One problem with so many romantic films, new and old, is that they are just so cheesy and predictable. Lean in for kiss, music swells, and you roll your eyes. It is so often unconvincing, as well, with actors who have no chemistry and screenplays just filled with clichés which really take you out of the experience. So you can imagine my delight to find a film that simply leaps over all of these pitfalls and even manages to run an extra mile! The Cranes are Flying is an overlooked 50s classic about a couple torn apart by war, and it is a tragic one at that.
One of the things I loved most about Cranes is that it was just really heart-warming without being manipulative or conventional. There are touching and moving scenes which simply involve the two lovers playing around and teasing each other. It’s very honest and down to earth. I’m not sure why, but there is a gift given to one of them to the other that just really got to me; it was just a stuffed toy, but because the movie allowed it’s audience to tap into the feelings of the characters, the present feels like the world, like it is something intimate and special. The simple stuffed animal really embodies Cranes’ emotional heart; simple and unpretentious yet touching and poignant. The love between the couple is genuine and when they are separated you feel like their link is never severed; and this is how Cranes turns to be an emotionally crushing film part way through.
Life seems to always get in the way of good things, and in this case, war pries the lovers apart; but because Cranes’ did such a good job at establishing their relationship and bringing us close to the characters, the reality of the lovers being torn away from each other feels just as horrible to us as it does for them. This is why Cranes’ is such a strong film during both halves – when they are together we feel their tenderness for each other, and when they are separated we feel their longing and desire for each other. It goes from being touching to almost depressing, it’s really a very sad story. Without giving away the last third of the film I will simply say it’s anything but a throwaway romantic film; it’s realistic, uncompromising and coldly goes against what you want to happen. An important thing to note that the film does not glorify war or Russia; many films from the USSR in the 50s were basically propaganda, but Cranes’ somehow side stepped this and simply sticks with the tender, transcending love story.
Last but not least, the visuals. While Cranes’ is a heart warming and later heart wrenching film at heart, it also has a particularly visual aspect. And when I say that, I’m talking about some of the best visuals of the 50s. I am shocked that more people do not talk about this film, even during cinematography discussions as it is simply an astounding piece of visual work. The camera is always doing fascinating things, is constantly framed in curious manners, and the lighting in simply fantastic, whether it be a face or a cityscape. There are some purely astounding crane shots, particularly one on a staircase which must have taken an age to set up, and contrastingly, there is startling use of handheld which is something I’ve never really seen from a film of Cranes’ age. One of my favourite shots sees a character rushing up a burning building only to swing open the door to find their apartment gone after a bomb destroyed it. The way the camera flowed with her up the building, moved in to reveal the scene and then the way it framed the carnage made me feel just as devastated as the person was to see what had happened to their home. It’s just breathtaking, Simply put, the cinematography is magnificently beautiful, elegant, gorgeous, and striking. I could go on and on, but basically, Cranes’ could be a textbook on what a beautiful film should look like.
So what makes Cranes’ such a fantastic film? It’s because it is a poem at heart. It has the almost lyrical beauty of the unadulterated and tender love story and the visual exquisiteness one would find in a painting by a master artist. It’s a cute film, it’s a touching film and at the same time it’s a heart breaking film. It even skilfully avoids a slew of potential clichés and other such dangerous traps, making for a much more genuine heart and soul. But ultimately what makes Cranes’ so memorable is that it is a transcending film, as if the love was real and someone captured it on every single one of the beautiful shot frames, as if it is in the fabric of the film. There is a real beauty to be found in The Cranes are Flying, and since so few people have seen it, I hope more go out to see it now that they know it exists.
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