Biografie

12. März 1937 · Slavyansk, Ukrainian SSR, USSR [now Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine]

5. April 2007 · Moskau, Russland

Boris Valentinovich Durov

[Speaking about the blockbuster film 'Pirates of the 20th Century' (1980) which he directed] In our film, there's no demagoguery. It's a pure action film. People simply defend their country, without those refined intellectuals. They are real men... Girls, women were happy to see such an assemblage of men who, without second thought, would give heat to the enemy.

[From an interview about the film 'Pirates of the 20th Century' (1980)] Actually, we worked on the script together. It's said so in the credits: "Written by S. Govorukhin in collaboration with B. Durov." Though, certainly, Govorukhin's input was much bigger, and the idea was his. So we started work on the script. We went to Odessa, to Slava's dacha, he had a hut there. On the Black Sea. Of course, when we started working on the script, we got a lot of new ideas, and they continued to pop up as new people joined us. It always happens so. It's natural. The scenario always takes on some flesh, some beef in the process. At times Slava [Govorukhin] was angry with me for crossing something out. But I just tried to... I was guided by only one thought: not one, not one second of procrastination. The work must move on.

[on how the idea for the film 'Pirates of the 20th Century' (1980) came about:] Once at the Cinema House I was approached by Govorukhin: "Boris! I wrote a film synopsis. Read it." I said: "Slava, you mean, right here?" He said: "Come on, read it! It will take you only fifteen minutes. You may want to film it." "Okay," I said, "let's look at it." I sat in the corner and read it. It really took no time. I went to Slava and said: "I've read it." [Slava Govorukhin]-"Well?" [Boris]-"I'm going to film it."

[Film director Boris Durov recalls the contradictions surrounding his blockbuster film 'Pirates of the 20th Century' in 1980 in the former Soviet Union] After our script was accepted, I went to the Minister and told him how things stood. He asked: "Will the film be popular?" I guess he never read the script. I said: "It will be a blockbuster." He asked: "How much can it gross?" Imagine him saying it then, at that time. I said: "Talking recently to my group, I said the film would gross 70-75 million." Later, when the film was out, they cited different figures. The Gorky Film Studio bulletin board showed 103 million. But in the press they put it as low as 87 million.

[on filming conditions on location in 1979 in the former Soviet Union for the film 'Pirates of the 20th Century' (1980)] Our managing director had arranged at the Ministry for a ship, a dry-cargo ship, to be leased, where all the action took place. We lived in the city of Zhdanov, now Mariupol. We lived in a hotel near the harbor. And the very first morning... Well, you know how we live at those hotels. We got up, ate half a cup of sour cream and a roll, drank very weak coffee, and off to work, to the ship. Our managing director and I walked up on-board. The captain greeted us: "Hello! Please come to our mess room." I say: "Volodya, why?" [The captain:]"To have breakfast." My director nudged me to make me shut up. I said: "Alright. Just two of us?" [The captain:]"No, your whole group." Everyday we had a great breakfast and a great dinner. All our cast and crew put on some weight.