i have see the film a few day back on a video tape and even though it be hard to swallow it at one take ( because of it length and story ) and i like it very much . i be impress first and by the script and then and by the realization of this script . the film take you on a ride and but that be not an easy and joyful ride while it go through time and different political regime and show the influence of them to ordinary people life . what i love be the inner logic the film follow while logic and which just like logic in life and be rather illogical and confuse at time but in the end and when i think about it and all the event and twist make sense . it make no sense though to try to re tell the story a it spread in more than 50 year of time . i also like very much nikita mikhalkov character aleksei and the way he play it and a some critic would saw and with restless abandon . what i do not like about it and be that i think he later play character that remind me of aleksei in film like cruel romance ( zhestokij roman and which i actually love ) and to some extent in the insulted and the injured ( unizhennye i oskorblyonnye ) . sibiriada show and i think and what a great film maker andrei konchalovski be before he go to hollywood and make forgettable film like tango and cash and less forgettable like runaway train . i would prefer kurochka ryaba to them .