Russian myth in modern literature - Essay Example

In man's effort to maintain the sense of nationalistic pride imbibed in his own culture and beliefs, he strives to inculcate in the best possible way to leave a certain indelible mark for the next generations. The tools of popular modernity have provided highly efficient media that is an accessible reach to the community. To demand allegiance, cultural literacy is often brought out in modern literature and filmography and entertains its avid reader or viewer. True enough; a desired effect is probably gained if the audience is limited to a group of similar beliefs.

However when certain beliefs and myths are incorporated into modern public education with particular emphasis on subjects that are not of particular interest yet requires unrelenting study, we begin to see the undue prejudice and the necessity of promoting idealism as Nussbaum critically assails it "to give support to nationalist sentiments ultimately subverting even the values that hold a nation together." This particularism could ultimately appear as politically backward that will dissolve the traditional beliefs that sometimes is perceived and considered as immature to modern thought.

But as a culturally entertaining system, Russian myth in films and modern literature has surpassed our childhood imagination and produced lovely and timeless tales of love.Alexander Rou's Father Frost, has been praised by numerous filmmakers who has recognized the fantasy based on the popular Russian folk story of a girl Nastya who was banished by her wicked stepmother into the cold, winter forest. There she meets the man she loves in Ivan. This film assesses the negative views on the relationship between ill-behavior and punishment in the individual and glorifies the goodness in man.

The mythical Father Frost after Nastya's suffering in the hands of her family was abundantly rewarded with riches, love and happiness which in the end allowed good to prevail over evil with a fairy tale ending. Similarly in Rulsan and Ludmila, the magical kidnapping of the enchanting Ludmila on her wedding night by Chernomor, the evil sorcerer whose powers allowed an ensuing battle over Ludmila's betrothed, Ruslan. The king, angered over the abduction annuls the marriage and offers her daughter's hand in marriage for anyone who could rescue her.

Ruslan and the other knights set in all directions to rescue her and set the dramatic and colorful encounters with the mythical creatures like witches and hermits and winged creatures. Ptushko in the movie provided a folkloric backdrop that magnified Pushkin's poem with observations on the human nature and its weakness. The final peace and conquest for love was achieved as Ruslan defeated the antics of Chernomor after the encounter with the huge and monstrous head. Sergei Livnev's Hammer and Sickle, 1993 (Serp i molot) takes a different view 1930s as a semi-literary piece created history in an artificial construct.

The film is about some demand by Stalin in 1936 that the country should have more soldiers and his aides masterminded an experiment whereby the female Evdokiia (Dusia) Kuznetsova becomes the male Evdokim Kuznetsov. Evdokim turns out to be a successful model worker of the metro construction brigade and is awarded with a medal and consequently matched with Liza Voronina, another model worker. They literally become models for the statue of "The Worker and the Peasant" as well as a model Soviet family after they adopted the orphan, Dolores.

After an encounter with his first love, Evdokim challenges Stalin's control of his life and tried to attack him, unfortunately he was shot. Paralyzed and unable to speak, Evdokim is turned into a hero as he supposedly saved Stalin's life. His wife commands his thoughts as he writes his book "Hammer and Sickle." The main character in his book reflected his inner struggles and named its charcters after his real life sitatution where Liza and Evdokim are artefacts. Evdokim is created through gender