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Aleksandra

Play trailer Aleksandra 2008 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 57 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Elderly Aleksandra (Galina Vishnevskaya) visits her Russian soldier grandson, Denis (Vasily Shevtsov), at the Chechen war front, providing comfort as she tours his army base. While there, Aleksandra surprises everyone by climbing into an armored vehicle and brandishing a Kalashnikov rifle. Afterward, venturing outside, she meets a Chechen woman in town who bemoans the number of occupying troops, then has other adventures. All the while, Denis ponders the reason for her unexpected appearance.
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Aleksandra

Aleksandra

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Critics Consensus

At once ethereal and tangible, Aleksandr Sokurov's humane Chechen War drama features a spectacular turn by opera star Galina Vishnevskay.

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Critics Reviews

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J. R. Jones Chicago Reader 10/24/2008
At least one critic has called this Sokurov's most political film, but on its deepest level it considers not a particular war but the complex feelings between mothers and the young men they send out into the world to kill or be killed. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard 09/26/2008
4/5
Sokurov is able to say things about the terrible conflict without obvious polemic but to the maximum possible effect. That's largely why he is one of the most audacious and original directors in the world today. Go to Full Review Anthony Quinn Independent (UK) 09/26/2008
2/5
His sepia images of war's futility are beautiful, and Vishnevskaya's face is a compelling one, but they cannot compensate for the soporific anti-narrative. Go to Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row 07/06/2019
3.5/4
A rich and rewarding film, a deeply humanist work of art that is as tender as it is bracing. Go to Full Review Michael Sicinski Cinema Scope 11/27/2017
Alexandra is a film made by someone who wants to talk, which is an admirable gesture. It's just not the correct one. Go to Full Review Daniel Kasman MUBI 11/17/2017
The film had so beautifully evoked this tenor of decamped emotional ties, of a people cared for forever traveling away from home, by conflating the grandmother's searching familial love with the isolated, forlorn faces of the soldiers... Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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09/30/2015 An elderly woman takes a train trip to visit her grandson at his army camp inside Chechnya. The brief synopsis completely covers the entire plot of the picture. Very little else happens apart from some slightly strange sexual tension. The film is well shot though. See more 02/17/2015 Sokurov was a genius in his pieces on the Hermitage and the Japanese emperor. Here he takes us on a slow journey to prove that the Russians shouldn't be in Grozny. For once the master storytelling seems unable to make the compelling case. See more 04/27/2014 Once again, I find myself at odds with critics. Whilst the message of the film is strong and good the idea of watching a Russian grandmother walkaround a Russian army base for 90 minutes giving out her views to anyone who listens aint my idea of a good film See more 05/15/2013 My second Sukoruv film and although it doesn't dazzle like Russian Ark it is incredibly poignant. Slow and melancholy with plenty to engage with. See more Reza K @RT94169370 07/19/2012 its the proof of that how your rhythm could be slow but not boring. a war film but different from all other ones that you watched till now. See more 04/05/2012 An entertaining meditation on the relationship one grandmother has on her grandson, as she is with him while he is engaged in military duty. See more Read all reviews
Aleksandra

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Cast & Crew

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Aleksandr Sokurov

Director

Galina Vishnevskaya

Alexandra

Vasily Shevtsov

Denis

Raisa Gichaeva

Malika

Aleksandr Sokurov

Writer

Laurent Danielou

Producer

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Aleksandra

Aleksandra (2007) A scene from the film "Alexandra." A scene from the film "Alexandra." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Elderly Aleksandra (Galina Vishnevskaya) visits her Russian soldier grandson, Denis (Vasily Shevtsov), at the Chechen war front, providing comfort as she tours his army base. While there, Aleksandra surprises everyone by climbing into an armored vehicle and brandishing a Kalashnikov rifle. Afterward, venturing outside, she meets a Chechen woman in town who bemoans the number of occupying troops, then has other adventures. All the while, Denis ponders the reason for her unexpected appearance.
Director
Aleksandr Sokurov
Producer
Laurent Danielou
Screenwriter
Aleksandr Sokurov
Distributor
Cinema Guild
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Russian
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 26, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 18, 2010
Runtime
1h 35m