The opening bird's-eye view of butchering a whale sets the tone for the journey of Leshka, a teenage whale hunter from a small village located on the Chukchi coast. We discover this closed and isolated universe through the point of view of this whale hunter, he leads a monotonous life, exhausted and it is not just living that troubles him, but the endless Gray vicinity around him immersed in the sound of the ocean filled with whale guts. The villagers lead an old-fashioned traditional life, they gather for a day to divide the meat of the whale among themselves. The boring world of Leshka slowly starts to crumble and everything changes with the emergence of the Internet in the village.
He is obsessed with an erotic site; it is here he experiences feelings and love arrives in a weird form. Leshka falls for the American webcam model, the innocent teenager leaves no stones unturned to connect with her. He is ignorant of the fact that she can't even hear him, but at the same time available for many users accessing the cam. Driven by blind love, he arranges a speedboat and rushes to sail in search of this model without any knowledge of English. Leshka is caught between the world he wants to leave and the new world.
On the surface, this might sound like a simple road journey of a man to find love. But there is so more that lingers in the cold bleak journey, the movie completely takes a shift as it progresses. There is a Lynchian style storytelling that creates uncertainty and filled with metaphors as the film travels. The camera peers through the landscape and gives us a documentary aesthetics from time to time. The ending is subliminal but keeps in step with the semblance of the screenplay. One can make comparisons with the works of Dervis Zaim, Aleksandre Rekhviashvili, David Lynch and Andrei Tarkovsky. There is so many aspects that are presented by the filmmaker without being watered down or by moral policing. The simple activities, burial ritual, the advent of internet and how the locals access pornographic content. It is handled with completely non-malicious approach and I'm so glad about the minimal attention which could've misfired.
Coming to my favourite part, the 2nd half in all its eminence elevated the story to another realm. At the 2nd half of the film is the deserted Bering strait separating Russian and America. It can be associated with silence and expression of Leshka that amplifies the tension. Also, the scene between the border security guard, speaking English, While Leshka in Russian communicating by mimic and says only America, Detroit is the highlight here. I could feel the tension, longing and breathe in the sound of the ocean when Leksha is not ready to give up. The scene with his grandfather resting on the grass with a smile and facing sky is also my favourite.
And now to the soundtrack, I was confused as it boasted of surprises ranging from Roy Orbison to baroque pieces. In addition, there is more Lynchian connect as the soundtrack features David Lynch, Angelo Badalamenti's Rockin' Back Inside My Heart performed by Julie Cruz. It was a biggest surprise and will cast a spell for Twin Peaks fans. The music is accentuated in the sequence when Leshka is in foggy otherworldly zone filled with whale skeletons, it is surreal feeling beyond compare.
Final thoughts, I want to appreciate the entire cast and crew and producer Alexei Uchitel for backing this project. if you love gripping character study devoid of clichés and want to experience something fresh and otherworldly. I'd readily suggest you check this out, immerse yourself and enthusiastically recommended it for Arthouse lovers.
