There Once Was a Singing Blackbird (1970) -- a day in the life of Tbilisi musician Guia Agladze -- expresses a joy of unconstrained living, joking, art, camaraderie, and the pleasures of the flesh that is plainly opposed to the narrow expectations and petty bureaucratic requirements of the People in Charge. In its vision, pacing, and black-and-white cinematography, it is reminiscent of the early Fellini, such as Nights of Cabiria, and the Nouvelle Vague, with a touch of the Marx Brothers and their brand of playful anarchy thrown in for good measure. The camera follows Guia from place to place -- from the cramped apartment he shares with his mother and a pair of visiting Russians, to the theater, to a series of boutiques and restaurants, to the street -- as he does what he does, acting on his impulses, avoiding confrontation, until the day ends and his metaphorical song goes silent.
