Good movie, interesting plot-line with the interspersing of different stages of chronology which provides the background for the denouement. Cinematography is impressive with the ice-patterns in the river of particular note, capturing the bitter environment in which the film plays out. Well worth a watch despite John Malkovich's presence (which is not overly intrusive).
This ultra low budget (I imagine) film about the tough upbringing of a family in Siberia is pretty grim. The rules of survival are learnt at grandpa's knee at other low joints. Malkovich is great as grandpa but the main story is the life of two friends. It does flick freely between the ages of the boys/men and this borders on annoying but it does eventually settle on the final phase of their disasterous relationship.
This Italian production about Siberian gangsters after WW2 harks back to those awful spaghetti westerns that followed in the wake of a Fistful of Dollars. John Malkovich hams it up as criminal grandfather with a laughable heavy accent. As for the film, it’s simply terrible. Slapdash amateur film-making.