There Once Was a Singing Blackbird

A young Georgian man plays the kettle drum in the local orchestra, but spends most of his time flitting about: missing appointments, flirting with girls, visiting friends.  He dashes into a performance just long enough to play his part and dashes back out again.  He’s impatient and impulsive, thinking nothing of making others wait for him, but won’t wait five minutes for anyone else, even when his employment is potentially in jeopardy.  I’ve seen this film described as comedy, with various comparisons to Tati, Fellini and the Marx Brothers.  There are amusing moments, but I wouldn’t go that far.  It’s hard to describe what it is, or what Iosseliani is trying to say.  If we are meant to admire Gia’s unwillingness to be a cog in the machine, why doesn’t he seem particularly happy?  Is it a condemnation of a society with no room with non-conformists?  Perhaps.  The film, like its protagonist, is somewhat rudderless.  An interesting watch in some ways (for example, the sound design can be quite intriguing and the final moments are enigmatically melancholy), however it didn’t really resonate with me.  Rating: Fair

IMDb