Films based on real events are especially popular with viewers. People are much more interested in the world saved by Superman single-handedly, not the feat of a real person, a person who did not give up in a difficult moment and followed his goal to the end, so making films based on true stories is becoming more and more relevant, which is very good. Such films provide an opportunity to look at events in a new way and evaluate them with different eyes, which is what Nikoloz Khomasuridze’s historical-biographical work, “Ekvtime: Man of God” (2018), serves. The film shows the amazing story of one person who, managed to save the cultural heritage of the country while in emigration.
The basis of any such film is its atmosphere, the era in which the events take place. Here is shown not only a journey, but also a penetration into the past of a hundred years ago. All clothes, interiors, absolutely everything corresponds to the era of that time. As for Ekvtime’s image itself, here too a golden medium was found between an ideal image and a historical figure. The film is patriotic and paints Ekvtime Takaishvili’s magnificent image. A balance is maintained between showing political and personal life, we can see not only a historical figure, but also a husband, friend and an ordinary person.
The action begins in 1893, with an episode of Ekvtime's childhood, and the main line of the narrative focuses on his activities in 1921-1945. In parallel with which, the tragic history of Georgia of these years is shown.
Despite the fact that we know how events will develop, it is quite intriguing to watch. In parallel with the main plot, this work features a number of outstanding historical figures of that period who played an important role in the fate of the country. Portraits of Ilia Chavchavadze, Davit Sarajishvili, Noe Zhordania, Akaki Chkhenkeli and others are presented. A very small dose of humor lightens the atmosphere and brings more humor to a serious dramatic film.
Separately, the genre component is worth noting. “Ekvtime: Man of God” definitely belongs to the historical-biographical genre. However, it also has elements of a war film, a thriller and, of course, a political drama. Such genre diversity makes the work more watchable.
Formally, Khomasuridze’s film has more than one character, but in essence it is a one-man film, and in this case, it becomes a real challenge for the actor, even if it is Rezo Chkhikvishvili. He copes with this task perfectly well and adds another memorable and successful role to his filmography. You can't look at his professionalism indifferently, not respect and admire him. He is convincing in his emotions and literally lives those difficult days. Although it is impossible to describe with complete accuracy the experiences and feelings that Ekvtime had during his twenty-four-year emigration, when you follow his character, you believe that what he felt and experienced was very close to the truth. He is especially distinguished by his expressive looks, his shots are stunning, both from afar and from a close-up. Each of his appearances deeply conveys the mood and feelings of the hero.
As for the rest of the actors, here you can see one of the most talented acting ensembles of recent times. First of all, this is Ana Tsereteli, who provided a worthy partnership with Rezo Chkhikvishvili. The characters played by Giorgi Megrelishvili, Lasha Ramishvili and Gogi Turkashvili were also memorable. You will not see any superfluous characters that are presented only to fill the screen time, there are no unnecessary words that do not affect the development of the narrative in any way.
The work done by the make-up artists made it possible to achieve maximum external similarity between the actor and his character, although in close-ups a large number of traces of make-up are clearly visible, which makes it difficult to take the film seriously.
Khomasuridze's film features many close-ups of the characters' faces, and great attention is paid to the gaze, which conveys their spiritual state, which is especially noticeable in tense scenes. The scene of returning to the homeland after twenty-four years of emigration is the most painful and memorable. Actions convey the hero's feelings much more fully than words.
This work is about Ekvtime’s work but only the transparent shell of the film, inside it is politics, the aggression of a neighboring country, survival and establishment in emigration, the fight for freedom.
By combining beautiful views with acting skills, the director manages to achieve both the appropriate dynamics and excellent emotional tension. Despite the predictability of the plot, the work is well built in the language of visual cinema, without a mediocre presentation of documentary facts. And, of course, the musical accompaniment creates the necessary mood.
We can be critical of the accuracy of history. First of all, the dates are noteworthy. In the credits, we can see March 5, 10 and 14, and the events that took place at that time do not coincide with historical reality. The dates are given with a few days' delay. Secondly, the images of the government representatives are made as if they were only interested in selling the treasure and living well, as if they left Tbilisi without a fight and did nothing useful for their homeland while in emigration. However, history provides other information about all this. Although the film is a feature film and not a documentary one, the director had the right to film his work according to his own opinion, however, it is wrong to overextend the already difficult history and accuse the government of the Independent Republic of Georgia of more mistakes than it actually had. Moreover, this also turns out to be a distortion of the facts. In addition, in terms of historical accuracy, you may not like the length of the film, which is almost two and a half hours. In certain episodes, there is a mix of reality and past footage. If you are not careful enough, the viewer may be confused and some episodes may seem out of context. One example of this is the showing Ekvtime's expeditions in the middle of the film, without any prior introduction. A strong connection of the plot with history is necessary in order to understand what is happening on the screen, so you should have basic knowledge of Georgian history. The film is mainly aimed at the Georgian audience, although all this does not have too much influence on its correct perception.
Is it impossible for one ordinary person to do such a great thing for the country: to be hungry, cold, need money for medicine, but not to touch anything from that multi-tiered treasury. It is incredibly difficult for such great things to be done without the will of God. Every person has his own mission, no matter how difficult it is to fulfill it. Hardly, but at least bring it to the end.
How much pride is felt when a person like Ekvtime is part of the history of your homeland. People like him are probably born rarely and generations should grow up on their example. Khomasuridze made a good film about a good person who did the impossible without doubting for a moment the correctness of his decision. He fought for his goal to the end, without unnecessary emotions, despite numerous moral and physical pressures, Ekvtime took the blow with dignity.
One of the most difficult genres to film is biography, and if such a difficult adventure is added to it, the task becomes even more difficult. Even the smallest details need to be as close to accuracy as possible. To be clear, at least to differ from other representatives of the genre, it is necessary to find new techniques. The authors of “Ekvtime: God’s Man” have succeeded in this, to some extent. There are details that contain quite significant flaws, but they are decorated with such visual effects that they are practically invisible (if we do not take into account the obvious inaccuracy of the dates).
Films similar to “Ekvtime: God’s Man” are very important. By looking at them, you will better understand the history of your own country.
Teona Vekua
