Vadim Medvedev Movies
This Soviet-produced comedy drama features Oleg Basilashvili as Buzykin, an absent-minded English translator. Buzykin's faulty memory and his inability to budget his time properly causes no end of trouble for his wife, his publisher, and his mistress. Directed by the prolific Georgi Danelia, Autumn Marathon was originally titled Osenny Marafon and sometimes known as A Sad Comedy. Supporting performer Yevgeni Leonov received the Best Actor Award at the 1979 Venice Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Oleg Basilashvili, Natalya Gundareva, (more)
- 1976
At the time Proshu Slova was released, Soviet reviews indicated that the theme of the film was the contrast between the outer events of the main character's life and their inner meaning. With great courage and forbearance, Uvarova (Inna Churikova) endures the death of her son in a shooting accident and attempts to carry on the business of the city, for she is its mayor. Her big project at the moment is to get a bridge constructed to an area where much-needed housing may be built. However, she has run into tremendous local opposition, and feels compelled to take her case to higher authorities. As she carries on the business of the city, flashbacks show her memories of key events in her life. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Inna Churikova, Nikolai Gubenko, (more)
Shakespeare's 17th century masterpiece about the "Melancholy Dane" was given one of its best screen treatments by Soviet director Grigori Kozintsev. Kozintsev's Elsinore was a real castle in Estonia, utilized metaphorically as the "stone prison" of the mind wherein Hamlet must confine himself in order to avenge his father's death. Hamlet himself is portrayed (by Innokenti Smoktunovsky) as the sole sensitive intellectual in a world made up of debauchers and revellers. Several of Kozintsev directorial choices seem deliberately calculated to inflame the purists: Hamlet's delivers his "To be or not to be" soliloquy with his back to the camera, allowing the audience to fill in its own interpretations. Rarely seen in the US, this Hamlet (or Gamlet, as it was known in Russia) is not always successful, but is certainly more innovative -- and lively -- than Olivier's wildly overpraised 1948 version. Director Grigori Kozintsev would follow Hamlet with an equally radical adaptation of King Lear in 1970. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Mikhail Nazvanov, (more)
- 1960
There are various versions of the short story The Queen of Spades by Alexander Pushkin, and in this performance of Tchaikovsky's opera on the same topic, Herman, a young army officer, is anxious to marry Lisa, the woman of his dreams, but Herman does not have much money. However, Lisa's grandmother is a Countess who has the secret of winning at cards. The avaricious young Herman decides he has to get the secret from the Countess in order to satisfy his own cupidity. The actors mime the parts of the various characters in this filmed opera, while the opera singers themselves supply the vocals. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Oleg Strizhenov, Olga Krasina, (more)
- 1956
Twelfth Night is a Russian adaptation of Shakespeare's confused-identity comedy. Since the story, about a young girl (Klara Luchko) disguised as a boy in order to facilitate her search for her twin brother, is set in the mythical land of Illyria, most stagings of the play avoid the Elizabethan trappings of Shakespeare's time. Conversely, this Twelfth Night is firmly planted in the 16th century, and thus looks as though it was staged by librarians rather than filmmakers. Director Yakov Fried has severely cut the original text, with the pompous Malvolio, usually a "star turn," ending up a virtual walk-on. The best aspect of Twelfth Night is its extensive use of exteriors, breathing occasional life into an other stagebound effort. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Klara Luchko, Anna Larionova, (more)
- 1955
The titular Gadfly in this Russian film is the illegitimate son of an Italian cardinal. The time is the 19th century, when Italy is under Austrian rule. The hero rallies his countrymen to battle for Italian independence. After several narrow escapes, the Gadfly is captured and executed by firing squad; in the very last moments, his father finally acknowledges the Gadfly's true family heritage. Oleg Strizhenov is the star of this filmization of Ethel L. Voynich's 19th century novel. The film's impressive visuals are augmented by Dmitri Shostakovich's thrilling musical score. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Oleg Strizhenov, Nikolai Simonov, (more)
- 1954
Only mildly propagandistic, the Russian A Big Family is capable of entertaining even the most entrenched of anti-communists. The title refers to the workers dedicated to the betterment of Russia's ship-building industry. The bulk of the storyline is carried by an amorous young ship-welder, who does the Right Thing when his girlfriend becomes pregnant. The villain is the manager of the workers' fraternal club, who absconds with the club's fund (the capitalist cad!) One of the more surprising aspects of A Big Family (especially considering its vintage) is the satirical character of a "dedicated" commissar who nonetheless succumbs to Western influence by purchasing two cars (gasp!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sergei Lukyanov, Boris Andreyev, (more)
- 1941
As political pressure and public sentiment mounted for the opening of a Russo-American "second front" during WW II, more and more flag-waving Soviet films found their way into American movie houses. Written by noted playwright Kostantin Simonov and co-directed by former journalist Alexander Stolper, A Lad From Our Town is the story of brash young Russian tank officer Lukonin (Nikolai Kryuchkov). An incessant braggart, Lukonin proves that he's not all talk with conspicuous acts of bravery during the Spanish Civil War and the Nazi invasion of his homeland. As a balm to the box-office, the film cooks up a romance between Lukonin and beautiful opera singer Varya (Anna Smirnova). Though well-intentioned, A Lad From Our Town suffers from a lack of production finesse. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Nikolai Kryuchkov, Nikolai Bogolyubov, (more)
