The Banishment is a 2007 Russian psychological drama film directed by Andrey Zvyagintsev. The film is a loose adaptation of The Laughing Matter, a 1953 novel by Armenian-American writer William Saroyan. It stars Konstantin Lavronenko and Maria Bonnevie. The film premiered at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d'Or. Lavronenko won the Best Actor award at the festival. Beautifully shot, but ultimately disappointing, lumbering sophomore effort from Russian potential great Andrey Zvyagintsev. The film's narrative has been described as "frustrating" and "suffers from structural problems. Sight & Sound said "the film's dramatic narrative twist is clumsily rendered. Intended to disorientate, it comes over as contrived." The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw criticized the film's open-ended nature and how it left questions unanswered saying, "there is an outstanding film somewhere inside this sprawling mass of ideas, which might have been shaped more exactingly in the edit." Neil Young's Film Lounge concurred, stating "Zvyagintsev has ended up merely aping the cinematic giants who have come before him." Vision says that The Banishment has flaws such as a lack of character development, an abstract nature and a rambling pace. Lack of character development Some critics say that the film lacks character development and that the father in the film doesn't understand his wife. Others say that the film's final act doesn't clarify or extend the audience's understanding. Abstract nature Some critics say that the film's abstract and elusive nature keeps viewers at a distance. Rambling pace Others say that the film's drawn-out events risk alienating its audience. Unnecessary obscurity Some critics say that parts of the story are unnecessarily obscure, which reduces the impact of important scenes Unanswered questions Some critics say that the film leaves many questions unanswered, such as who shot Mark and why. Cinematography The cinematography by Mikhail Krichman received great praise from most critics.

Might be the most impressive film I have ever seen. Bergman and Tarkovsky have nothing on this director. An evocative mystery like l'Avventura, though decidedly a downer.

Out of time and place story of a family incapable to process their relationship shot with an incredible love to beauty in every shot. The story itself seems to be a bit monotonous from time to time, though you couldn't resist its thrill and deep drama.

I think it's a bit overlong, could be one (more) powerful drama if otherwise.

A good directing for a bad story.

Set against the vast and windy landscape is a tale of betrayal that leads to an untimely death and injustice served cold. The twist is shocking but does not unriddle the female protagonist's deliberately wrong choice of pronoun.

Sad but beautifully shot film

Slow moving drama that is wonderfully shot, and this pace helps compliment the images, however the story is confusing once it unravels and is never fully explained.

This movie is absolutely stunning visually, and the story has deep meaning. However, it didn't move me quite as much as "The Return". I'm not quite sure why, but somehow the way the movie was structured works against it, in particular the anachronisms. I was thrown off by suddenly changing timelines and even though it all made sense in he end, I think it was an unnecessarily distracting. Also I could not quite tell where the events took place, the "town" and the "countryside" seemed like they were in different countries (and as it turned out they were indeed filmed in different Western European countries - not even in Russia).

A mesmerizing and quite sedative trip into the unknown setting of time and place somewhere in Russia. This film really has stunning cinematography, but it's not only this that makes it comparable with Tarkovsky, there are several scenes here that's very influenced by his work. I also find it similiar with Zvyagintsev's earlier film, Vozvrashcheniye - even if I don't have it fresh in mind. This is a pretty silent film, with long shots, and few words being said - very Russian film-ish, I wold say. It's a lot of emotions here instead, and great acting makes feelings very visable. I'm not sure if Maria Bonnevie actually learned Russian for this film, or if she was dubbed - either way, her job is impressive. To sum it up we got a pretty film with som fantastic imagery and some amazing camera work. The seldom times when music appear it's very moody stuff - another fine feature. "The Banisment" is very slow, and very long. That's why it will need patience by the viewer. It get's interesting in bunches, and tehre is a coulpe of them. I think that's why I didn't find it very dragged out or booring. It's not much I miss, but the story could have been even more interesting and it could have been shortened a fair bit.

izgnanie (the banishment)

mesmerising piece of cinema

Another timeless classic from Andrei Zvyagintsev. Now I'll wait for ELENA :-)

Beautifully shot, but ultimately disappointing, lumbering.so slow

beautiful visuals of the russian countryside. one can almost taste the gloom and doom in this film. if you're the sort who cannot stand 'not much plot going on', this is not for you. between The Return and this sophomore effort , The Return definitely engaged the heart on a more emotional level.

2,5 hours of slow-paced Russian cinema more often than not is a challenging experience. The long brooding takes are beautifully executed, but the film could do with a bit more plot. The fascinating beginning and revealing finale make for a very good viewing experience. The middle part was a mystery to me - and not in a good way.

It is a masterpiece!! Great Drama.? Acting, directing, cinematography, all superb.

masterpiece from the beginning to the end... shiver...

It is a wonderful, if imperfect, film. The acting is outstanding, the settings are fascinating and (for me) slightly perplexing. The specifics of the central characters' source of income (they appear to be criminals of some sort) and indeed the time frame in which it is set are all pushed to the margins thus making the story slightly more universal. It is marred by its occasional over-dependence on enigmatic allusions, it is unnecessarily obscure towards the end, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a remarkable cinematic experience.

Evening more sumptuously photographed than the director's first celluloid masterpiece, 'The Return,' but ultimately less satisfying in being a film of two parts, where the first is much more engrossing than the rather lame denoucenent that concludes this twisting tale. Long, at 157 minutes, but worth every moving frame nonetheless.