Barbara the Fair with the Silken Hair
Featured in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021),Remembered with great fondness watching many Russian fantasies and animations just over five years ago, out of interest and nostalgia. Decided to do it again being a little less busy recently and being in the midst of a much needed calming down period, remembering my happiness from over five years ago and wanting to relive it. My experience of Russian fantasy and film in general has been one of great pleasure with so many gems.

'Barbara the Fair with the Silken Hair' is yet another entertaining and beautiful Soviet/Russian film, incorporating fantasy, comedy and drama, and another reason why my re-visiting of Russian films has been more than worthwhile and a great decision. All the fond memories of that period in 2013, helping me get through settling in a new unfamiliar city and my intensive vocal and operatic studies course, were once again brought back, feelings felt with other recently seen Russian films and that is including other films by Alexander Rou.

It is very sumptuously produced, the costumes and sets evoking a really magical fairy-tale warmth and the photography doesn't hinder them in any way, no signs of going-through-the-motions or trying too hard. The score is just lovely to listen to and very distinctively Russian in sound. The songs sparkle as much as the script and story, very clever and memorable.

Writing is charming and the humour is hilarious, very smartly scripted 'Barbara the Fair with the Silken Hair' is. The story is simply enchanting, a story told with freshness, wit, charm and warmth, the surrealist aspect intriguingly bizarre but not confusing and the fairy/folk tale element imaginatively done. The situations are complicated but avoids getting muddled.

Characters although somewhat archetypal are handled with freshness and quirkiness. The acting showed the actors having fun and invested in their roles, even if theatricality creeps in yet it fits with the film's tone.

On the whole, entertaining and beautiful. 9/10 Bethany Cox,