Leningrad Cowboys Go America (1989)

A number of years back, we hired, one at a time, a bunch of Russian guys. Generally one guy would know others back home who wanted jobs, and gradually we got a good group this way. These were a great group of guys and generally above average to stellar performers.

But what was so amazing to me was that the social hierarchy depicted in Leningrad Cowboys Go America, i.e. the way Vladimir interacted with the rest of the group, was spot on - our guys interacted in much the same way. The ideals, Go America, get rich, were shared by all.

I suppose the Finns, having some excellent knowledge of what their neighbor was all about, have the upper hand when it comes to excellent parody.

This is a great film - if you've worked with Russians, or if you just want to know what these guys are doing dressed up like the Blues Brothers, have a look at this film.

Fmovies: One of my favourite films, ever. The idea of a dreadful Soviet rock band flogging their music around the USA appeals to me, especially as I liked the music that was supposed to be so dreadful. The humour is deadpan and droll, much like Kaurismaki himself. Also interesting for an outsiders look at America. Definitely up there in the Top Ten of Finnish Rock Band Road Movies!

Aki Kaurismäki's entertaining film portrays the Leningrad Cowboys (a real-life Finnish rock band) as a down and out Russian rock band under the tutelage of a corrupt Russian manager (Matti Pelonpää) who takes them on a journey to America in search of success and money.

Along the way the band hits all sorts of bumps in the road which often places them in ridiculous situations. Kaurismäki films in dark and tired looking locations and draws from American jazz traditions.

The film is really a Finnish parody of the Soviet Union and the tired and stolid bureaucracy which dominated it. Take note of the proliferation of tractors in the opening scenes, suppossedly a symbol of the power and triumph of the workers state.

Don't look for an overriding political message in the film however. It's best to sit back and enjoy the unusual style of Finnish humor and Kaurismäki's subtle approach to story-telling.

Leningrad Cowboys Go America fmovies. The most politically inclined and intellectual viewer would analyze this movie as a political satire, and they would be right. However, this movie is more enjoyable if seen as a road movie and a look at America through the eyes of a foreigner. Funny and poignant.

at first i thought what is this? then you let the leningrad cowboys take you along and the movie just gets better. the music is an obvious highlight all through the movie but that is just one of many. it is the costumes and hairstyles that make this movie perfect. the lost cousin is a brilliant plot twist and picks the music up and the viewer as well. keep an eye on the bass player, that is all i will say about him. a genuinely funny movie that is so far left of centre it is unbelievable, but when you watch the movie, no, this is all very believable. watch it as many times as you can. i was the only person to rent it from the video shop so they sold it to me cheap. the best buy i ever made.

This is not so much a movie as it is a test of your campiness quotient. The CQ has a mean of 100. If you fall below 85, you live in a really sad world and as you advance above 100 you are able to extract the comical and farcical aspects of life with increasing ingenuity. After auditioning for a Russian apparatchick (who listens stony-faced to their music, then says "no good - try the US" and departs) the band departs for the US. As they travel from New York to the South, the music changes through a range of pop/rock genres. As another reviewer noted, the music is far more enjoyable than it has a right to be and the dead-pan stoicism of the characters is a hoot. From Steppenwolf to Mariachi music, you will hear and see it all. Try the movie again a year later and it will be even more enjoyable because now you can attend to the hilarious detail which you have missed first time around.