Opinion about the movie “Tetris” – the best movie about games and Russia, which you should not miss in 2023

Apple has traditionally been unlucky with premieres on its own streaming service. The original content was obtained for an amateur and didn’t even come close to the Netflix numbers. However, the apple company continues to follow the chosen course, periodically producing such masterpieces as Ted Lasso or Severance. In this article we want to talk about a new product that justifies the existence of the Apple TV + service more than others – Tetris. Inspirational, smart and timely, the film has become a declaration of love for computer games and a hymn to the idea that talent and determination know no barriers or boundaries. How did it happen? Let’s figure it out.

Let’s agree right away that we are not going to make comparisons with real history. Tetris is full of discrepancies and authoritarian assumptions – and this is obvious. Otherwise the movie wouldn’t work. Much more important is the essence of what is happening and the thoughts that the creators put into the work.

Henk Rogers is a programmer and inventor of computer games. His projects barely last, allowing Hank to subsist with his family and his small business, Bullet-Proof Software. On one of the inconspicuous days, the entrepreneur accidentally sees a new game – Tetris, which has just been launched on several slot machines. The project instantly falls in love with Rogers, he feels this is an opportunity not to be missed. There are only two issues: licensing rights to distribute and the creator, who lives in the Soviet Union.

We are used to movies based on games trying to modify the gameplay itself or the features of the project, but Tetris is about something completely different. The intricacies of copyright and licensing agreements are quite difficult to figure out, so it’s better not to watch a movie with one eye against the background.

The audience is literally forced to immerse themselves in what is happening. If you let the plot grab all your attention, you’ll feel the heat of passion, drama, and even very appropriate humor. Boring legal nonsense turns out to be an extremely tense picture, where each of the parties to the conflict is ready to give everything for the cherished game.

It’s unusual to see this the more Tetris stands out against the background of other movies about games. In some ways, the sensations are reminiscent of the impressions from the book “Blood, Sweat and Pixels.” The Downside of the Industry” (Blood, Sweat, and Pixels. The Triumphant, Turbulent Stories Behind How Video Games Are Made), in which Jason Schreier reveals the ins and outs of the process. However, if the book presents the work on games as seriously as possible, Tetris leaves room for light humor, skilfully balancing between caricature and topical satire.

The novelty could hardly have been successful if it had adapted a real story without the main character, Alexei Pajitnov. Apple deserves credit here. All Russians, except suddenly Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, are played by our compatriots, and Nikita Efremov played the main role. You’re probably waiting for cranberries, and they’re here. All the subjects that are close to the heart of the Russians – corruption, bigoted officials and general hatred of imaginary enemies – are appropriate, but in the light of modern realities they don’t seem so exaggerated.

Pajitnov did not actually receive any money from Tetris, as all imports and exports of computer hardware and software into the Soviet Union were handled by the ELORG company, which established a complete monopoly.

But the main villain of “Tetris” is not a single “KGB officer” in a long leather coat, but a system that equally harms both Rogers and Pajitnov. The cumbersome machine of formalism in the USA is no different from the USSR and does not accept the living minds of talented people, regardless of nationality and country – this is the main conflict of the film and one of the main pluses of the plot.

This is an unexpectedly very fresh approach, the one you least expect in an Apple project and, sadly, you certainly won’t see in the modern home theater. However, Tetris has other advantages, which should also be discussed.

Nikita Efremov did not evoke any emotions in us at all before looking at the picture. It was difficult to assess how good the actor was: Efremov is the star of domestic TV series, which includes such powerful works as “Patient Zero” and outright game “The Kept Woman”.

However, now we can confidently talk about the talent and considerable potential of the actor. This is not the polished Danila Kozlovsky, who plays herself in every project, and not Alexander Petrov, who over his many years of career has still not learned how to clearly pronounce his lines. Efremov ideally fell into the image of an “ordinary Soviet hard worker”, intimidated by stupid prejudices and officials. It is very easy to associate yourself with him, you immediately believe in Pajitnov’s life. The only thing that rocked the atmosphere was Alexei’s frequent use of English. Even now you almost never see this, let alone in the Soviet Union.

Pajitnov comes into his own best alongside Henk Rogers, played by Taron Egerton. The young actor has already proven himself and has shown that he can cope equally well with such action comedies as Kingsman: The Secret Service (Kingsman: The Secret Service), and with serious thrillers – Black Bird. Tetris is no exception. Henk is immediately endearing. Edgerton’s vivid facial expressions allow you to feel the character’s full range of emotions. The hero is so sincerely worried that he immediately wants everything to be fine for him.

Pajitnov and Rogers are two polar opposites. They come from different worlds, which Aleksey Henk immediately points out, but together they pursue the same goal: to realize their potential. And the question is not even about money, although they are important. At one point, Rogers directly says that the Soviet Union is not only an iron curtain and prohibitions, it is also people and their ideas that can be of interest to the whole world. What more can I say now.

The rest of the characters, of course, receive much less attention, but they fit perfectly into everything that happens. The motivation of each is revealed, the actions do not cause bewilderment or questions. Someone may note that the villainous Soviet official is a solid stereotype, but unfortunately the picture is extremely plausible.

The film is divided into levels, between which screensavers appear that are made for old games. Occasionally buildings get grainy and the final chase of the icon of the domestic auto industry with a periodic transition to 2D is a separate delight. All this creates a recognizable style for Tetris and especially eases serious moments a bit.

Moscow is visually very different. Gray cold skyscrapers may not be an example of realism, but they perfectly convey the mood and atmosphere. Every office, car and apartment has been recreated as similarly as possible.

Music is definitely a very important aspect of any photo. The creators took the melody from the game as a basis and adapted it very neatly to the soundtrack. There is also a hit song covered in Russian – Holding Out For A Hero, and such simply well-known compositions as The Final Countdown. The rights to such songs cost Apple a fortune – respect.

“Tetris” promised to be a passing movie for the evening, but it turned out to be witty and inspiring in a good way. In the modern world, there is a desperate lack of photos that remind people that one’s potential is not defined by nationality and state lines at all. We are much less different than we think and are capable of incredible results when we work together.