The Cuckoo
Encyclopedia
The Cuckoo is a 2002
Russia
n comedy drama film directed by Aleksandr Rogozhkin
. It takes place during World War II
from the perspective of opposing Soviet and Finnish
soldiers stranded at a Sami
woman's farmhouse. "Kukushka" was the nickname given by Soviet soldiers exclusively to lone Finnish sniper
s, who ambushed their targets from a purpose-built tree-branch-nest. Thus the title refers to both Veikko (the sniper) and Anni (a lone woman living in the forest, much like a cuckoo
).
, a co-belligerent of Nazi Germany
, pulls out of the Continuation War
against the Soviet Union
, Veikko (Ville Haapasalo), a Finnish soldier, is turned on by his Finnish and German compatriots for being a pacifist and, in their eyes, a would-be deserter. As a punishment, the young man is placed in shackles, chained to a rock outcrop in a remote Lapland
forest, left with nothing but a few supplies, rifle and ammunition - effectively made a forced Kamikaze
kukushka sniper. To ensure his willingness to fight, they dress him in the uniform of the Waffen-SS
, as Soviet soldiers felt little mercy towards SS men. Days pass, and after several failed attempts, Veikko succeeds in freeing himself and heads for safety, shackles still attached.
Meanwhile Ivan (Viktor Bychkov), a Captain in the Red Army
accused of anti-Soviet correspondence, is arrested by the NKVD
secret police. En route to his court martial, Soviet planes accidentally bomb the vehicle carrying the disgraced captain, killing the driver and Ivan's guard. Veikko, at this stage still chained to the rock, witnesses the bombing through his riflescope.
Not far away is the farm of Anni (Anni-Kristiina Juuso
), a Sami
reindeer farmer whose husband was drafted into the war by the Finnish authorities four years earlier, never to return. Hungry and alone, the young and resourceful widow locates the bodies of Ivan and his captors while foraging for food. As she begins to bury the dead, Anni discovers that Ivan is still alive, but seriously hurt. She carries him to her wooden hut and nurses him back to health. Meanwhile, Veikko, in search of tools to remove his shackles, stumbles upon Anni’s farm. Thus World War II creates the unlikeliest of bonds (between three different people, from three different cultures, speaking three different languages).
Comic, and sometimes tragic, misunderstandings soon arise, resulting in a passionate and very human three-way relationship. Unable to communicate with the others and unaware that the war between the USSR and Finland is over, Ivan is convinced that Veikko is a German soldier gone astray. To Ivan, the German uniform the Finnish soldier was forced to wear is further proof. Ivan even refuses to tell his name to Veikko, answering only "Poshol ty!" (Fuck you!) - as a result, the two others think his name is "Psholty". Veikko is unaware of Ivan’s hatred and just wants to cut off his shackles, return home and put the war behind him, but opts to stay on Anni's farm to avoid falling into enemy hands. The earthly and sensuous Anni, who has not been with a man in four years, could not be more delighted with her good fortune, language barrier be damned.
For Anni, Veikko and Ivan are not enemies, but just men. An uncommon and touching bond develops, as the three unlikely souls begin a domestic routine of hunting and gathering in preparation for the long Lap winter. The two men do what they can to contribute to Anni’s well-being. Veikko builds a sauna and Ivan picks mushrooms. Veikko, Ivan and Anni communicate only with gestures. Starved for love and physical touch, Anni seduces young, strapping Veikko, much to the chagrin of jealous middle-aged Ivan.
Not long afterwards a Soviet biplane crashes in the forest near Anni’s hut, spilling leaflets announcing an armistice between Finland and USSR. Veikko thinks he can finally return home safely, but Ivan – who does not understand Finnish – manages to find a pistol in the wreckage and, still convinced that Veikko is a Fascist, shoots him. When he reads the last line of the leaflet the plane was dropping (written in Russian and instructing Soviet soldiers to allow the Finns to return home unmolested), he realizes that the war is over. Ivan is torn with remorse and, stumbling, carries Veikko back to the farm.
The nurturing Anni brings Veikko back from the brink of death through a series of ancient Sami magic rituals. With Veikko bedridden, Anni’s needs for companionship and sexual longing draw Ivan into her bed. Gradually, Ivan and Veikko, no longer separated by ethnic hate nor rivalry for the affections of Anni, become friends. As winter arrives and the two men head back to their respective homes in opposite directions, Anni is left behind with memories –and much more– of her two unlikely comrades in war and peace.
June 2004 - Russian Federation National Award in the Art and Literature Area was awarded to the crew of the film; to the director and the author of the screenplay Aleksandr Rogozhkin
, producer Segei Selianov, main cast Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Ville Haapasalo, Viktor Bychkov, director of photography Andrey Zhegalov, director of the film art Vladimir I. Svetozarov, composer Dmitriy Pavlov, sound engineers Anatoliy Gudkov and Sergei Sokolov.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n comedy drama film directed by Aleksandr Rogozhkin
Aleksandr Rogozhkin
-Selected filmography:In 1990, he directed Karaul, which won the Alfred-Bauer Prize at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.Rogozhkin's film The Chekist was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
. It takes place during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
from the perspective of opposing Soviet and Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
soldiers stranded at a Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
woman's farmhouse. "Kukushka" was the nickname given by Soviet soldiers exclusively to lone Finnish sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
s, who ambushed their targets from a purpose-built tree-branch-nest. Thus the title refers to both Veikko (the sniper) and Anni (a lone woman living in the forest, much like a cuckoo
Cuckoo
The cuckoos are a family, Cuculidae, of near passerine birds. The order Cuculiformes, in addition to the cuckoos, also includes the turacos . Some zoologists and taxonomists have also included the unique Hoatzin in the Cuculiformes, but its taxonomy remains in dispute...
).
Plot
September 1944. Several days before FinlandFinland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, a co-belligerent of Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
, pulls out of the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
against the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Veikko (Ville Haapasalo), a Finnish soldier, is turned on by his Finnish and German compatriots for being a pacifist and, in their eyes, a would-be deserter. As a punishment, the young man is placed in shackles, chained to a rock outcrop in a remote Lapland
Lapland (region)
Lapland is a region in northern Fennoscandia, largely within the Arctic Circle. It streches across Norway, Sweden, Finland and the Kola Peninsula . On the North it is bounded by the Barents Sea, on the West by the Norwegian Sea and on the East by the White Sea...
forest, left with nothing but a few supplies, rifle and ammunition - effectively made a forced Kamikaze
Kamikaze
The were suicide attacks by military aviators from the Empire of Japan against Allied naval vessels in the closing stages of the Pacific campaign of World War II, designed to destroy as many warships as possible....
kukushka sniper. To ensure his willingness to fight, they dress him in the uniform of the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
, as Soviet soldiers felt little mercy towards SS men. Days pass, and after several failed attempts, Veikko succeeds in freeing himself and heads for safety, shackles still attached.
Meanwhile Ivan (Viktor Bychkov), a Captain in the Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
accused of anti-Soviet correspondence, is arrested by the NKVD
NKVD
The People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs was the public and secret police organization of the Soviet Union that directly executed the rule of power of the Soviets, including political repression, during the era of Joseph Stalin....
secret police. En route to his court martial, Soviet planes accidentally bomb the vehicle carrying the disgraced captain, killing the driver and Ivan's guard. Veikko, at this stage still chained to the rock, witnesses the bombing through his riflescope.
Not far away is the farm of Anni (Anni-Kristiina Juuso
Anni-Kristiina Juuso
Anni-Kristiina Juuso is a Sámi actress, who played the leading female role in the movies The Cuckoo and The Kautokeino Rebellion. She was awarded Russia's Best Actress award by both the movie academy and the press. Juuso has also received a State Movie Award, which was handed to her by Vladimir...
), a Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
reindeer farmer whose husband was drafted into the war by the Finnish authorities four years earlier, never to return. Hungry and alone, the young and resourceful widow locates the bodies of Ivan and his captors while foraging for food. As she begins to bury the dead, Anni discovers that Ivan is still alive, but seriously hurt. She carries him to her wooden hut and nurses him back to health. Meanwhile, Veikko, in search of tools to remove his shackles, stumbles upon Anni’s farm. Thus World War II creates the unlikeliest of bonds (between three different people, from three different cultures, speaking three different languages).
Comic, and sometimes tragic, misunderstandings soon arise, resulting in a passionate and very human three-way relationship. Unable to communicate with the others and unaware that the war between the USSR and Finland is over, Ivan is convinced that Veikko is a German soldier gone astray. To Ivan, the German uniform the Finnish soldier was forced to wear is further proof. Ivan even refuses to tell his name to Veikko, answering only "Poshol ty!" (Fuck you!) - as a result, the two others think his name is "Psholty". Veikko is unaware of Ivan’s hatred and just wants to cut off his shackles, return home and put the war behind him, but opts to stay on Anni's farm to avoid falling into enemy hands. The earthly and sensuous Anni, who has not been with a man in four years, could not be more delighted with her good fortune, language barrier be damned.
For Anni, Veikko and Ivan are not enemies, but just men. An uncommon and touching bond develops, as the three unlikely souls begin a domestic routine of hunting and gathering in preparation for the long Lap winter. The two men do what they can to contribute to Anni’s well-being. Veikko builds a sauna and Ivan picks mushrooms. Veikko, Ivan and Anni communicate only with gestures. Starved for love and physical touch, Anni seduces young, strapping Veikko, much to the chagrin of jealous middle-aged Ivan.
Not long afterwards a Soviet biplane crashes in the forest near Anni’s hut, spilling leaflets announcing an armistice between Finland and USSR. Veikko thinks he can finally return home safely, but Ivan – who does not understand Finnish – manages to find a pistol in the wreckage and, still convinced that Veikko is a Fascist, shoots him. When he reads the last line of the leaflet the plane was dropping (written in Russian and instructing Soviet soldiers to allow the Finns to return home unmolested), he realizes that the war is over. Ivan is torn with remorse and, stumbling, carries Veikko back to the farm.
The nurturing Anni brings Veikko back from the brink of death through a series of ancient Sami magic rituals. With Veikko bedridden, Anni’s needs for companionship and sexual longing draw Ivan into her bed. Gradually, Ivan and Veikko, no longer separated by ethnic hate nor rivalry for the affections of Anni, become friends. As winter arrives and the two men head back to their respective homes in opposite directions, Anni is left behind with memories –and much more– of her two unlikely comrades in war and peace.
Cast
- Anni-Kristiina JuusoAnni-Kristiina JuusoAnni-Kristiina Juuso is a Sámi actress, who played the leading female role in the movies The Cuckoo and The Kautokeino Rebellion. She was awarded Russia's Best Actress award by both the movie academy and the press. Juuso has also received a State Movie Award, which was handed to her by Vladimir...
— Anni, Sami woman - Ville HaapasaloVille HaapasaloVille Haapasalo is an acclaimed stage and film actor in Finland and Russia. His acting career started in 1995, after finishing studying in St. Petersburg. In 2001, Ville Haapasalo was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation for his star-making turns in the films of...
— Veikko, Finnish sniper - Viktor BychkovViktor BychkovViktor Bychkov is a Russian actor. He won a 2002 Golden Eagle Award and a 2004 State Prize of the Russian Federation.-Selected filmography:* Perekhod tovarishcha Chkalova cherez severnyy polyus...
— Psholty, Captain Ivan Kartuzov
Crew
- Director: Aleksander V. RogozhkinAleksandr Rogozhkin-Selected filmography:In 1990, he directed Karaul, which won the Alfred-Bauer Prize at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.Rogozhkin's film The Chekist was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
- Screenplay: Aleksander V. RogozhkinAleksandr Rogozhkin-Selected filmography:In 1990, he directed Karaul, which won the Alfred-Bauer Prize at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.Rogozhkin's film The Chekist was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
- Director of Photography: Andrey Zhegalov (
- Film Art: Vladimir I. Svetozarov (
- Composer: Dmitriy Pavlov (
Prizes and Festivals
- June 2002 - XXIV Moscow International Film FestivalMoscow International Film FestivalMoscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
- presented as a part of the competition program- Prize "Silver Saint George" - best director
- Prize "Silver Saint George" - best male role - Ville Haapasalo
- Viewers' Choice Prize
- Prize FIPPRESSI
- Russia's Cinema Club Federation Prize
- July 2002 - X Festival of the Festivals in Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSaint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
- Grand Prize "Golden Griffin" - best film
- August 2002 - X Film Festival "Window to Europe" in VyborgVyborgVyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
- presented as a part of the competition program- Grand Prize - best film
- Prize for the best female role - Anni-Kristiina Juuso
- 1-2d place ( with film "The Star") in the external nomination "Vyborg's Count"
- October 2002 - International film festival "Europa Cinema" in Viarego, ItalyItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
- presented as a part of the competition program- Main Prize - best film
- Prize - best director
- December 2002 — 3 awards "Golden Aries" of the National Guild of the Movie Critics and the Movie Press:
- best film of the year
- best screenplay
- best woman role
- February 2003 - 4 awards "Golden Eagle":
- best film of the year
- best director
- best screenplay
- best male role - Viktor Bychkov
- March 2003 - 4 awards "Nika":
- best movie of the year
- best director
- best woman role
- best film artist
- 2003 - International Film Festival in Troy, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
- Prize for the best film
- Prize for the best woman role
- 2003 — International File Festival in San Francisco — Viewers' Choice Prize
- 2003 — XI Russian Film Festival in Onfler, FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- Grand Prize best film
- Best male role - Viktor Bychkov
- Prize for the best female role - Anni-Kristiina Juuso
June 2004 - Russian Federation National Award in the Art and Literature Area was awarded to the crew of the film; to the director and the author of the screenplay Aleksandr Rogozhkin
Aleksandr Rogozhkin
-Selected filmography:In 1990, he directed Karaul, which won the Alfred-Bauer Prize at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.Rogozhkin's film The Chekist was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1992 Cannes Film Festival....
, producer Segei Selianov, main cast Anni-Kristiina Juuso, Ville Haapasalo, Viktor Bychkov, director of photography Andrey Zhegalov, director of the film art Vladimir I. Svetozarov, composer Dmitriy Pavlov, sound engineers Anatoliy Gudkov and Sergei Sokolov.
External links
- The Cuckoo at Sony Classics