Posted on: March 5, 2012 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

It is important to know humanity’s history, and although the Soviet Union has not been a force for nearly 20 years, the stories that individuals have about the former behemoth are legion. Laszlo (Kovacs) and Vilmos (Zsigmond) are able to provide their story, one that parallels that of countless other individuals under the Soviet regime. While the United States put forth its own propaganda as part of the Cold War, the Soviet Union never had clean hands. To leave the snares of the Soviet Union, these two filmmakers had to cement their friendship.

One has to wonder how current film would have been changed if one (or both) of these individuals were unable to get over to the United States. I believe that what nuanced and special cinema previous generations had would have been wholly different if this was the case. No Subtitles Necessary should be a must see for anyone that likes the films of the sixties and seventies or is an overall fan of cinema. However, the story of the friendship that was bolstered by their egress from behind the Steel Curtain is something that all can appreciate, even if they did not experience anything similar to that of Kovacs and Zsigmond. Their love of their art is what kept them going, and it should be an inspiration to anyone that has even been creatively stifled.

The fact that these two individuals have been intimately involved in film makes this an evolutionary tale. Free of the Soviet yoke, what separate efforts these two enter into change considerably from their early to later careers. Check out Cinema Libre’s 2012 slate; there are a number of strong releases that will be released before the year ends.

Rating: 8.4/10

No Subtitles Necessary (DVD) / 2012 Cinema Libre / 86 Minutes / http://www.cinemalibrestudio.com

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