I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

a film about the unique golden age. in Soviet atmosphere of a scud camp. tension, dialogues, feelings, frustration. and the delicacy to use each as part of a large puzzle. a film of nostalgic memories more than a story. because it is testimony about a lost period who remains refuge, axis and motivation across life. because it represents a beautiful reflection/exploration of simple small details who remain out of words. because it is a beautiful portrait of growing up. in a summer. in a scud camp. in the clash of feelings and powerful need to be yourself. so, nostalgic isles. and the return in the air of the last days of childhood.

a story from a summer Soviet scud camp. nothing special. only the search of a teenager to define his feelings. a film like many others from a cinema and a manner to discover reality. touching, subtle, delicate, bitter. but different because, in this case, Romeo and Juliet are far to old recipes as form. but the essence remains the same. a movie who must see. not only for story. but for the precise use of detail.for the fresh air, for the memories about lost personal experiences, for the beauty of images, for the way from an age to another. the play, the dialogs, the title , the chapters are only tools for a splendid film about force and price of love. so, maybe, it is not great. but it is necessary for many of its public as experience. or, only mirror.

Girl - "femme fatal" in age of about 14 - Ergolina (sumptuous young actress Tatyana Drubich) is absolutely convincing though everything is quite virgin. The hero of the movie - youth 14 years old too - try to understand the nature of Love on the background of real nature as scene is summer camp ("Soviet pioneer's camp" - like scout camp). The action is slow similar to Russian summer itself, but it is advantage here: the psychological effect (empathy) is accelerated and is picked up. Film contains "chapters": from "Sunstroke" in the beginning towards "Education of Feeling" in the end and all these are metaphors of the Love.