Das Gastmahl der Rose

This is my first comment on IMDb website, and the reason I'm writing it is that we're talking about ONE OF THE BEST FILMS EVER! 'Ne goryuy!' will make you laugh and cry at the same time, you will fall in love (if you're not a fan yet!) with Georgian choir singing tradition, and possibly you will accept the hardships of your own existence and just feel good after watching it:) What I like a lot about this film is that actors in the non-leading roles create vivid and memorable characters and are just as interesting and important as the central character. The film is starring Vahtang Kikabidze (who is great), but you will remember every single face around him in the film. You will find yourself quoting their lines, that have become household names for so many Russian-speaking people. A film to live with. Simple, yet deep, you will want to watch it again and again.

Wonderful, I like soft Georgian humor. This movie is base point of G. Daneliya. I think that without 'Ne Goryuj' other his movies will never be. Wonderful casting. Very rhythmic movie. All is based on georgian music.

This is in fact the best film that Georgiy Daneliya, one of the most famous Soviet film makers has ever made. The paradox is that this the most "Georgian" film not only among Daneliya's but among many other films made in or about Georgia is based upon a purely French story -- Claude Tillie's novel "My uncle Benjamen" (there is even a French film with the same title, which was shot around the same time). Revaz Gabridze (previously director at the famous Tbilisi Marionette Theatre) has changed the scenery to a small Georgian town in the end of the XIXth century. Music for this film was written by Gia Kancheli, famous Georgian composer who always accompanies Danelia in his projects.

Danelia invited the best Georgian actors to take part in this film and each of them is like a separate page in the history of Georgian cinema: Vakhtang Kikabidze (Benjamen), Sergo Zaqariadze (doctor Levan), Sofiko Chiaureli (Sofiko), Gogi Kavtaradze (Luka), Dodo Abashidze (prince Vamekh Vakhvary), Ariadna Shengelaya (princess), Veriko Andjaparidze (bitchy old lady), Sesilia Takaishvily (another bitchy old lady - Levan's housekeeper), Ippolit Khvichia (Sergo), Abessalom Loria (chemist), Karlo Sakandelidze (advocate), Zurab Kapianidze (butler), Kote Daushvily (priest), Baadur Tsuladze (deceived husband), Lia Gudadze (deceiving wife) and he also invited famous Yevgeniy Leonov (soldier Egor), young Anastasia Vertinskaya (Mery) and the incomparable, big-nosed Frunzik Mkrtchyan (prisoner).

Probably it is not fair to emphasise anyone, but late Sergo Zaqariadze as Levan Tsintsadze cannot be left unmentioned. It is hard to imagine another actor to replace him in this film and this role is certainly the peak of his career (however others point at a role of Georgiy Makharashvily in the "Father of the Soldier").

The film provides with about 90 minutes of superb acting, famous Georgian polyphony, soft humour and sad but wise story of life and death, love and friendship, decency and honesty. And if you are trying to get the very soul of this country, the very spirit of life in a small piece of land enclosed among Black Sea and Caucasian Mountains, the very nature of the nation and its people, here it is...

This is just the best movie of all times! Sorry, Hollywood! I've seen it in early 70's, as soon as it appeared on the Bulgarian TV, and I loved it immediately (I was 14 then). 25 years later I bought it on a video tape, and a few months ago it finally appeared on a DVD here in Bulgaria. I live with this movie 35 years already, and so do all my friends and my family. My son was a teenager when he saw it for the first time, and he loved it immediately, too (and this is the generation that grew up watching practically only Hollywood movies and not speaking or understanding Russian at all!). What makes this masterpiece of Danelia so special? It's difficult to say, as it is difficult to describe what the beauty is... But the fact is that you can watch this movie dozens of times with the same pleasure as it was the first time. I can't remember any other such movie, no matter how many millions it cost or how great the cast was... Chapeau, Maestro Danelia! Bulgaria loves you!

Although the film is the adaptation of the French play (forgot the name - sorry), it is a wonderful portrayal of the cheerful side of Georgian character. This film will make you to burst into laughter and will fill your heart with warm sadness. It will display the overwhelming love of life along with human eccentricities.