With adaptations of literary works – especially if it is an extremely popular novel, as in the case of Nora Iksten’s breast milk, – there is one misfortune: the filmmakers are in no way able to “turn off” their knowledge of the story’s characters and their biographies, probably even completely objectively unable to put themselves in the shoes of a viewer who has not read the novel, and are no longer able to look at their own story from the outside . When these objective factors collide with the need dictated by the limited time of the film to shorten some lines or layers of the novel, it may happen to cut something that seems optional, but radically changes – or does not show – the motivation or psychological development of the characters, and the viewer sees a completely different scene and other characters. In my opinion, the same thing happened with the film directed by Inara Kolmanes Mother’s milk (screenplay author – Arvis Kolmanis), and Astra’s character appears with completely different qualities, which also makes the temperature of the entire film icy cold.
Twelve years later
The witty transition from childhood Astra (played by Madara Mazā) to student Astra (played by Elīna Vaska-Boter) made with one flick of the light switch, however, gradually reveals the problem – the new Astra has jumped into the film space completely without a past, and the twice-seen credits “12 years later ” apparently they have hidden from the viewer all the reasons why she is acting so inappropriately at the moment. In fact, until the moment when Astra announces that she is probably pregnant and does not want either a child or an abortion, the viewer of the film has not seen a single episode that would allow us to believe what is claimed in the film releases and annotations that she “conflicted with the totalitarian Soviet regime” and therefore lost her maternal instinct (however, the harsh teacher’s shout in the pioneer row cannot be considered such a traumatic conflict).
Rather, Astra’s mother has much more reason to hate the Soviet Union, as shown by the cameraman’s inventively shot opening episode in a country house (operator Rolands Leonavičs, Lithuania) and the briefly shown, yet emotional portrayal of Inga Tropa; but let’s face it, this generation could not yet have the idea that one could simply not want a child and abandon it. Of course, Astra comes to her “complications” in a seemingly more free-spirited time (the movie on TV To the rich lady confirms that it is 1969), however, her arguments “such a wonderful profession, I don’t want to leave it” and “I use pills and caffeine” do not convince either the mother, the girlfriend, or the viewer.
Heat and coolness
With a jump to the next twelve years, Maia Doveika appears in the role of Astra, an excellent actress who can play anything, but the script does not foresee any ideological battles for her at the beginning – even the visit to the “Engels Street house” ends without problems, because it turns out that the Chekists only need to answer all the time “no” and then even a “complicated biography” (about which the viewer of the film knows nothing) does not prevent an internship in Leningrad. And there, in reality, Astra’s career is ruined not by the Soviet power, but by her own inadequately chosen means (the hammer), defending her medical experiment against a neighboring drunkard, a veteran of the “Great Patriotic War” (in a small but bright role, the Ukrainian actor Oleksiy Gorbunov, whom we already know from many series movies Criminal case for the beginner). It’s no wonder that the colleagues of the Leningrad laboratory look at Astra like she’s crazy, the viewer of the film has also seen a cold and cruel monster all this time, who, of course, will not have any reason to soften in the future. With a callous “Nora will ride with me!” she is ready to destroy her child’s life as well, but we already understood that “twelve years ago”.
It is interesting that Astra’s costumes throughout the film have been kept in a very limited and distinctly warm color range (costume designer Evie Johnson), also the mood of the film’s environment and interiors is often determined by darker or lighter brown lacquered furniture and other similar elements (a great job by the film artist throughout all the decades the work of Alģirdas Garbačauskas), however, real warmth radiates from the screen only when Astra’s mother (Indra Briķe) is knitting on the sofa in front of the TV and Nora is curled up next to her – maybe because it also reminds me of my childhood scenes in the semi-darkness with Omi in front of the TV.
Perhaps the film’s icy coolness also comes from the montage, which gives the feeling that the film’s story is divided into pieces of approximately the same length, and several of these pieces in a staccato rhythm simply name a set of signs meant for quick description: sour cucumber – nausea – pregnancy; a row of children in blue school uniforms – gas masks – military teacher; Joplin – Hendrix – Riders on the Storm…
Book flying
Next to such an extreme Astra, which is becoming more and more deep and psychologically understandable in the portrayal of Maia Doveik, a serious challenge is taken up by Ruta Kronberg, the actress of her daughter Nora, and we must happily admit that she is not just a “one-role actress” – the role of Billie Nora, played about six or seven years ago is a respectable sequel. Warm empathy is also evoked by Zane Bierande in the wonderful character of Jesse and also by Astra’s two mothers (although the most emotional moment of Inga Tropa’s screen time with crying is not explained in any way to little Astra or the viewer). Some more beautiful inventions or captures of the cameraman remain in the memory: flying books, the silhouette of the Mephistophelian pointy ears of the rural Chekist (Gundars Grasbergs) on the background of the window; Jesse’s hand lighting the candles in the sand… And Raimonds Tigula’s music, which gives a truly epic breath, especially to the beginning and the end of the film.
However, the most important conclusion and recommendation for movie viewers – read the novel first, you will see a completely different movie!
