Firebird Review: Fierce, Stirring Russian Romance Elevated By Electric Leads
Firebird is a calm yet stirring portrait of complex passions. Writer-director Peeter Rebane (Tashi Delek!) does an excellent job translating Sergey Fetisov’s Russian story into an English language period piece. The performances by co-writer Tom Prior (Kingsman: The Secret Service) and Oleg Zagorodnii (Who Are You) are the real draw, as the movie sings anytime they are alone. Though the film is a drama about two men separated by Russian law, there are several shots of fighter jets that amplify Firebird. From a technical standpoint, the film has flashes of brilliance. But for the most part, it does not exceed expectations in the areas of set design, music, etc. Firebird starts slow, but the fiercely tangible love between the leads keeps its grip on the audience throughout.
Sergey (Prior) and Roman (Zagorodnii) are both enlisted in the military in 1970s Russia, a time when homosexuality is expressly forbidden. Two things stand between their love: A higher up, bent on revealing their truth and seeing the harshest punishment dealt out, and Roman's relationship with his girlfriend Luisa (Diana Pozharskaya). Though the two men share an intense, albeit short, sexual awakening, it's always on Roman's terms. Eventually, Sergey leaves the armed forces for drama school. As Sergey becomes more comfortable in his own skin, Roman contemplates marrying Luisa just to save Sergey from criminal punishment. As time and new revelations begin to encroach on their ability to be around one another, the Russian military complex is still pushing to out them as gay.
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Prior and Zagorodnii are electric. Simply put, the film does not work without them. Prior, the
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