A defining feature of is its heavy use of Christian and biblical symbolism , most notably a direct visual reference to Andrea Mantegna's painting Lamentation over the Dead Christ .
: Actor Vladimir Garin , who played the elder son Andrei, tragically drowned shortly after filming, just two months before the movie’s release. The Return (2003)
: The film captures the vast, desolate Russian landscape of Lake Ladoga and the Gulf of Finland through meticulous, atmospheric cinematography by Mikhail Krichman . A defining feature of is its heavy use
The Return (Russia) 2003 – Andrey Zvyagintsev (Friday's Finest) who played the elder son Andrei