Moscow on the Hudson

Released 1984
Stars Robin Williams, Maria Conchita Alonso, Cleavant Derricks
Directed by Paul Mazursky
Reviewed April 10, 1998

Freedom. That's what this movie is about: personal freedom. It stars Robin Williams in what I think is his best role ever. He leaves his stand-up act at home and shows us what he can do when held in check. He plays Vladimir Ivanoff, a saxophonist in the Russian circus, who defects during a trip to New York City. Don't worry, I'm not giving anything away. The movie opens with Vladimir in New York talking to a newly arrived immigrant. We then flash back to the beginning of the story in Russia.

The film was made in 1984, while the Soviet Union was still in its hey-day. We get to see Russian life during the height of this period, and it seems very real. There were always shortages of goods, and we see lines of people three blocks long to get toilet paper or shoes. Some of them don't even know what the line is for; they just know it must be something they need. It's not all grim, though. Vladimir lives with his parents, grandfather, and sister in a small apartment, and there's a lot of love there. The one overriding feeling you get while in Russia, however, is the lack of freedom. Everyone talks softly, because they're afraid someone will overhear. The KGB is a constant presence. They harass Vladimir, because they're afraid his friend, the clown, wants to defect during the circus' trip to New York. The KGB is correct. The clown feels like a "bird with no wings," and he desperately wants to defect. After arriving in New York, he writes "FREEDOM" on their bus window.

The differences between life in Russia and the U.S. make you realize how lucky we are to live here. This is a very patriotic film in an indirect way. It shows life in both countries, but it doesn't glamorize either. Instead, it shows the positive points along with the bad. In New York we see the crime, the poor living conditions (that aren't much different than Russia's), the lack of good jobs, and some homeless people. There is never a moment, though, that you don't feel lucky to be an American. This movie makes you tear up from beginning to end as you see the small aspects of life that we take for granted but are beyond imagination in Russia. One small example is the scene in the grocery store. Earlier I mentioned the lines that Soviets had to endure to get basic commodities. It was their way of life, and they did it without thought. The first time Vladimir goes to the store after defecting, he goes to buy coffee. I think he expected to find one can labeled "COFFEE." At this point he's feeling overwhelmed with everything that's happened since his defection, and this is the final straw. When he's confronted with multiple shelves displaying more than a dozen brands of coffee from several countries, he passes out.

Although Vladimir defects to America, he meets almost no natural-born Americans. This story is populated with the different immigrants who settle in the Big Apple every day. It makes the story stronger, because these people truly appreciate the freedom they gained by coming here. The tone of the movie isn't joyous, though. The tone is melancholic from beginning to end. The most joyous moment is when he defects, but even that scene has a bittersweet quality. The reason for the melancholic tone is Vladimir is never truly happy. Not in the USSR or in America. In New York, he misses his family. He's also disappointed that he can't work as a musician; he takes every menial job he can find. His paranoia about the KGB doesn't disappear overnight. After living with that fear for 30+ years, he can't just forget it. The message is that no place is perfect, but it's better to be in a place where you have the freedom to make it the best you can.

When Vladimir defects, he does so in Bloomingdale's. My heart soared for him as he waved good-bye to his friends for the last time. Again, it's a bittersweet moment, because, although he's gaining his freedom, he's losing his friends and family forever. Vladimir is aided by a Bloomingdale's security guard named Lionel Witherspoon (Cleavant Derricks), who protects him from the KGB agents until the police arrive. Lionel also offers to let Vladimir stay with his family (which is a mirror image of Vladimir's family in Russia), since Vladimir doesn't know anyone in New York--or the United States for that matter. Lionel befriends Vladimir and helps him adjust to New York. I loved Lionel's character and Derricks' performance.

One of my favorite aspects of this movie is that they speak Russian. In "The Hunt For Red October," they only spoke Russian for a couple of minutes before switching to English. They don't do that here. The Soviets speak Russian except when practicing their English. It adds authenticity to the film, and it's more interesting. While promoting the film, Robin Williams described how he took lessons in Russian for two months or so. It shows.

There's a scene late in the film when Vladimir has lost faith in America. He goes to a diner with his attorney friend (a Cuban defector), and he gets in an argument with another Russian immigrant. I don't want to give away the scene, but Vladimir's faith is restored in a way that would restore anyone's faith. We all need to take time now and then to reflect on our lives. This movie allows us to do that. It lets us think about how lucky we truly are, despite all of the problems in this country, to have our freedom.

Reviewed by Bill Alward  Home

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