“The Scarecrow” frightens, fascinates, amuses, repels, and simultaneously attracts, but leaves no one indifferent. Such cinema needs to be supported. Such cinema needs to be watched.

On February 25, with the support of PROvzglyad, the triumphant film of Kinotavr-2020, “The Scarecrow” by director Dmitry Davydov, who has already become the main figure in the rapidly developing Yakut cinema, is being released. This work is called a phenomenon, a masterpiece, an original and very bright authorial statement. And all these assessments and epithets are, to one degree or another, absolutely deserved.

A Gift? A Curse? A Tool?

In a Yakut village lives a mysterious healer (Valentina Romanova-Chyskyyray), whom almost all locals despise and fear. But when serious problems arise (from gunshot wounds to stuttering) that no doctor can handle, they run to her for help. And she refuses no one, although each such “session” inevitably drains her strength and life energy.

A lonely woman, like another outcast, John Coffey from “The Green Mile,” uses her gift (or curse) as a tool. Perhaps she would like to use a more beautiful tool (it’s no coincidence that the Yakut violin, the kyryympa, plays an important role in the narrative), but she is given no other. Does she thereby punish herself for past sins, or simply cannot live otherwise? Davydov allows viewers to interpret this in their own way, letting them observe the heroine’s behavior day after day, case after case.

The story makes a strong impression largely because it is told and revealed through hints and understatement. In many moments, the viewer’s imagination is free to fill in the picture of what is happening. And almost all the most iconic episodes of the film “The Scarecrow” occur as if outside the audience’s field of vision.

And, of course, one cannot fail to mention the phenomenal acting performance. The performance of the lead actress Valentina Romanova-Chyskyyray is distinguished by an unbridled, almost animalistic energy. She simultaneously repels and attracts. Hypnotizes and amazes. Evokes pity and irritation. She can easily scare the viewer more than any heroine of Japanese horror, then make them laugh without much effort, and sometimes even without words. This multifaceted nature of the character, its depth, and the brilliant acting transformation confidently drive the simple, in essence, story forward.

Frightening Beauty

The author’s confidence in his material is also evident in the work of his cinematographer (Ivan Semyonov). Leaning towards monochrome, he organically depicts the ascetic life of a village that could be in Yakutia or Altai. He places visual accents simply but appropriately. He pays careful attention to details without forgetting the overall picture.

Despite all the frightening but sadly familiar reality with outright poverty, prostitution, and habitual hopelessness, “The Scarecrow” looks... beautiful. It is a strange beauty. Perhaps even frightening, but somehow real, you know.

The combination of an interestingly told story, the impressive acting of Romanova-Chyskyyray, and the visual presentation of the film makes “The Scarecrow” a source of pride that it was made in the same country as us.

Trailer

We express our gratitude to the company PROVZGLYAD for the invitation to the press screening of the film in St. Petersburg. Watch “The Scarecrow” in theaters starting February 25.