Ruben Simonov Movies
- 1948
Admiral Nakhimov is the inspirational filmed biography of the hero of Sebastopol. During the Russian war of the early 1850s against the British and French, Nakhimov (Alexei Dikiy) faces formidable opposition not only from his "official" enemies, but also from the duplicitous Turks. Despite putting up a valiant battle, the admiral loses at Sebastopol-a result, it is intimated, of the corruption and indifference of the Czarist regime. In its depiction of the English, French and Turks as double-dyed villains, Admiral Nakhimov strikes a powerful if heavy-handed blow for the post-WWII Soviet propaganda machine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Alexei Dikiy, Ruben Simonov, (more)
- 1950
Filmed in color on a grand scale, Fall of Berlin re-creates the final days of war in Europe from the Soviet point of view. As Allied soldiers lay siege to a ruined Berlin, Adolf Hitler (V. Savelyev) hides in his bunker, surrounded by sycophants. Meanwhile, Soviet premier Stalin (M. Gelovani), herein depicted as the soul of compassion and humanity, methodically maps out the future. Given the state of US-Russian relations in 1952, it is surprising that President Roosevelt is portrayed in a sympathetic light in The Fall of Berlin. Smoothing over the film's rough spots (at 124 minutes, its unevenness is all the more pronounced) is the vibrant musical score by Dmitri Shostakovich. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Mikhail Gelovani, Maxim Shtraukh, (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)
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