Vzlomshik (1987) Review/Film; Soviet Youth, in 'Burglar'.New York Times ,1988

LEAD: Glasnost has made it possible for the Soviet director Valery Ogorodnikov to turn his cameras on a rebellious teen-age culture that must seem shocking by Soviet standards, though to Western eyes it will look relatively tame. Much of it can be found at the community centers where, under very noticeable adult supervision, Leningrad's adolescents gather to sing the rock-and-roll songs that constitute their main means of expressing individuality.

Glasnost has made it possible for the Soviet director Valery Ogorodnikov to turn his cameras on a rebellious teen-age culture that must seem shocking by Soviet standards, though to Western eyes it will look relatively tame. Much of it can be found at the community centers where, under very noticeable adult supervision, Leningrad's adolescents gather to sing the rock-and-roll songs that constitute their main means of expressing individuality.

Idiosyncrasies of dress are possible, too - styling mousse has clearly made its way to Soviet shores - but there are distinct limits. A young man who pushes his fashion statement too far may find himself rounded up by police, asked for identification and told to rethink his wardrobe.

''The Burglar,'' which opens today at the Film Forum 1, reflects a strong Western influence, which must make it all the more startling for Soviet audiences. The musicians who perform in the film, singing what must surely be their own compositions, owe obvious debts to everyone from Elvis Presley to Talking Heads, though their lyrics must lose a great deal in translation (as one song puts it, ''Pain and joy have brushed their teeth and gone to bed'').

For every musical interlude in which the singers struggle with Anglicisms like ''boogie-woogie,'' the film includes glimpses of more formal Soviet musical training. Dance classes of cookie-cutter-pretty little ballerinas are observed, and the film's young hero, a pensive pre-teen-age boy named Senka Laushkin (Oleg Yelykomov), plays in a boys' band whose teacher has a more traditional sense of music and its importance. ''We make people happy, boys,'' he tells the students. ''One false note can spoil the mood of thousands of good people.''

''The Burglar'' explores Senka's relationship with an older brother named Kostya (Konstantin Kinchev), who is deeply involved in local punk society and has the MTV T-shirt to prove it. Eager for contact with the wider world, Kostya and his friends study slides of everything from the assassination attempt on the Pope to a beach scene in Japan, and one of the group has adopted the Westernized word ''Howmuch'' as his nickname. ''He looks like Howmuch,'' someone remarks, upon seeing a slide of Elvis Presley.

Left on their own after the death of their mother, which has turned their father into a hard-drinking ladies' man, the brothers are seen navigating their way through a society that does little to help them. Kostya has already cast his lot with his rebellious contemporaries. But young Senka is still adrift, and the film greatly underscores the bleakness of his situation. In an earnest but predictably plaintive way, it follows the disastrous route Senka takes in trying to become closer to his brother.

The performances are uncomplicatedly sincere, and the film's only real surprise is that Mr. Kinchev, whose musical performances as Kostya would seem to indicate otherwise, is in fact a big Soviet rock star. RUSSIAN PUNK SCENE - THE BURGLAR, directed by Valery Ogorodnikov; written (Russian with English subtitles) by Valery Priyemykhov; director of photography, Valery Mironov; art director, Viktor Ivanov; produced by Lenfilm Studios. Released by International Film Exchange. At Film Forum 1, 57 Watts Street. Running time: 89 minutes. This film is not rated. Senka Laushkin...Oleg Yelykomov Kostya Laushkin...Konstantin Kinchev Father...Yuri Tsapnik Sveta...Svetlana Gaitan Angelina...Polina Petrenko