Drunk Cats and Eerie Devils

The Master and Margarita has been a big part of my family's discussions since I can remember. There are a few quotes that are constantly thrown around, like "Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it," or my favourite, "The only thing that can save a mortally wounded cat is a gulp of gasoline."

I have already briefly written about the book a few years ago in The Magic Show. This past Sunday, I went to watch the movie that was released in early 2024 and has now reached the cinemas in Estonia.

The movie faced criticism due to Russia's current geopolitical situation, especially since the movie's director, Michael Lockshin, had pro-Ukrainian views. That being said, compared to the initial release of Bulgakov's book, this is nothing.

Written during the 1930s Soviet era, it depicts the shortcomings of the regime. That is part of the reason it was first published in 1967 in Paris, and the completely uncensored version only came out in 1973. In that sense, waiting a few years for a movie is fine.

The movie was great. My assessment isn't biased—rather, my family's discussions have given me a deep analytical perspective on the story. The knowledge of the book's contents was very helpful. To my surprise, the movie depicted the characters, scenes, and overall vision remarkably well.

The film perfectly captured the regime's oppression of creative expression. Latunsky, a critic who destroys the Master's career over his play about Pontius Pilate, later casually tells him at a party: 'Do not take it personally, it is only work.'

I really enjoyed the character of Woland and how he was the same kind of eerie, all-knowing devil. The performance of August Diehl in that role is splendid. I have to mention that the way Behemoth was shown was very entertaining. A cat that smokes cigars, drinks vodka and makes quirky comments.

It was refreshing to get the story told differently. The filmmakers added some new storylines to the original, yet they didn't detract from the source material at all. It made me admire Bulgakov's creativity even further, since the parts that shone through were from the original text. The story is filled with such fantasy, yet the subtext is powerful.

This Week's Suggestion:

🎬 The Master and Margarita (2024 film):

Do not take my word for it, go have a look and form your own opinion on the matter!

🎶 "sometime" by neophron and baby hayabusa:

This experimental French song has been in my musical rotation for a long time. I feel like it is very fitting for this post, it has creativity to it.

Have a lovely Monday!