The Head

The Soviet Russia of old is an immobile head without a body that appears in various locations, clashing with the morals and sentiments of a modern rich man. This man seeks advise from the head but finds that it is annoyingly unresponsive or unhelpful as it sends him on various missions and tests. At times he uses violence or oral rape to get what he wants until he grows too exasperated. Most of the movie consists of improvised dialogue or rants, and meandering scenes in a weapons shop, a railway, and a meeting where the man performs a bizarre magic performance with chickens, eggs and a cardboard box..

Directed by Svetlana Baskova, The Head leans on a strong ensemble — Sergey Pakhomov, Aleksandr Maslaev, Aleksandr Mironov — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2004.