Sergei Kurilov Movies
- 1955
Previously filmed by V. I. Pudovkin in 1926, the Maxim Gorky novel Mother was again adapted for the screen in 1956 under the title '1905'. The title, of course, refers to the occasion of the first, abortive Russian revolution. The film explores the effects this political upheaval has on a typical family. The central character, family matriarch Vera Maretskaya, must first suffer the death of her husband (N. Kolofidin), then the exile of her son (A. Batalov) when the boy takes up the cudgel of the Russian working class. While Pudovkin's Mother was a classic, '1905' is less so, due to the cumbersome direction of Mark Donskoy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Vera Maretskaya, Alexei Batalov, (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)
- 1952
The life of Russian composer Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, previously hoked up by Hollywood as Song of Scheherezade, is afforded more reverential treatment in this Soviet production. Grigori Belov stars as Rimsky-Korsakov, here portrayed as a pre-Leninist revolutionary whose music inspires the proletariat to offer defiance against the Czar. Naturally, most of Rimsky-Korsakov's most famous compositions are given ample screen time. Particularly well staged is L. Griasenko's interpretation of the title character in the opera Snow Maiden. The orchestrations were provided by the Kirov Opera Symphony Orchestra, under the baton of B. Haikin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Grigoriy Belov, Nikolai Cherkasov, (more)
- 1952
Young Tolya Bovkin plays the title character in the Russian Maximka. Based on a story by K. Stanyukovich, the film traces the life of a cheerful black orphan who is adopted by a band of Russian sailors. The boy's presence has a very positive effect upon these rough-and-tumble guys. None is more profoundly affected than hard-drinking deckhand Luchkin (Boris Andreyev), whose regeneration takes up most of the film's running time. Of interest is the art directors' concept of what such port cities as Havana and Hong Kong must have looked like in 1864 (by 1959, of course, the Soviets would have a pretty good grasp on the topography of Cuba!) ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Tolya Bobykin, Boris Andreyev, (more)
- 1947
Without Prejudice is the story of famed 19th-century Russian explorer/scientist Nikolai Miklukho-Maclay. While on an expedition to New Guinea, the protagonists gains a new understanding for, an appreciation of, the so-called primitive natives. Several black American actors living in the Soviet Union play important roles, notably Robert Robinson and Wayland Rodd. The film's title was obviously designed as a remonstration against racial inequities in the United States (though Russia certainly wasn't the most egalitarian country on earth!) The acting and directing are okay, but the cinematography is surprisingly shoddy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sergei Kurilov, Galina Grigoryeva, (more)
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