Watched the new series “Clean” with Bondarchuk. Why is it called the most scandalous film of the year, strictly 18+

At the end of June, the Wink streaming service released the series “Clean” with Fyodor Bondarchuk in one of the key roles.

From the first episodes it acquired the status of scandalous due to its subject matter and explicit bed scenes.

We watched the episodes that have been released to date and are in a hurry to share our impressions. There are a lot of nuances here.

Briefly

• The picture is too “clean”, beautiful, but unreliable
  The director has experience, but the script here is too simple.
  There are many heroes, it is interesting to chase them, although their motivation is banal
  There aren’t many explicit scenes here, but they are important to the story.
  This movie is far from the truth
  Ambitious, but with many nuances

The picture is too “clean”, beautiful, but unreliable

What is the series about?: the story takes the viewer to 1903, to St. Petersburg. At the center of the plot is a brothel run by the powerful and ruthless Matushka (Victoria Isakova).

There are 13 young orphan girls in her “care”, each of whom has her own “legend” to attract wealthy men. The mother instills in her charges that they are not simple prostitutes, but “pure” girls who give men the illusion of love and happiness.

The sets, costumes and surroundings of the series convey the atmosphere of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. The beautiful outfits of the girls, reminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale, and the carefully thought-out interiors create a reliable picture of that era. But it is too beautiful and polished picture.

Everything looks too clean and neat, which raises doubts about historical authenticity. Petersburg of those years was not so neat, and in reality street dirt, smoke from factories and buildings that had been commissioned were commonplace. Everything is too clean. Therefore, one might think that this is what the authors of their name wanted to emphasize.

The camerawork in the “Pure” sections is praiseworthy. The camera skillfully conveys the mood of the scene, using light and shadow to create a tense and dark atmosphere. Esthetica in pure. But even here, at times, the picture seems too staged and artificial.

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The director has experience, but the script here is too simple.

Nikolay Khomeriki is a director with extensive experience and an interesting creative biography. For example, Khomeriki received an education at the prestigious Parisian film school La Fémis. He twice participated in the Un Certain Regard program of the Cannes Film Festival with the films 977 and A Tale of Darkness. These works brought him international recognition.

However, despite his experience and talent, the series is a problem too simple a scenarioThe plot is based on a fairly straightforward story about girls’ struggle for freedom in conditions of cruelty and humiliation.

In the first episodes of the series, it generally looks more like a collection of individual scenes than a whole, which creates a feeling of incompleteness.

The script, written by Alexander Rodionov, although has emotional depth and interesting charactersseems too harsh and simple for a director of his caliber. Many viewers may feel that the plot develops along instant rails, without unexpected turns and deep intrigue.

The main storyline was focused on the main characters’ quest for liberation and their fight against oppression. And there were no layers.

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There are many heroes, it is interesting to chase them, although their motivation is banal

The series “Clean” is distinguished by its bright cast.

It stands out especially Victoria Isakova as Matushka, a cruel brothel owner who rules her “daughters” with an iron fist. Her performance is filled with inner strength and cold cruelty, which makes her character both frightening and fascinating. Isakova successfully conveys the duality of Matushka, combining external benevolence with internal tyranny.

Young actresses experience internal conflicts and suffering of their heroines. Some do it better, some worse. Perhaps the problem lies in the weak script.

Fyodor Bondarchuk’s role in the series is significant, but he does not appear in the first episode. His character adds additional intrigue and charisma to the series. It is interesting to follow his character, although the glued-on nose raises many questions.

The public’s favorite Nikita Kologrivy successfully embodies the image of a cruel and merciless henchman. His character evokes disgust and fear, which confirms his good acting. Who would have doubted it.

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There aren’t many explicit scenes here, but they are important to the story.

The series “Clean” does not shy away from showing explicit scenes that play an important role in revealing the characters and emphasizing the atmosphere of the time. These scenes are filmed with special attention to detail, aesthetics and often the main emotional load.

The explicit scenes in Clean are woven into the plot in a way that emphasizes the drama and cruelty of the heroine’s life. These moments are inexpressible or excessive, they follow logically from the context.

But still don’t expect a lot of erotic tension on screenThis is just a spicy addition to the story. The series was declared as frank and sexually provocative, but the number of erotic scenes here is moderate.

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This movie is far from the truth

Despite the high quality of the production, the series contains some historical and plot inconsistencies.

One of the main visual advantages of the series is its atmospheric depiction of St. Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century. The views of the city play an important role in creating an authentic atmosphere and immersing the viewer in the Silver Age. Filming began in trophy locations such as Tsarskoye Selo, Vitebsk Station, Peter and Paul Fortress, and Gatchina Palace.

The Mother’s Mansion, where most of the series takes place, is a luxurious and gloomy house, furnished in the style of the early 20th century. The interior of the mansion is done in dark, rich red-wine tones, which provides a contrast between the external luxury and the heroine’s internal tragedy.

Nothing makes me feel doubtful the unreliability of individual elements of the era and excessive stylization to match modernity. In some places, everything looks too fake. Everything is too polished. But we already talked about this.

Questions are also raised by the plot moves related to the girls’ “legends”, which are unlikely in the context of small Petersburg at the beginning of the 20th century. The speech of the main character is also replete with our words.

The background music also raises a lot of questions. Too modern. We’ll be watching a series about modern call girls.

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Ambitious, but with many nuances

“The Clean” is an ambitious project that tries to tell a frank and dramatic story about the life of courtesans in pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg. This is not just a historical drama with erotic elements, but a story about religious vices, the desire for freedom and the fight for one’s own “I”. Somewhere it turned out well, somewhere too naive.

Beautiful scenery and camera work create the atmosphere of pre-revolutionary St. Petersburg and make the viewing formal. Even if there is clearly no talk of realism here. Some viewers will definitely call the picture too polished and staged.

The plot may seem simple and organized. But for some, stories without unexpected twists are enough.

The series will definitely find its audience. We will say that the project is more for an amateur than for adults (we remind you that there is a strict 18+ rating here). Scandalous? In places. Interesting? Sometimes. Will we watch it to the end? Not a fact.