Hipsters
Director: Valeriy Todorovskiy
Writer: Yuriy Korotkov, Valeriy Todorovskiy (libretto)
2008
Hipsters is a Russian musical based on the hipsters movement in 1950s Russia. The film follows a group of young people who go against Soviet norms because they adopt highly stylized Western ideals, dress and entertainment all in the form of the swing movement. The costumes are bright, colourful and outlandish in opposition to the Soviet dress, which suits the juxtaposing style of the film and the musical numbers. According to the director, the songs are a way for the plot to move forward with respect to each character – so there are some traditional swing songs, but the lyrics have been changed to suit the story.
Naturally, the characters come under scrutiny for their anti-Soviet behaviour, however the audience I saw the film with seemed to think this was funny. If you are aware of Russian history, you know that people were arrested and prosecuted for any deviation from the norm and for having the slightest Western inclinations, and that’s not funny. But Hipsters is not too serious or political; it’s lighthearted, fun, eye-catching and has the best music. Hipsters is marvelous.
