226. Firebird; movie review

 

FIREBIRD

Cert 15

107 mins

BBFC advice: Contains string language, sex

In 2013, 16% of Russians surveyed said that gay people should be isolated from society, 22% said they should be forced to undergo treatment and 5% said homosexuals should be "liquidated".

As we live in the UK where sexuality matters less and less, these attitudes are hard to fathom.

After all, people are just people, aren't they?

Of course, we weren't always as liberal and, incredibly, the last remaining anti-gay laws were only repealed in Scotland 2013.

The Armed Forces have always been an area where gay liberation has been an issue and that is tackled in Peeter Rabane's Firebird.

This is a true story of Sergey Fetisov (Tom Prior) who serves his compulsory military conscription in the 1970s at a Soviet Air Force Base in occupied Estonia. 

There he falls in love with a young maverick fighter pilot (Oleg Zagorodnii).

The pair have to arrange clandestine meetings because of the fear of being sent to jail if their relationship is revealed.

To the outside world their subtefuge is so effective, they appear to be in competition for the love of a mutual female friend (Diana Pozharskaya).

The premise of Firebird is interesting but it surprisingly lacks in genuine drama.

When the protagonists look as if they are going to be discovered and we should be on the edge of our seats, resolutions emerge too easily.

This may be down to tepid acting while Rebane's pacing is too slow and the score fails to create melodramatic effect

And that's a shame because Firebrand is an unusual love story and could have been so much better.

Reasons to watch: Unusual love story

Reasons to avoid: Slow going

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know? Although sexual activity between same-sex couples has been legal since 1993, homosexuality is disapproved of by most Russians and same-sex couples and households headed by same-sex couples are ineligible for the legal protections available to opposite-sex couples.

The final word. Peeter Rabane: "For me, it was clear to see from the first moment that Tom embodies these qualities of Sergey, which is this very strong sensitivity and nuance. I would say they have common energies." AV Club

Share this post