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chernukha

English translation: chernukha

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Russian term or phrase:chernukha
English translation:chernukha

22:03 May 1, 2003
Russian to English translations [Non-PRO]
Art/Literary
Russian term or phrase: chernukha
film term
sue
Чернуха (See explanation below)
Explanation:
A term that refers to the unvarnished representation of Russian society's most seemy and difficult aspects.


Little Vera (dir. Valery Pichul, 1988) became the most infamous and scandalous of the glasnost films. The film deals in an unrelenting naturalistic idiom with social problems that had long been denied in the Soviet Union, and had certainly never been treated openly in Soviet mass media. The film became the benchmark film for "chernukha" - a term that refers to the unvarnished representation of Russian society's most seemy and difficult aspects.

In prepraration for watching this film you should read George Faraday's discussion of film-making in the post-Soviet years: how does he characterize the different strands in perestroika and post-Soviet film making? Where does Little Vera fit in? How does he define chernukha, and what the makers of chernukha films hoped to achieve? What about this film makes it a chernukha "classic"?

(This essay by Faraday will set the stage for all three of our final films; if you're averse to "knowing how things end" before you've seen a film, you can skip pp. 190 - 191, which describe what happens in Burnt by the Sun.)

As you watch Little Vera, pay close attention to how Pichul' shoots the beginning and ending of the film: how do you read these shots?

This film can be interestingly compared to Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears; as we discussed in class, that film hints at social problems - alcoholism, the breakup of marriages, the anomie/loneliness of modern urban society - but it quckly covers them up with comedy. (Note, too, Brendan's question about what seems like a reference to domestic abuse in "The Alarm Clock in the Cupboard.") In this context, pay particular attention to the quoted passage on pp. 176 -177 in Faraday, which suggests that films like Little Vera replace the "syrup" of Soviet illusion with the "mustard" of post-Soviet expose.

Finally, much of the scandal this film caused (in the Soviet Union) focused on its frank and open depiction of sexuality. Our readings for Thursday of next week will focusin part on this aspect of the glasnost period.






--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-01 23:51:02 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

TO RUSSIAN EXPRESS:
Действительно, сложно дать точное время появления термина. Почему Масенькая Веруська? Да просто потому, что в в этом отрывке дана некая иллюстрация к определению. Вот и всё.

ЧЕРНУХА4 ж. разг.-сниж.
1. Тёмные стороны жизни, быта.
2. Показ таких мрачных сторон жизни, быта.

Конец большевистского режима (агония которого столь же опасна, а может оказаться и столь же мучительной, сколь рождение и молодость, исполненная жажды крови) создал - на общепринятом уже сленге - свое эстетическое
понятие. Если уже от серьезных политологов можно услышать об очередном съезде - тусовка, если солидные дамы о солидном господине могут сказать - крутой, то в критическом лексиконе термин \"чернуха\" утвердился бесповоротно как определение жанра, стиля и содержания.

(с) А. Кабаков
Selected response from:

Mark Vaintroub
Canada
Local time: 07:52
Grading comment
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4 +1Чернуха (See explanation below)
Mark Vaintroub


  

Answers


4 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +1
Чернуха (See explanation below)


Explanation:
A term that refers to the unvarnished representation of Russian society's most seemy and difficult aspects.


Little Vera (dir. Valery Pichul, 1988) became the most infamous and scandalous of the glasnost films. The film deals in an unrelenting naturalistic idiom with social problems that had long been denied in the Soviet Union, and had certainly never been treated openly in Soviet mass media. The film became the benchmark film for "chernukha" - a term that refers to the unvarnished representation of Russian society's most seemy and difficult aspects.

In prepraration for watching this film you should read George Faraday's discussion of film-making in the post-Soviet years: how does he characterize the different strands in perestroika and post-Soviet film making? Where does Little Vera fit in? How does he define chernukha, and what the makers of chernukha films hoped to achieve? What about this film makes it a chernukha "classic"?

(This essay by Faraday will set the stage for all three of our final films; if you're averse to "knowing how things end" before you've seen a film, you can skip pp. 190 - 191, which describe what happens in Burnt by the Sun.)

As you watch Little Vera, pay close attention to how Pichul' shoots the beginning and ending of the film: how do you read these shots?

This film can be interestingly compared to Moscow Doesn't Believe in Tears; as we discussed in class, that film hints at social problems - alcoholism, the breakup of marriages, the anomie/loneliness of modern urban society - but it quckly covers them up with comedy. (Note, too, Brendan's question about what seems like a reference to domestic abuse in "The Alarm Clock in the Cupboard.") In this context, pay particular attention to the quoted passage on pp. 176 -177 in Faraday, which suggests that films like Little Vera replace the "syrup" of Soviet illusion with the "mustard" of post-Soviet expose.

Finally, much of the scandal this film caused (in the Soviet Union) focused on its frank and open depiction of sexuality. Our readings for Thursday of next week will focusin part on this aspect of the glasnost period.






--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2003-05-01 23:51:02 (GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

TO RUSSIAN EXPRESS:
Действительно, сложно дать точное время появления термина. Почему Масенькая Веруська? Да просто потому, что в в этом отрывке дана некая иллюстрация к определению. Вот и всё.

ЧЕРНУХА4 ж. разг.-сниж.
1. Тёмные стороны жизни, быта.
2. Показ таких мрачных сторон жизни, быта.

Конец большевистского режима (агония которого столь же опасна, а может оказаться и столь же мучительной, сколь рождение и молодость, исполненная жажды крови) создал - на общепринятом уже сленге - свое эстетическое
понятие. Если уже от серьезных политологов можно услышать об очередном съезде - тусовка, если солидные дамы о солидном господине могут сказать - крутой, то в критическом лексиконе термин \"чернуха\" утвердился бесповоротно как определение жанра, стиля и содержания.

(с) А. Кабаков

Mark Vaintroub
Canada
Local time: 07:52
Native speaker of: Native in RussianRussian
PRO pts in pair: 679

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Sergey Strakhov: Но где же перевод, Марк?
51 mins
  -> А чего его переводить, если это реалия? Чернуха - она и в Африке "chernukha". :-))
neutral  Russian Express: Марк, а может "чернуха" появилась задолго до "Маленькой Веры" и не имеет отношения к кино?
1 hr
  -> Сергей, я попытался выше объяснить
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