The Return

This succesful Russian film from 2003 has a nice tone to it. It is curiously shot and displays access to a number of interesting themes. It doesn't quite ever take off, but it remains a more than interesting film, which may benefit from further unpacking in rewatches.
The first thing to say is that this film very much lends itself to a Freudian reading; the hatred and identification, the brothers joining together for the mythical crime that can found their (Alexei's) subjectivity. One of the more interesting things to watch in this film is how Alexei, and notably at the start Ivan, very much mimic their father in their resistance to him. This film goes deeper than most in exploring Freud's motifs.
The film feels like a bit of a study of Freud more than a character study, due to the quite far-away camerawork and the feeling that the narrative never quite latches on to one particular person (except perhaps Ivan, for a period). The figure of the father is for the most part presented as the archetypal patriarch, which lends him symblic interest, if only in a few glimpses of a 'box', and a couple of touches, do we have suggested to us a more solid human. The two children are both played very well, by the way.
We have beautiful images rather than beautiful film-movement, but the washed out, setting light aesthetics of the grey sea are a look that adds to the mythic quality (a few scenes especially, of the hooded father in the storm most notable, stand out). The look could easily have made this film come from any time since the 1970's. It seems almost Tarkovskian at times, the fixed camerawork on the Russian backdrops, the lingering, intense camera that is not sensual. Sometimes the director does not know when to end a scene, or seemingly what the real purpose of that particular shot is.
One interesting footnote are the photos at the end; these are exceptionally, stunningly beautiful. Who took these?
A good film, with deep qualities to it, that rewards further study, if not exactly the deepest ever enjoyment.