russia 101

Instructions:
Pick 1 one of the 3 Discussion Questions to answer in your post. Indicate the question you are answering in your post title. The first person to respond to Questions 1 or 2 should start a new thread and subsequent posts should reply to this thread if possible. Question 3 posts will have varied topics and thus can start their own thread.

Question 1: The Cast and the Theme
Konchalovsky already used some non-professional actors in House of Fools, but here in The Postman’s White Nights we have a primarily non-professional cast, including the lead character and the villagers with whom he interacts. By “non-professional” I mean everyday people who have no formal training and who have not acted before. Only the postman’s scripted love interest, Irina, and her son are played by professional actors. What do you think Konchalovsky was trying to accomplish with such casting choices? What do you think he is trying to capture in this film?
Question 2: The Plot and the Theme
We have a film that was shot largely without a script and appears to have almost no plot. So, what is it about? What does the camera focus on? What are we invited to see in this film?
Question 3: Open Topic
Write a post about a topic of your choice. You can focus on the film’s technical achievements and challenges, or discuss themes, scenes or visual motifs. Interesting technical topics would include the soundtrack, and the types of shots used by the director. You are also welcome to compare the film to another we have watched.