While he may have been known for being the foundational pioneer of nihilism, one of Friedrich Nietzsche’s most astute and meaningful observations was found when he stated that “without music, life would be a mistake”, which is not only a beautiful idea, but one that resonates with every one of us. There is something very special about the feeling of being entirely enamoured with music, and whether performing it or merely being a listener, it’s a transcendent experience that tends to unite everyone. A similar idea simmers beneath the surface of We Are from Jazz (Russian: Мы из джаза), a hilarious and off-the-wall comedy written and directed by Karen Shakhnazarov, who has stood as one of the most fascinating filmmakers in his native Russia for nearly half a century, and who has continued to produce compelling works over the years – but its this, his directorial debut, that stands out more than some of his other films. It tells the story of a young university student who is passionate about jazz, but finds himself constantly under pressure from the Soviet government, who sees jazz as a uniquely American import, and thus it represents capitalism, essentially making it the artistic enemy of their traditional music. Not swayed by these criticisms, our young protagonist cobbles together a jazz band, consisting of a pair of down-on-their-luck street musicians, a mysterious saxophone-playing vagabond and an American singer who arrives at a very opportune moment. Bitingly funny and incredibly compelling in terms of both the story being told and the ideas that are explored, We Are from Jazz is an absolute triumph in many ways, and proves how some of the most captivating films are hidden just out of view, patiently waiting to be rediscovered by wider audiences that will celebrate and appreciate their artistry.

A few years ago, we spoke about Zerograd, which is widely considered the director’s masterpiece – and while this film is quite different in terms of premise and execution, there are some similarities in the thematic content and the overall nature of the story, which strikes us from the very beginning. The overall premise is based on presenting a vaguely surreal version of the real world, one in which music is intertwined with daily life – ordinary dialogue is replaced with musical numbers, which occur concurrently with intense discussions, and the director seamlessly folds them into one another in incredibly creative and compelling ways. The themes that simmer beneath the surface are essentially what makes this film so remarkably entertaining – many aspects beg for our attention, but most of it is related to how Shakhnazarov presents Russian society. He is known for not being necessarily in favour of Soviet rule, but also not being directly involved in negating it or going up against it. If anything, his films attempted to be apolitical statements that were more focused on social matters than national affairs. It’s a nuanced discussion that requires a more knowledgeable perspective (and it is far from propaganda, which many have accused his work of being, despite it not being persuasive in any direction), but for those who are interested in exploring this era of Soviet cinema, particularly the kind that was aiming to offer alternatives to mainstream western filmmaking, We Are from Jazz is a fascinating document, both in what it represents and how it explores these themes with tact and extraordinary dedication, and is not only a solid representation of this era, but a remarkably concise and meaningful piece of dramatic storytelling in its own right.

However, it’s not only the thematic content that makes We Are from Jazz so compelling – the execution is incredible, and Shakhnazarov is a director whose eye for detail and storytelling prowess means that he is capable of mastering both style and substance. The intentions behind this film were very clear – considering the international tensions that existed at the time, the idea of these big-budget American musicals making their way over to the Soviet Union seemed nearly impossible, or at least came across as implausible. The director therefore set out to make a film that follows a similar structure and incited the same sense of wonder and genuine entertainment, but from a distinctly Russian perspective – the ideas were very much within the party line (or at least didn’t outright contradict them), and the style is very reminiscent of classical Hollywood musicals, just filtered through a more culturally-accurate lens. Setting the film in the 1920s gives Shakhnazarov the chance to explore his love for period pieces, and working closely with his colleagues in the production design and costuming departments, launches us back to Russia just after the First World War and October Revolution, a period of great social and political upheaval, which is reflected (but not densely conveyed) throughout the film, both thematically and visually. The attention to detail is remarkable, and while there are a few questionable elements (such as one of the characters being an African-American woman, but portrayed by a Russian actor in blackface, which is indefesible as anything other than a product of its time), the film is overall a well-constructed musical. Even the compositions for the musical numbers, while relatively simple in comparison to the films to which it was paying homage, are still striking enough to keep us invested and entertained – and for a film produced over forty years ago, the visuals are still quite impressive, which only further proves the impeccable artistry that informed much of this film.

Yet, despite the wealth of content with which he was working, the director ensures that We Are from Jazz is not a film that overstays its welcome, nor one that offers anything other than an authentic experience in the paltry time we spend with these characters. The emotions at the heart of the film are all quite genuine – the tone may be heightened, as a means to amplify both the humour and musicality of the story, but as a whole, the film is a more subtle affair for the most part. We find that Shakhnazarov is not very interested in melodrama – there is a lot of complexity in the story being told, but this is merely supplementary to a story that mainly exists as a means to be a native response to a genre that had not quite infilitrated Russian cinema, at least not in the way that we would expect. The emotions are all quite nuanced and elegant, and the overall experience is almost entirely defined by the flow of the story, which is solid and constructed from many layers, but rarely heavy-handed in the sense that it feels overwhelming. There is a lot of meaning that can be found throughout this film, and most of them exist in the quieter moments, where the story reflects on both the era in which it was made, and the period in which the story is set, two watershed decades on either even of the existence of the Soviet Union, and while no one could predict what was going to happen in the next few years after this film was released, there was clearly a sense of change beginning to appear in the general consciousness, which is what this film is so adamant in alluding to, using the structure of a musical about overcoming draconian conventions as a more elegant, roundabout way of critiquing the status quo without challenging the political system in which it was made. Perhaps it can be viewed as a more flaccid satire since it refuses to take a hard stance in either director, but the realization that not every comedy needs to radicalize change is very important to be entertained by this lovely film.

We can easily wax poetic about this film and try and gauge the deeper meaning that underpins every frame – but the reality is that, outside of a few clear socio-cultural and political allusions, this is not a film that intends to take its subject matter particularly seriously. If anything, it exists as a piece of cinema designed to entertain long before it attempts to be persuasive. Shakhnazarov is a fantastic filmmaker, and his writing is sharp, complex and interesting, and it is matches with the direction, which moves with incredible fluidity. Running at less than 90 minutes, the film has limited space to develop most of its ideas, and we soon discover that there is something much deeper beneath the surface of the seemingly placid, delightful story. The humour is sharp, clean and concise, and the overall intentions of the film, while initially not clear, become more obvious the further we look into the story, which is a thinly veiled call to arms for young artists to stand up and protect their integrity – it may not suggest that anyone should go against the government or break the law, but rather challenging conventions in its own small but significant way is certainly not an entirely negative message. We Are from Jazz is filled with wonderful performances, unforgettable music and a story that pays tribute to not only Hollywood cinema as seen by outsiders, but to the Russian culture, which has never felt quite as rich and evocative as it has when appearing through the lens of Shakhnazarov’s camera. He truly understood how to craft something memorable while still entertaining audiences, and for that reason alone, he has more than earned his place as one of the most interesting filmmakers of his generation.