THE CRANES ARE FLYING (1957)

(aka Letyat Zhuravli)

Directed by: Mikheil Kalatozishivli

Screenplay by: Viktor Rizov

Cast: Tatyana Samojlova, Aleksey Batalov, Vaseli Merkuryev, Aleksandr Shvorin

A really dazzling, magnificently made Russian love story, set in the WWII era, about two lovers separated by the war, and the woman vigil as she awaits her man's return. Technically, this movie had me floored from one scene to the next: check out the mind-blowing circular booms and handheld shots. It is heartfelt, sensitive and passionate in a Chekovian way: honest and building in power surely and subtly. Beautifully acted, every man will want to marry the sweet, earthy, sensitive woman in it. The final scene shatters the audience, puts it back together before soaring it off on a note of life-affirming hope. Incidentally, Crane's director, Kalatozishivli, went on to make the legendary I Am Cuba, another groundbreaker, renowned for its technical wizardry.

Runtime: 97 min.