Watch Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano

Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano is a 1977 Soviet drama film directed by Nikita Mikhalkov. The film takes place in a single room of a decaying country estate, where a group of family and friends gather to celebrate the birthday of respected musician Semyon Semyonovich (Aleksandr Kalyagin). As the celebration unfolds, tensions rise between the guests as they confront their relationships and past mistakes.

The film's narrative is primarily driven by flashbacks, which detail the complicated relationships between the characters. Semyon Semyonovich's wife, Yelena (Elena Solovey), is revealed to have had an affair with his half-brother, Vanya (Yuri Bogatyryov). Meanwhile, Vanya's wife, Clara (Evgeniya Glushenko), is deeply unhappy in her marriage and has feelings for Semyon Semyonovich. As the flashbacks unfold, the characters' past traumas and regrets come to light and threaten to destabilize the already tense celebration.

Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano is a slow, contemplative film that explores the nuances of human relationships. The characters are richly drawn and complex, making it difficult to definitively side with any one of them. The cinematography is simple and elegant, with the camera often lingering on the characters' faces and expressions to convey their emotional states. The film's standout sequence is a hypnotic performance by Semyon Semyonovich on the titular player piano, which serves as a melancholic denouement to the emotionally charged proceedings.

One of the most striking aspects of the film is its depiction of the decay of the Soviet aristocracy. The country estate where the film takes place is in a state of disrepair, and the characters are plagued by financial troubles and societal irrelevance. The film serves as a powerful critique of the Soviet government, which had long since abandoned the idea of a socialist utopia and had instead replaced it with a stagnant bureaucracy that offered little hope for the future.

Despite its somber tone, Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano is a rewarding viewing experience. It is a poignant meditation on the human condition and the ways in which individuals cope with their regrets and losses. The film's themes are universal and resonate with viewers regardless of their cultural background. It is a true masterpiece of world cinema and a must-see for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of the human psyche.

Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano is a 1977 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 43 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.7.