Typically I dislike the romance genre I don't fully know why, but it has never been my thing. However I strongly recommend watching this film. The film focuses mainly on the character Larissa, the daughter of a widowed noble woman who is poor. The mother in question is trying to marry off her daughters to wealthy and hopefully nice men. However later in the film even the daughters who were married off at the beginning of the film as well as prior to it, meet with bleak fates. Eventually Larissa meets with a similar fate as her sisters. This is just a brief synopsis the film is much deeper. It displays a situation that could have happened, or even might have happened in Russia during the late 19th century. However the situation in the film is not just an examination of things that happened in Russia. In fact it is more of an examination of the social norms surrounding women and marriage during that time period. As the film gets darker toward the end Larissa realizes how she is viewed by her suitors. She becomes aware that she is perceived as a fancy object and her life up to this point has basically been an auction. I have seen very few films regarding romance and marriage where a character becomes aware of their own objectification in such a way. There are many characters in the film that have a heavy impact on it, but the two that stand out are that stand out are Larissa and Paratov. Interestingly what makes them stand out is how much they have in common. Both are struck with misfortune as far as wealth goes, both have exceptional talent, and both are considered attractive. The main difference is that Paratov is a man which means that he can solve his misfortune in wealth through a variety of avenues. However Larissa is a woman and in this time period there's no way that she knows of out of her troubles unless it's through marriage. The music and cinematography is excellent. The camera work is stellar there are often shots through windows and as far as I know there were no signs of the cameras reflection in these. The music fits the tone and often matches up with the scenario it is accompanying. Otherwise it uses intentional dissonance. The acting is believable and is lively enough to keep me invested in the dialogue. As with any film I recommend seeing it in its native language.

This film has great music, acting and sets. Overall very good adaptation of the play. I enjoyed it immensely. The film centers around a young woman who comes from a noble family but has no dowry for suitors. It explores the changing situation in the mid 1800s among the classes. At this time there were 3 classes: the nobles, peasants and the emerging raznochintsy class. Many of the characters in the film are from the latter, and the focus upon wealth and social status is apparent. In summary, this is a great film which really shows the changing social structures of the 1850s Russia. I would highly recommend this film to anybody interested in romance or Russian history.

Overall, it was a good romantic movie. The reflections shots that were captured must have been very difficult to capture, but it really added to the camera work. Yes, this movie is mostly about a love triangle, but it gave insight to how life really was in Russian at this time. Women were often treated as property and this movie definitely demonstrates this with Larissa getting tossed back and forth between possible suitors. This movie also touched on the topic of people marrying for wealth not necessarily love. In the movie this happened with Larissa's sisters and including herself Overall, it demonstrated how life was like in the raznochintsy social class of Russia

On the surface, this movie looks like it's possibly just another romantic drama about a girl and her suitors, but take a look again!! There is much more to this precious film than meets the eye. For starters, our lead lady, Larissa, appears to be every guy's dream girl. She is beautiful, graceful, has a soothing voice and has different males vying for her attention. With all these qualities, one would think that she is in control of her life and should get what she wants, but instead she is caught in a world where she is powerless and is pushed and pulled one way and another. As strong as she appears, she seems to have an inescapable fate no matter what she does, and her attempts at removing herself from it just causes further issues. Upon her realization, it is interesting and a bit gloomy what she chooses to do upon realizing her fate(but you'll have to watch to find out).There are many subtle symbols spread throughout the film and they are enjoyable to spot. I love when movies tell their story not only with the characters, but with the environment and this film definitely adds those eye catching little details. It adds a sense of artistry, to what is an already a visually pleasing film. However you do not need to understand or spot the small inferences to enjoy the film, the film as a whole is enjoyable as is as well. However if you are familiar with a little Russian culture, literature, or the play altogether it will get you thinking.It is important to note that the film is originally based on the play called "the Dowerless bride." A dowry is the property or money a bride will bring to a man if he gets married to her. Well, the film is centered around wealth, the wealthy, and how to maintain wealth so for our lead to be "without dowry," (and yet still be adored) you can see how it can lead to complications. It brings to light necessary topics of women, objectivity, a patriarch society and the harsh reality of a capitalistic world. All the surrounding men play their parts great and I love that there is a wide cast of characters. The two main male leads are intriguing in the way they develop. (or not develop in some cases). We don't just have the "charismatic" guy, but also have the shy "little man," the wealthy men, gypsies, and serfs. All part of the Russian culture. It is a great film to get a small taste of the Russian lifestyle, but there are also many aspects and behaviors that are not so different than our own. The film itself is very pleasing to the eye. The costumes are gorgeous and sometimes looking at the modernity of the film, I forgot these folks were in Russia. The style is similar to that of a Russian Audrey Hepburn film, but definitely has its own dark take on matters inside it. I hope you enjoy it as I did.