Made in the same year as Tarkovsky's Andrei Rublev, this unconventional Russian picture seems to be one of the only existing examples of a Russian new wave. The loose narrative focuses on the relationship between university student Lena (Yevgeniya Uralova) and Volodya (Aleksandr Belyavskiy). This simple premise is used to offer scenes of Moscow during the 1960s, often accompanied by classical and popular music as we ride through the city streets, getting a view of its people as they go through their daily motions. Sometimes reminiscent of Antonioni, both in style and characterization, July offers the viewer a rare glimpse of a more liberal Russia as the film's characters gather around in appartments or restaurants, singing songs and talking about social or national issues, all while figuring out what they want to do with their lives. The episodic structure of the film sometimes reminded me of non-fiction films like Chronicles of a Summer (Edgar Morin and Jean Rouch, 1961), of which the film's acting style is also strangely similar, evidence of the film's realist approach. Opportunity to closely observe the world presented to us is made possible by the film's prominent use of long takes and beautiful camera movements that, while sometimes not showing us much in terms of action, always heightens the impact of its black-and-white phography. The film's emphasis on people in general over a specific story is confirmed through the film's concluding montage, depicting strange faces of young men, some angry, some hopeful, all staring directly into the lens as if to confirm their right for individuality.
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