Vasiliy Mishchenko Movies

Reviewers considered this film to be more of a collection of raw material for a more tightly crafted film than a film in itself. It consists of footage shot by the Russian dissident (now an Israeli citizen) Moisei Kalik before 1971, when he left Russia, as well as more recent material. It combines autobiographical material with commentary on Russian history and clips covering the evolution of Russian cinema. The autobiographical material starts by showing a rebellious boy who is eventually exiled to one of the gulags. When he is freed, he enters a state-run cinematography school. There again, his rebelliousness and insistence on speaking the truth get him into trouble. The director's own story is broken up with newreel footage, clips from his films, and clips from Russian classics. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

The title refers to the deployment of time-honored gangster methods in a brand-new new setting. Otherwise, Deja Vu is chock full of startling surprises. Set in 1925, the storyline moves with ease from Chicago to Russia and back again. A Windy-City hitman is sent to Odessa to kill a mob informant. The victim-to-be is an enterprising soul, taking full advantage of a newly opened shipping line serving Chicago, Odessa and Constantinople. He jealously guards his smuggling operation by hiring his own hitman. The plot device of Mafia tactics being exercised in Russia is disturbingly prescient, given the current mob-controlled activities in the former Soviet Union. This 1989 Deja Vu bears no relation to the 1984 horror film of the same name. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide