The name of NFKRZ has a Z, russian bot confirmed

As Teddy Roosevelt once said"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else."

Making the Brat movies into a pro Russian invasion of Ukraine symbol is like those people who see America Psycho and go “omg he’s just like me” “I am a sigma male based”. Completely missing the point.

How is "support your country even if it's wrong" used as propaganda not an almost direct admission that they themselves know they are in the wrong?

Danila is intended to be an antihero, that's what makes these movies so special and interesting. But unfortunately I feel a lot of people took him up as a role model growing up, same as with any other Russian antihero/bandit movies of late 90s and early 00s. Generation of edgelord peacocks.

Saddest thing is neither Balabanov (movies' director), nor Bodrov (main actor) can discuss on this terrible misuse of these titles - they're dead. You can put anything into mouths of dead people. BadComedian - another badass Russian youtube creator (unfortunately onyl for Russian speaking) - made a video about how new Russian movie industry is pushing towards depicting war as something almost necessary, heroic, beautiful in opposition to old Soviet movies about WW2 where primary message was - NEVER AGAIN. Thanks for another interesting video, Roman! Счастливого!

"you have to support your country in a war even if you're on the wrong side" is an unambiguously horrible take no matter what context it was said in. completely inexcusable. spreading that idea directly translates into a likely huge increase in suffering and there can't possibly be something good about it.

What scares me is that the first movie is a self-fulfilling prophecy in a way. Danila is basically a fucked in the head war vet, kinda like Rambo or something. He came back home and no one gives him a time of day or cares, and his only trade is death now. Now this movie is used as a propaganda tool. And after this war is over we might witness a Balabanov reality as depicted in the first movie all over again. I jokingly say that cinemas decided to make new screenings of it just to prepare people for what is to come.

i feel almost the exact same way about this, the fact that nationalists are using the movies is stupid too because the movie itself critisizes Danila's opinions, for example when Danila is talking to the french guy, Danila thinks he's american, because of how ignorant and un-educated he is, or when he thinks Hoffman is jewish just because he has a german surname. I fucking love these 2 movies and the fact that some dumbasses are using it as propaganda pisses me off.

Bringing back Bratz, the famous doll series, now featuring "Tankie Trisha" and "Imperialist Ivy" for the special military operation.

There was also news that Viktor Tsoi and Egor Letov songs are being performed for the Russian soldiers. They are using dead legends as a tool for propaganda, really sad. I bet Tsoi is rolling in his grave right now.

They ruined almost everything Russia-related, dude. For everyone.

I am from Ukraine and this is one of my favorite movie. To be honest , I never thought about about these things. Unfortunately, I think they are just ruining the film which is sad.

Roman, actually the same thing happens in America too. For example, the song "Born in the USA" by Bruce Springsteen was originally a song about the plight of a Vietnam War veteran. Ronald Reagan turn is to a pro-American patriotic anthem, which Springsteen never wanted in the first place.

Also worth noting is that Brat shows how terrible, anarchic and dysfunctional the 90s were. Russians still love Putin because he ended that chaotic era for them, so it serves as a reminder of "why we need Putin" and what he apparently did for Russia.

As an English speaker who saw both films subbed: I understand the idea of Danila being an imperfect anti-hero, but only to some extent. It came across really well in the first film: he does some horrible things, he comes into conflict with people, he saves his brother and kills the bad guys, but the girl he was with leaves him and the film ends in a very bittersweet, reflective way. You get the sense that he might regret the type of person he's become, or the type of country his beloved Russia has become. The grim Petersburg skyline helps with this a lot. Above all it's a great movie because of the complex picture it paints, and it's certainly not a heroic movie. The second film does not do this AT ALL. In the second film, the brothers go to America, humiliate all the bad guys, Danila gets his big speech at the end, and he leaves, triumphant, with the girl. There's no sense of regret at all, and there's no consequence to any of their actions - any time the police get onto them, they escape via comically thin plot devices (except for Viktor at the end, whose role is essentially reduced to comic relief). The racism in the first film which highlighted Danila's character is now turned up 100x, and none of it - against Ukrainians, Americans, African Americans, Jews, etc. - is pushed back against at all. The Russians always come out on top. The treatment of Ukrainians in that film in particular really shocked me. For me it's almost astonishing the two films came out of the same studio. The first is a masterful art piece which paints a superbly ambivalent picture of Russia in the '90s, and the complex characters who live there, while the second is a high budget nationalist romp with next to no plot, which only exists to look cool.

As a fellow black-ass I just have one critique regarding Roman's opinion that these movies aren't trying to say anything really, but just wanted to show the situation and the average/gangster life in Russia, in the 90s. The entire ending of the second film. What would have been a realistic depiction of the main character, is if he died in fucking shootout or some similar bleak or somber end. Instead he just wins, he ends up being completely vindicated in everything he has done and that's idiotic, it literally transforms the movie into some kind of fucked up power fantasy. This is gonna sound kinda cringe, but Roman, I recommend you watch the "a trip to Karabakh" movies, I'm not comparing them to the Brat movies, but what you described Brat to be, i.e. a visualization, a representation of how things were in Russia in the 90s, the "a trip to Karabakh" movies do the same, but for Georgia. They also get preachy at times and less realistic, but that's not even a critique depending on who's watching. OR If you really want to fall into depression and cry your eyes out, watch ""The Other Bank"

Its not unpatriotic to talk shit about Russia as a Russian in this case since it isn't a war in Ukraine. Speaking out against it is just a special rhetorical operation.

Grand Theft Auto 4 was the peak for the series narratively and in every other way. Before Rockstar unironically became the jaded corporation they had been parodying since GTA3. The whole center point of the entire game was always Niko. Imagine for once in gaming history developers decided to make a character that is not only great and you are interested in, but a character you are inspired by because of the very realistic tones handled deftly in the game. Niko by all accounts shouldn't have been the effective altruist that he was because of everything he had experienced in war (and being a party to war crimes). He understood this cold broken resentful outlook on life was not only destructive but infectious. Coming to a new land with what became instantly apparent to him as a false notion of an "American Dream" with every experience he faced, with everyones stupidity and constant self servience getting them and him into trouble. His rational his brilliant ability for tactics and manipulation being used to protect those whom he cared about even if at a basic acquaintance level would resonate with these people. A "why would you help me?" realization that they had truly messed up. Niko would always have something moralistic and brilliant to express to them every time, or an anecdote of what he was back home or what he saw in mankind. These people had a fixer in Niko and each time when they would cross the line and mess up, they would have no choice but to listen to him after he'd clean up their mess. He was a philosopher first and a gangster second. His accomplices would repeat these mistakes a few more times before each light moral lesson Niko would give them would finally bloom into a new outlook for everyone he'd interact with. People were inspired by Niko and his almost pragmatic approach to being Dostoevsky's "Idiot". He forged the American Dream by force by proving that stoicism, good deeds, forgiveness and critical understanding of human nature could be just as infectious as banality and malice. A character like this could only be forged in the East and truly took to new levels the "hero cowboy" of the West. Masterclass character building.

Whenever I hear an authoritarian government use the word 'truth' I get a flashback to 1984 or to that quote at the end of that HBO series about Chernobyl. It's the same thing when companies that sell unhealthy shit like McDonalds or Coca Cola make advertising for sports events.

Stay safe Roman. Keep telling your truth.

Z is for Zorro V for Vendetta (or V has come to if you're into MGS) I will not accept any other meanings.

Sergei Bodrov, Jr. died at age 30 during the filming on a movie in the mountains. A large piece of ice broke off triggering an ice and mud flow that buried and killed 135 people working on the movie. That was in 2002. The film was The Messenger.

Roman, however good Brat's music and screenplay, the message was always clear. People had noticed how the two films played on Russian resentment and asserted a xenophobic, militant, hyper masculine vision of what Russia is. You would have been quite little when the films came out, and not too affected by the political messaging, but if you were a Chechen who had endured Yeltsin's and then Putin's wars, you would have recognised your abuser's mentality at once in the films. Brat's popularity was an important cue to Putin from the start.

V - Vladimir Z - Zelenskiy O - Oleksandrovich I don't think it's a coincidence.

Time to rename your channel to NFKR

The reason there are so many Ukrainians in Brat 2 is because it takes place in Chicago which historically (and to this day) has a large Ukrainian population.

I didn't realize the Brat movies were so popular in Russia. I saw them at the Montreal film festival back in the 90s. A running joke in the movie is people are always telling him, "For God's sake, get rid of that sweater, it makes you look like a peasant..." I always though the sweater looked great, and I bought one that looked similar, which is still my favorite sweater over 20 years later. It's so sad that he died young, I wasn't aware of that. As to the movie being used as propaganda, it raises the question of who is acting like the "Americans" in the movie?

Never saw the movies you discussed but as to the idea that it is unpatriotic or traitorous to criticize one's country during wartime is utterly bogus. Would a German been traitorous to be against the Nazi government in 1944? (certainly would have in the eyes of the Nazis but that then that is the point) Putin's war against Ukraine is nothing more than an imperialist adventure by an autocrat that a great tragedy for the people of Russia. I still feel that I was a patriot even though I spoke and demonstrated against the war in Vietnam. Fortunately neither Hitler nor Putin was the leader of my country.

Things like these cannot change the view of a movie that was filmed almost 30 years ago and has captured the zeitgeist of the 90s Russia. It was what it was it is what it is.

Hey, I am European, but I feel sympathy for what has been done here. Hijacking a cultural icon to spread false propaganda is not okay. Similarly using a recently deceased person's words to silence dissent about a w** is also not okay, particularly because they were a private person with unstated political opinions.

Not only they used half-philosophy in this movie. They use the ironically "hate-filled" movie for propaganda. This movie used to feature 2 songs by Okean Elzy (Ukrainian band), which got cut as I've heard.

I had the exact same thoughts when I watched a recent analysis of the movie in the context of the war in Ukraine. One of my all time favorite movies and now I don't know how to feel about them (especially because I'm Ukrainian...). Everything going on kind of ruined it for me and I can't seem to watch it the same way that I did before.

LETS GO NFKRZ BANGERS!

2:54 danila doesnt know that he is speaking to a french not an american lmfao

Roman: I'm 61 and I didn't even know that there was a second movie until I heard that here from you, saw them both, and I think that they are excellent! All movies reflect the day they were made, in the context of the times they were made, in the setting that the writers set them in: No More, and No Less. Art is for Art's Sake. And so with that? Considering your excellent tastes in Cinema, my wife and I are adopting you as our Son. That's right! Your Connection to a small Ohio town and Ranch Style House is now complete. ;-) 73 DE W8LV BILL

The War in Ukraine 🇺🇦 started in 2014

The second movie was fun, but the first one I believe has a bit more subtext. For example in the clip you showed Danila says that America will be gone soon and that the American music is shit when the beat itself is clearly something along the lines of Eurodance and the guy himself is French. I'm fairly sure that was intentional. That movie was full of metaphors and pretty much showed the bleak reality of the time period. However, I was also guilty of remembering the movies as RUSSIA STRONK, but when I watched them as an adult my perception changed from it being cool to it being really sad. Fun fact, Saint-Petersburg still looks like Brat 1 at times, and that is not a compliment. I think the only mistake Balabanov made when making those in retrospect is overestimating the audience's ability to read the subtext since in Russian zeitgeist those two movies are taken quite literally. But then again, he's dead we will never know.

Hey Roman, my favorite Russian movies are Bumer (1 and 2) and Brigada (TV series). They're quite popular not also in Russia, but also in Eastern Europe and it'd be awesome if you'd make video reviews about them, just like you did for Brat. I'd be very happy if you could show these absolute masterpieces to your audience.

Compared to every other Russian UKpostsr your command of the English language, as well as your understanding of other cultures, is on another level. You analyze things with both honesty and nuance that's really unmatched, and you are among the best, best on UKposts.

"We don't need Western movies, we will just watch БРАТ for the hundredth time" This is so true

I like how transliterated into English, the movie title spells “BratZ” 😂

Putin might want to use these movies for propaganda but they stand on their own. They're part of Russian culture no matter what the government uses for. Also Roman, how are you dealing with the crypto crash? Since that's how we can donate It's kinda worrisome.

Also this movie portrays how bad soldiers are treated by Russia. As Spanish I liked the movies, putin can't take this away from me, I don't give him such power

As I've seen these movies, I can say they had strong ideological message already when produced. "Brat" was made in 1997, the time when Russia had lost control over Chechnya, so people of the Caucasus origin were the scapegoats. "Brat 2" from 2000 (meanwhile, Yeltsin was replaced by Putin, and Chechnya was being "solved"), was clearly anti-Ukrainian; there was also an interesting episode showing like the neo-Nazis are supposed to be simply weird guys who like to collect weapons, but they can be used for common interests. And, in the next movie from the same director "Voina" (The War), one of the main lines was showing how weak (if to avoid using any more rude word) are the Western people. So, I do not think "they" ruined the movie, "they" just put it to the natural context.

The plot of second movie is literally a dream of a Russian imperialist - to come abroad to save "brothers" from the influence of evil westerners. And even though all the references to Ukraine were said by Victor, a negative character in the plot of the movie, there are still oddly specific, they kinda feel like messages to the watchers. Also on a separate occasion similar words were said by a taxi driver in a different scene. Idk Roman, to me the second movie is a clear propaganda of the so called Russian world. First movie also have suspicious remarks but it is not as glaringly pro Russian imperialism as second movie.

Bro has really been munching on one too many khachapuris lately 😳

Roman... love your videos, you are literally giving everyone hope that there is some sanity among your fellow countryfolk... Keep doing what your doing... Big up from the UK

Over the past decade I've found myself ambivalent over virtually every piece of media I was a fan of in my youth. It doesn't mean I hate all that stuff, just that I see pro-status-quo attitudes that I cannot jibe with in today's context. Even when the creator is well intentioned, they (and we) are a product of the society we grow up in. And there are no good guys in a world of ubiquitous authoritarian heirarchies, regardless of whether they dress themselves up as liberal capitalism or are just mask-off despots.

Roman you look like Bert Reynolds with that moustache 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Btw we have one similar case here in Finland like that Brat-movie case. Popular movie called "Vares - Yksityisetsivä" (eng. Vares - private investigator). There was one of the funniest and legendary movie scene where two stupid criminal guys imagine together if there is newspaper called "Mitä vittua-lehti"(WTF-magazine). Later in Finland some Pro-Putinists opened in real life propaganda news website with that exact name "Mitä vittua?"(WTF). It shows only pro-Russian news in Finnish and very rasist bullshit amateur texts how refugees are destroing Finland etc. And they "surprise surprise" opened that website in 2014. The same year when Crimea occupied etc. I still don't think the movie is ruined. Those Putinists just stolen that name. Normal people do not read their propagandawebsite.

This was really interesting, keep doing you Roman!🔥💯

Non-Russian American here. I saw these last year and really liked those movies! The first one was a kind of superhero power fantasy. I took the 2nd movie as a kind of self-parody and massive troll of the US. Also, maybe a bit insecure? Both really, really worth watching if you like, say, John Wick. Sad to hear the star died the way he did.

Thank you，you just made these 2 movies my favorite movies

"Brother" is basically a russian version of a "Gosling movie"

Your Brat and GTA 4 videos are what made me subscribe to you in 2019. Keep up the top quality videos Roman

There are plenty of American movies where the bad guys are Russians or at the very least just generally Slavic. I love some of those movies. I can't speak to the directors/writers/producers intentions, but it wouldn't surprise me if they really were trying to generate animosity or sow fear towards the Russians, the Cold War and its aftermath and all that. But I don't hate Russians or other Slavic people. They're just movies.

I have read that one of the first differences that took place in Russian culture between the 90s and 00s is that Russians started to believe in their own bullshit. I always thought the Brat films are a great illustration of this. Danila spouted off a lot of nationalist BS in the first movie, but nobody was supposed to take it seriously. You can tell by how hollow the movie makes his xenophobic chest-thumping to be. However, by the second movie, released in 1999, you can start to see a change in tone. You still get the brothers acting like idiots, but it tends to work out in the end, and then there is the one-sided dialogue featured in the video. Russians were becoming ready to believe their own bullshit again.

I only recently discovered your channel and I'd like to thank you for your perspectives and interesting topics. Keep being you, stay safe, greetings from Czech Republic!

Никогда не понимал всенародной любви к этому фильму. Особенно к главному герою. Данила максимально неприятный персонаж, такой заторможенный гопник-инфантил с примесью ура-патриотизма и всем вытекающим из этого. Одна только стилистика его речи уже отвращение вызывает. За сюжетной линией следить неинтересно, идеи в фильме сомнительные. Единственное, что нравится - это то, как в первой части атмосфера Питера 90х передана.

Roman U need to comment on Boris Bondarev, The senior russian diplomat at the UN..

Russian culture was like a tasty buterbrod, now it’s dropped on the floor butter side down

Eloquent , articulate and coherent journalism - keep it up , Roman !

I don’t think it’s anti Ukrainian, he asked a simple question in the most friendly way possible and gets called a Moskal, I think the natural response is to assume the guys a Bandera. I myself was born in Ukraine and have Russian and Ukrainian family. They do refer to Ukrainians as hohols in the movie but really that’s neither here or there as Ukrainian nationalists refer to themselves as hohols.

they even started using Kino (my favourite band originally from Leningrad) for propaganda, sad af

I think Rockstars masterpiece is still GTA San Andreas. Sad to see what has become of Rockstar Games.

Another phenomenal video which gives the viewer a unique perspective on the complex issue of Russian culture. Well done NFKRZ! I started watching you when you met up with BaldandBankrupt. Great stuff! When you coming to the US? We love you in Detroit!

"The one who's truthful is stronger" well, can't disagree with that 💀

It's as the Polish saying goes "Future is certain in Russia, it's the history that keeps on changing"

"Truth is more powerful than money." Great point. So how about the Russian government admit they are fighting a war? Not a 'special military operation'? The truth is important, right?

You literally can't get this content anywhere! Glad you exist bro!

Excellent analysis, thanks for sharing! ⚡️ Plus… “BratZ”, that’s brilliant! Lol

Brat 2 is one of the greatest films ever made.

Keep up the videos, I love them

Im glad you could move and feel free man! I love your videos!

Same thing with people thinking Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA" is a pro-US song

In Czech Republic we have a similar phrase as our countries official national motto “pravda zvítězí” - which means “truth will prevail.” But it was used as a symbol of resistance towards oppressors - Austria-Hungary, Third reivh and later the USSR. It’s interesting how the meaning of such phrases can be twisted to support your own narrative no matter what it is. In a way it proves that we’re really living in a post-truth society…

It would be really so original and so interesting if you made a video on the stereotypes that there are about the former Soviet republics and the various areas of Russia, because in this way you would provide us with very interesting material to listen to. Nobody did it online! In slow and understandable Russian.

Good topic, witty review. You make good stuff 👍

I love this channel. I learn so much! Thank you for your hard work.

The more as time goes by the more i like roman, if you ever get in trouble for speaking out come to my country we will protect you

"Truth is power" "Arbeit macht frei" First I thought "Russian World" would be the replacement. But this one fits better I think.

Damn thats super interesting Roman! Will watch Brat now :)

Gotta say, whatever else, I really love those shots of Chicago in the background of Brat 2. I went by the factory at 0:40 quite a lot while I was in college and living downtown. The surroundings have changed a lot, but there are still a lot of recognizable landmarks.

Russian cinema is really interesting. You should do a video on Russian music. I’d love to hear your take on the cultural impact of it on Russian people

i personaly think that a Mouvie all about the First Chechen war , in the style of a apocalypse now or full metal jacket , would be really intressting

Totally unrelated but you should make a video about the watches you're rocking on your other channel some time

I got into Balabanov recently. Most of his films are on Mubi at the moment. I enjoyed Brother 1 & 2. Cargo 200 and Morphine are also great.

I was waiting for Roman’s perspective change on this movie. P.S. BRAT’s plot will become Russia’s reality very shortly and for a long time

Is this suprising to anyone? Considering how its a Russian cult classic, main characters political views and that murder scene in the toilet with the Ukrainian assassin, I was expecting these movies to be somehow hsed by Russian war propaganda... and im not even Russian lol (Polish living in UK)

Both Brother movies were shown in the class of a Russian Geography course I had in university back in 2010. Never thought I would hear about them in this context. I wonder if my old professor ever went back to stay, he loved talking about how Lake Baikal was better than any lake in the PNW.

Awesome as always. Thanks Roman!

Lol decent sequels always end up in NYC, no matter where they are from :D

Love all your videos Roman! Keep it up bro! You’re doing amazing work, honestly, by keeping us informed and telling us what’s really going on unlike the *media* that only tells us what they want us to know. You’re doing amazing work Roman!

Братиш, отличный видос, но не 2,5 месяца назад ли были эти новости? Чето как то ты поздно hopped on the wagon ;)

Брат за брата - за основу взято. Раз - брат, два - брат, ты - брат, я - брат, брат-брат-брат-брат-брат-брат.

Terrible that these movies are being used this way. I’ve seen neither film but have wanted to for a long time. Will make a note to do that.

The fact that Z letter stuck with them as symbol of war, when they don't use the latin alphabet and might I say they even hate it, it's insane

Roman I'm not surprised that your "Funko Pop" is sold out 😭 do you think that there will be more available? I I'm also looking at becoming a patron because I would really like to support you, I am on a very fixed income but I'm going through my budget to try to include monthly patronage for you and your channel. I love you Roman I think you're awesome you're informative you're funny and extremely intelligent. I don't follow movie stars and such I follow you and bald and when you guys have a collab I love it. He has inspired me to learn Russian hope to speak Russian to you someday sorry for the long comment

The Брат 2 soundtrack still slaps.