The Heart of Russia in Cinema

Pino Viscusi

• Publisher: Youcanprint
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9788892643857
• Topic: Media & Performing Arts
• Subtopic: Film History & Criticism

Pino Viscusi, poet and literate lent to cinema, in this fourth essay presents important iconographic material to testimony of his passion for revisiting literary texts, paintings, and movie classics all seen as authentic expression of and recurrent need for the spirituality of the "Russian Soul", since the time of its evangelism.

Pino Viscusi, poet and literate lent

to cinema, in this fourth essay

presents important iconographic

material to testimony of his passion

for revisiting literary texts, paintings,

and movie classics all seen as

authentic expression of and

recurrent need for the spirituality of

the “Russian Soul”, since the time

of its evangelism.

Copyright © Pino Viscusi, 2016

All rights reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be used for any purpose other than personal use.

Therefore, reproduction in any form or by any means, for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited

without prior written permission.

The author remains at disposal of potential copyright holders

for those images whereas it was not possible to trace the original intellectual property.

Translation from Italian by Giada Garofalo

By Pino Viscusi

ISBN 9788892643857

Graphics and front cover by the author

To little Isabel Shabalin, daughter of Simona Pagano and Dmitry Shabalin,

beautiful, smiley, arrived “from Russia with love”,

Your proud great grandfather Pino

Pino Viscusi

Preface by Elio Zenobi

Introduction by Angelo Signorelli

THE HEART OF RUSSIA

IN CINEMA

PREFACE

by

Elio Zenobbi

This is the fourth book that Pino Viscusi writes about Cinema.

He does so as a curious person, a cinema lover, or better said an

artist who has spent the past four years researching the inviting field

of moving images. He does so with a loving soul and a refined

palate for emotions.

Viscusi avoids focusing on theories or historical facts, because

he is more interested in the game of analogies, in the paths that

lead to painting experiences, in the awe inspired by sudden

enlightenments.

The book is rich of iconographic material and of subtle comments,

probably in an attempt to leave more space for personal interpreta-

tion by the reader, entrusted with finding possible links between the

chapters that the author assembles more because of their

emotional and visual impact than for a real logical-structural need.

Viscusiʼs essay starts with the observation that it was the great

works of Russian literature that became movie subjects or that

inspired the visuals and the mystic and poetic passions in the likes

of Parajanov, Tarkovsky, Kalatozov and Lungin.

But Russian cinema has also nourished thanks to the painting

tradition rooted in the icon, to the conflicting and provocative

Iurodivye (Fools for Christ), and to those who like the Starets were

guiding lights for spirituality and morality.

The apex of this debt to the visual arts is embodied in Sokurov, who

in Russian Ark encapsulates an enchanting journey across history,

art and spirituality in one single long sequence shot.

What emerges from Viscusiʼs work is a Russia with an ancient heart

geared towards contemplation, mysticism, and palingenesis. A heart

tenacious and eternal, that remains substantially untouched by the

most radical historical events, like the October Revolution.

Thus, earth, water, air, fire, manʼs works, and time maintain an

intrinsic sacredness that withstands history shakes, and any

ideologic fascinations. And so, Tarkovsky, Sokurov, and Khutsiev

free themselves from any State materialism and return to talk about

the soul and a certain feel for sacredness.

Moreover, Viscusiʼs taste for the Irrational studded with symbols,

allegories, metaphors, and enlightenments shows through the titles

of all his writings: “I registi raccontano lʼIndia che cambia” (Film-

makers narrate a changing India), “Realtà e sogno - suggestioni

poetiche con Theo Anghelopulos” (Dream and Reality – poetic

suggestions with Theo Anghelopulos), “Il cuore della Russia nelle

immagini del cinema” (The Heart of Russia in Cinema), “Cogito ergo

video – storia illustrata del Cinema dagli inizi ai nostri giorni”(I think

therefore I see – illustrated history of cinema since its incipit to our

days), whereas cogito (I think) does not refer to anything rational; it

does not refer in fact to Descartes but to Godard, a prolific creator

of alchemies, analogies, and strenuous promoter of ideological

passions.

But the most striking aspect of Viscusiʼs work lies in the graphics

that he personally imagines and designs. His books are humbly and

gently “shown” more tha...