The father of two brothers, who live in the majestic mountains of Montana on the eve of the First World War, raised both sons in the spirit of the biblical commandments. But the brothers grew up completely different from each other. The elder Norman dreams of seeing the world and becoming a professor of literature. The younger Paul prefers to go to bars, play cards and is ready to spend his whole life in his native Montana. The only thing that unites the brothers is their passion for fishing. Ironically, the windy Paul is far superior to his serious older brother in this matter.

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When I watched Robert Redford’s “Where the River Runs” for the first time, I got a strange impression of the film, denoted by two words – it’s boring and mesmerizing at the same time.

Now, when I reviewed it in one breath, I can no longer say for sure why it is boring, why it is fascinating. This is not a movie that you can say is amazing. But he – absolutely sure – delights and delights.
Probably, and should tighten, just tighten, since fishing is one of the main characters of the picture (the language does not turn to say – the heroines). Probably, there should be boredom – partly … for people like me – who never understood fishing. But at some point, the boredom melts away, dissolving in the atmosphere, and you just need to correctly throw the line …

I really like the elusiveness in the film. Like the current of a river carrying water with it, and it cannot be delayed even for a moment. As a beloved brother, son, friend – and in the end we can only say about Paul that we do not know anything about him. Except “he’s … beautiful.”

And this beauty, concentrated within. There is no challenge in it – “look at me!”, It sparkles rather than splashes. Brad Pitt has never smiled like that in any other movie. He did not sulk like a child. Although no, of course, he smiled. But when in a smile – the whole character as a whole – I saw this only in “River …” And at the same time, he is a hero, full of absolute masculinity, even with those childishly pouting lips. Reflex – take any blame upon yourself or fall into a whirlpool, as a matter of course. And this rebellion – from the childish “I will not eat porridge” to the adult “these are my debts”, this debauchery that drowns in charm and it is impossible to catch him by the hand … Although … what am I – Paul can neither tell, nor explain, nor understand … One can only see and feel.

Brad Pitt is very good at such double-bottomed roles, even then, in 1992, at the dawn of his career, when there was still no worldwide fame or paparazzi …

It’s fascinating and … scary to watch Paul change. It’s one creature at home with parents, another at work and completely different in this bar “Lolo” at the card table. And the point here is not hypocrisy, but organic. Paul never lies. But – which side of the soul should appear on the stage in this or that setting?

I could talk about Paul for a very long time. It’s insanely difficult, and it’s almost ingenious when the director and the actor manage to show what the film says. He is an attentive and affectionate son – yes. It slips away – yes. He is vicious, he is windy – yes. He’s famous – yes. And at the same time he is simple and modest – yes … He is beautiful – yes! Paul is almost a legend … It’s even stronger – first we see the hero, then they talk about him. But the most powerful and tragic thing here is that he is nobody’s, he is free and far from everyone who loves him and whom he himself loves.

And the image of the father is a quiet, indisputable authority. And everything in him makes you freeze and admire – at first sight. And do not dare to disobey. And my mother is fragile, feminine and humble. And the elder brother – the narrator Norman – is a poet-bore, as a bore should be … equal in joint frenzy with a daredevil brother.

Characters, they captivate, and also Montana, Montana … the same hero of the film, like fishing. Music. The mountains. The forest, the sound of the river and wooden inns. “In Montana, three places are not late – to church, to work and to fishing” – with this unity with his native land, the rebel becomes as correct as clockwork.

The mood is laid out in the film … brick by brick, like a built house, everything – melodies, daily routine, laws of life, a sermon, a holiday where horseshoes are thrown on a pole, and children eat watermelons at speed, gatherings on the steps of the library … the noise of grass and the steps of a train …

Therefore, a see-through idea, woven into the mood, becomes not the main thought and explanation of the film, but also one of the heroines:
“Why would the people who need help the most not agree to it?”

The mood of the film is a measured life, step by step, day after day, and in the end it turns out to be no longer the story of one family. And not state history. And the story of life itself. And this makes the film wider, more than it seems at first glance, more than the thoughts inspired by the films, over which you will first cry and then think. Everything merges into one, and a person becomes more than a person – a work of art.

“My brother did not stand in front of us on the bank of the river, but hovered over it like a work of art. And then I understood clearly and precisely that life is not art, and this moment will not last long. ”

… And life goes on and does not stop, and the river flows through it … This is a more accurate translation of the title of the film “The river runs through it” The river flows through thoughts, events, memories, love:

“And so those whom we love and should know elude us. But it is within our power to love them. We can love them entirely, without even fully understanding. ”

Info Blu-ray
Video
Codec: HEVC / H.265 (84.9 Mb/s)
Resolution: Native 4K (2160p)
HDR: Dolby Vision, HDR10+
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Audio
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English: Dolby Digital 5.1
German: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1

Subtitles
German SDH, English.