mother and Son
