Why you need to watch “World! Friendship! Chewing gum! " - a comedy drama about the dashing nineties

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Critic Linda Zhuravleva believes that this Russian series will make everyone who grew up at that time feel deeply.

The first episodes of the series “Peace! Friendship! Gum! came out on the Premier video service at the end of April and have already become famous as “Russian 'Stranger Things'”.

According to the plot, four teenagers - Sanka, Vovka, Ilya and their new neighbor Zhenya - find themselves in the face of harsh reality when a scuffle with local bullies develops into a clash with bandits. The Sankin family owes a large sum of money to the Caucasian mafia, but the Afghan veteran Uncle Alik comes to the rescue - in the end, everything turns into a real war of criminal gangs.

The main and in fact the only thing that the series borrows from the Americans are strange, awkward and surprisingly charming characters, each of whom you want to hug and take by the hand. The characters are reminiscent of both the grown-up guys from "Stranger Things" and the Losers Club from "It" by Andres Muscietti. They will have to empathize not only with them, but also with colorful adults: a harsh veteran of the Great Patriotic War, trying to find a common language with his family and noble bandits.

With all this, there is a certain imbalance in the project (for some viewers this can become an advantage, for others - a disadvantage). Almost anecdotal episodes of family relationships are replaced by violent scenes in which gangsters torture women in brothels and kill people for fun. And even though most of the violence remains behind the scenes, such an explosive mixture of drama and comedy can repel - but certainly will not leave you indifferent.

Thoughtful visual style and vivid camera techniques

Hardly anyone seriously hopes to see a gorgeous visual presentation in the Russian TV series, but “Peace! Friendship! Gum! made by talented and enthusiastic people. Therefore, viewers are waiting for perfect symmetry, a feast of color and great shooting with a wide-angle camera.

There are also non-standard solutions. For example, the moment when the main character is in a state of altered consciousness is decorated in the spirit of glitch art. Moreover, this interesting find is present in the frame exactly as much as necessary so as not to bore the viewer. It is also tasteful and perfectly maintains the nostalgic atmosphere of the 90s.

In general, the creative role of the operator is very important in the series. In the scenes of motorcycle rides, wind, air and excitement are felt, the romance of the roofs is conveyed in long panoramic shots, and the shooting on the flights of stairs amazes with thoughtfulness and inexplicable gloomy beauty. There was even a place for complex visual jokes with a moving camera.

The creators try to saturate serious scenes with visual metaphors. For example, when, at a turning point, the heroes talk about how things have become more complicated in life, in the frame someone is sure to unravel the fishing line. Perhaps such techniques are not original, but compared to the previous level of Russian serial production, this is already a huge step forward.

Enchanting atmosphere of the past

In every frame of “Peace! Friendship! Chewing gum! there is some interesting detail. Director Ilya Aksyonov fills the space with charming gizmos to the eyeballs. Onion feathers grown right on the window, a kombucha in a can, a Dendy prefix, a clothing market that resembles a morass during a raider takeover - these half-forgotten attributes of the era awaken an incomparable sense of recognition.

The era of the 90s is an interesting historical setting with great potential, which the creators are using with might and main. It is likely that at the end of the series, many will want to revisit it so as not to miss anything.

Stunning soundtrack

Electronic tracks by Mujuice, which in a confidential half-whisper tell about youth and death, alternate with ingenuous hits of the past and modern covers of them. In total, we get a charming musical medley, where the work of Tatiana Bulanova and "Agatha Christie" not only stylistically does not contradict each other, but also develops into a complete and multifaceted portrait of the decade.

By the way, many of the songs of that era included in the soundtrack are anachronisms, because in 1993 they had not even been released yet. Apparently, this was done on purpose. The series was clearly conceived as the result of the reflection of those people who in the 90s were about the same age as the younger sister of the protagonist.

On the surface, the resemblance to one of Netflix's most famous projects really cannot be denied. After all, all the components are obvious: nostalgia for the past, references to popular cultural phenomena and children's friendship. But after several episodes, it becomes clear that the Russian show is worthy of attention not only because of this. In fact, this is an independent and well-developed story. Following the series "Call DiCaprio!" and the "Epidemic" project proves that far from all is lost for Russian television production.