A human tragedy of the main character – Daniil Pokrovsky – the doctor who was part of the first team of the Soviet cosmonauts, is developing within the preparation of the flight of the first man into the space. He happened to be involved in the conflict between the two women who loved him, as well as between the spirituals wholeness and scientific duties. The choice he makes can be crucial causing the loss of happiness, professional respect or even of his own life..
“Paper Soldier” directed by Alexey German is an enigmatic Russian film set in the 1960s and follows a doctor his wife and his girlfriend and their involvement with a group of cosmonauts. We follow them over a five week countdown to the launch of the first manned space rocket.
This is Russia eight years after the death of Stalin and the young Russians see their adventure as proving the might and importance of the Soviet Union. Political reality is mixed with philosophy and personal angst as the main character Danya, doctor deals with the history he is helping create and his memories of his past family history and a father who died in a camp because of his ideas.
The barren wasteland of the settings is as eerie and depressing as a lunar landscape, shrouded in mist and populated by eccentric and depressing individuals.
At one point a camp is being demolished but an elderly woman pleads to be allowed to stay as it is the only home she has known. Danya also encounters a strange individual who is trying to sell a huge portrait of Stalin whcih is surrounded by light like a religious icon.
The film owes much Russian film of the 1960’s as well as the nouvelle vague and the film slips in and out of locations and hallucinations with a dreamy surrealist style.
The title refers to a little story told early on in the film about a soldier who is very brave but doesn’t realise he is made paper and so rushes into the fire and is consumed. It’s some sort of metaphor for the cosmonauts who acknowledge that their mission is most likely to fail and they will have to be content with being dead heroes. (http://www.nbr.co.nz/article/film-festival-examining-life-104032)