This movie is based on a part of the "Brothers Karamazov" novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky. I haven't read the original book and can't tell how much it is alike, but really it is an interesting study of the history of late Russian empire and its relations with God and faith in His Son Jesus Christ.
It deals with a Christian-orthodox monk called Alexei Karamazov, who was sent out of the monastery into the world for help. He stumbles upon a scene of a lone poorer boy Ilyusha, insulted and attacked with rocks by a couple of school-children. Attempting to pacify these children, Alexei gets hit by Ilyusha, who even bits him; when he doesn't get angry, by showing Christian humility and forgiveness and questions the boy - Ilyusha runs away sobbing.
Turns out he's from a poor family with three ill persons, whose father was humiliated by Alexei's older brother; so Ilyusha was acting in revenge. Alexei asks forgiveness for his brother and offers financial help, but even with the hope of curing his family, the father refuses to forgive and in pride refuses the money. It really describes tensions (so-called class struggle) between well-off nobility class and the poorer parts of Russian empire society.
The story takes a turn to introduce Kolya Krasotkin, a very intelligent boy of about 12-13 years, who is a sort of a leader in school, perhaps a symbol of the intellectual part of society, but who is influenced by atheistic socialism and french revolutionary ideas. He seemed to have a strange mentor-like relation with younger Ilyusha, perhaps showing that peasants and workers were influenced by socialist intellectuals. He's somewhat careless and often tries to show off intellectually or physically in very dangerous ways, such as laying under a passing train. Supposedly Kolya is a symbol of stagnating aristocratic and intellectual Russian class, who understood the need for changes, but were unwilling/unable to change themselves and help the poorer people.
After a fight at school, Ilyusha falls ill, and under the instigation of Alexei Karamazov, the school children visit him to reconcile and ask forgiveness. This strikes Ilyusha with guilt for his hate and violent revenge, and past cruel treatment of animals. His illness leads to his death.
The movie concludes with the burial of Ilyusha's body and the boys following Alexei, who reassures them that everybody will be raised from the dead after the second coming of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: This movie is a historical analysis of Russia, its decay as Russian empire, being overcome by militantly atheist Bolshevik rebellion and USSR, through the symbol of the passing train, for example Lenin and Bolsheviks came to Russia by the train. Thus Ilyusha's death is symbolic of the death of the spirit of rebellion and vengeance evident in the Bolshevik revolution and USSR.
It then describes its return to Christian faith in Lord Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness, salvation and eternal life in God's Kingdom of Heaven. I guess, that Alexei Karamazov is really a symbol of Lord Jesus Christ, the good shepherd and teacher, who guides the children - Christians, who are adopted sons of God through Christ - towards love, mercy and goodness.
It deals with a Christian-orthodox monk called Alexei Karamazov, who was sent out of the monastery into the world for help. He stumbles upon a scene of a lone poorer boy Ilyusha, insulted and attacked with rocks by a couple of school-children. Attempting to pacify these children, Alexei gets hit by Ilyusha, who even bits him; when he doesn't get angry, by showing Christian humility and forgiveness and questions the boy - Ilyusha runs away sobbing.
Turns out he's from a poor family with three ill persons, whose father was humiliated by Alexei's older brother; so Ilyusha was acting in revenge. Alexei asks forgiveness for his brother and offers financial help, but even with the hope of curing his family, the father refuses to forgive and in pride refuses the money. It really describes tensions (so-called class struggle) between well-off nobility class and the poorer parts of Russian empire society.
The story takes a turn to introduce Kolya Krasotkin, a very intelligent boy of about 12-13 years, who is a sort of a leader in school, perhaps a symbol of the intellectual part of society, but who is influenced by atheistic socialism and french revolutionary ideas. He seemed to have a strange mentor-like relation with younger Ilyusha, perhaps showing that peasants and workers were influenced by socialist intellectuals. He's somewhat careless and often tries to show off intellectually or physically in very dangerous ways, such as laying under a passing train. Supposedly Kolya is a symbol of stagnating aristocratic and intellectual Russian class, who understood the need for changes, but were unwilling/unable to change themselves and help the poorer people.
After a fight at school, Ilyusha falls ill, and under the instigation of Alexei Karamazov, the school children visit him to reconcile and ask forgiveness. This strikes Ilyusha with guilt for his hate and violent revenge, and past cruel treatment of animals. His illness leads to his death.
The movie concludes with the burial of Ilyusha's body and the boys following Alexei, who reassures them that everybody will be raised from the dead after the second coming of Jesus Christ.
CONCLUSION: This movie is a historical analysis of Russia, its decay as Russian empire, being overcome by militantly atheist Bolshevik rebellion and USSR, through the symbol of the passing train, for example Lenin and Bolsheviks came to Russia by the train. Thus Ilyusha's death is symbolic of the death of the spirit of rebellion and vengeance evident in the Bolshevik revolution and USSR.
It then describes its return to Christian faith in Lord Jesus Christ, and the forgiveness, salvation and eternal life in God's Kingdom of Heaven. I guess, that Alexei Karamazov is really a symbol of Lord Jesus Christ, the good shepherd and teacher, who guides the children - Christians, who are adopted sons of God through Christ - towards love, mercy and goodness.
