Siberian Education

{{Infobox film

| name = Siberian Education

| image = Siberian Education.jpg

| caption =

| director = Gabriele Salvatores

| producer =

| story = Nicolai Lilin (novel)

| writer = Gabriele Salvatores
Sandro Petraglia

| starring = John Malkovich
Arnas Fedaravicius

| music = Mauro Pagani

| cinematography = Italo Petriccione

| editing = Massimo Fiocchi

| country = Italy

| released = {{Film date|2013}}

| runtime = 110 min

| language = English

}}

Siberian Education (known as Deadly Code in the United States;{{Cite web|url = https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1697064/releaseinfo?ref_=tt_dt_dt#akas|title = Also Known As (AKA)|date = |accessdate = 20 August 2015|website = Internet Movie Database|publisher = |last = |first = }}) is a 2013 Italian crime-drama film directed by Gabriele Salvatores.

The film was nominated to 11 David di Donatello awards, including Best Film and Best Director.{{cite news | url=http://www.repubblica.it/spettacoli/cinema/2013/05/10/news/david_donatello-58487389/?ref=search | title=David, boom per Vicari e Tornatore: 13 nomination "Diaz" e "La migliore offerta" | date=10 May 2013 | accessdate=18 September 2013 | newspaper=la Repubblica | language=it}} Mauro Pagani won the Ciak d'oro for Best Score.{{cite news | url=http://brescia.corriere.it/brescia/notizie/cronaca/13_giugno_5/ciak-oro-a-mauro-pagani-per-colonna-sonora-educazione-siberiana-2221500715689.shtml | title=Ciak d'oro al musicista Pagani | date=5 June 2013 | accessdate=18 September 2013 | newspaper=Corriere della Sera | language=it}}

Production

The movie is based on the allegedly autobiographic novel with the same name written by Nicolai Lilin,{{cite news | url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/film-tv/news/malkovich-gets-a-siberian-education-28633739.html | title=Malkovich gets a Siberian Education | date=5 July 2011 | accessdate=18 September 2013 | newspaper=Belfast Telegraph}} the pen name of Nikolai Verzhbitsky.{{cite news | url=http://www.kommersant.ru/doc/1781720 | title=Татуированная клюква | publisher=Kommersant.ru|date=2011-10-03|trans-title=Cranberries in tattoos|language=ru}}

Many of the actors, especially child actors, are Lithuanian. Winter scenes were also shot in Lithuania (instead of the actual Russia). All other scenes were shot in parts of Italy. The movie itself was filmed in English, with Italian subtitles.{{cite web

| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/199161/

| title =Salvatores to start Siberian Education in Lithuania

| last =Scarpa

| first =Vittoria

| date =2011-03-14

| publisher = Cineuropa

| access-date =2024-05-07}}

The finale was changed after a test screening with an audience in London.{{cite web

| url =https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/233762/

| title =Educazione siberiana, a criminal comedy by Salvatores

| last =De Marco

| first =Camillo

| date =2013-02-25

| publisher = Cineuropa

| access-date =2024-05-07}}

Lilin's novel was never published in Russia because the author allegedly banned the sale of rights to it in the country.{{cite web

| url =https://p.dw.com/p/NMLd

| title ="Сибирское воспитание" - роман потомственного урки

| last =Shuman

| first =Efim

| language=ru

| publisher = Deutsche Welle

| access-date =2024-05-07}} Kommersant's journalist Elena Chernenko found out that many facts from the book and the author’s biography are not confirmed by sources and stories of Lilin’s acquaintances, and Lilin himself stated that he repeatedly emphasized in interviews that his book is not an autobiography and that his Western publishers position it as such.

Plot

Kolyma{{efn|Kolyma: a reference to Kolyma}} and Gagarin{{efn|Gagarin: a reference to Yuri Gagarin}} are two boys in a Siberian village{{efn|There are no "ethnically Siberian" villages in Transnistria, neitrher there is a "Siberian ethnicity"}} in Transnistria being raised by Kolyma's grandfather Kuzja.{{efn|Kuzja or Kuzya is a diminutive for the given name Kuzma}} Kuzja imposes a very strict education to the children, focusing on hatred of the Soviet officials such as bankers or the military, which are regarded as enemies. Following one of their robbery attempts against the Soviets{{huh|date=August 2024|reason= how a robery is "against the Soviets"?}}, Gagarin is captured, tried and imprisoned. Seven years later Gagarin is freed, but he discovers that his world has completely changed and he does not know how to succeed in solving his problems. Gagarin finally discovers that the ideals of his people have collapsed in the drug trade, so he enters into this new system but he ends up in conflict with Kolyma.{{cite web

| url =https://deadline.com/2013/05/cannes-wrekin-hill-acquires-u-s-on-gabriele-salvatores-siberian-education-with-john-malkovich-503864/

| title =Cannes: Wrekin Hill Acquires U.S. On Gabriele Salvatores' 'Siberian Education' With John Malkovich

| last =Fleming

| first =Mike Jr

| date =2013-05-19

| publisher =Deadline

| access-date =2024-05-07}}

Cast

John Malkovich as Grandfather Kuzya
Arnas Fedaravicius as "Kolyma"
Arnas Sliesoraitis as Kolyma Age 10
{{ill|Vilius Tumalavičius|lt}} as Yuri "Gagarin" Lebedev
Pijus Grudė as Gagarin Age 10
Peter Stormare as "Ink"
Eleanor Tomlinson as Xenya Sakurova
Jonas Trukanas as "Mel"
Ernestas Markevičius as Mel Age 10
Vitalij Porchnev as "Vitalic"
Erikas Zaremba as Vitalic Age 10
James Tratas as "Shorty" (credited as Zilvinas Tratas)
Airida Gintautaitė as Anna, Kolyma's Mother
Arvydas Lebeliūnas as Dr. Nikolai Sakurov
Viktoras Karpusenkovas as "Plank"
Daiva Stubraitė as Aunt Katya
Jokūbas Bateika as "Meza"
Dainius Jankauskas as "Vulture"
Denisas Kolomyckis as Igor, The Shnyr
Vytautas Rumšas as Dimitry (credited as Vitautas Rumshas)

Reception

Siberian Education received mixed to positive reviews. James Luxford from The National (UAE) gave to the film a score of 3/5 writing:

"Sombre and grim, this coming-of-age tale keeps the scale small but the issues big, hinting at wider questions of good and evil in the world, but an inability to offer truly memorable moments creates a ceiling artistically". He also appreciated Salvatores' script and Malkovich's performance.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/film-review-siberian-education-1.294358|title = Film review: Siberian Education|date = 10 July 2013}}

Catherine Brown from Filmink praised the film saying that:"

Despite its faults, the film is worth viewing not only for Malkovich's brilliant performance".{{cite web |url=http://www.filmink.com.au/reviews/siberian-education-dvd_2/ |title=Siberian Education - FilmInk |website=www.filmink.com.au |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141017023529/http://www.filmink.com.au/reviews/siberian-education-dvd_2/ |archive-date=2014-10-17}}

The Hollywood Reporter gave to the film a positive review calling it: "[...] a strong piece of exotica".{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/siberian-education-educazione-siberiana-film-425713|title = Siberian Education (Educazione Siberiana): Film Review|website = The Hollywood Reporter|date = 2 March 2013}}

Lee Marshal from Screen Daily praised the lush photography and convincing lead performance, but noticed that generally the story didn't feel authentic and the heavy accented dialogue is difficult to be taken seriously.{{cite web

| url =https://www.screendaily.com/siberian-education/5052629.article

| title =Siberian Education

| last =Marshal

| first =Lee

| date =2013-03-05

| publisher = Screen Daily

| access-date =2024-05-07}}