Cuidado com o Carro

Just a great movie portraying the genres most often used in movies at that time: love, light humour. Smoktynovsky is perhaps not the ideal choice for the role (Ryzanov originally wanted Nikylin for this role, but the latter was currently in the also great comedy - Diamond Arm), yet he is very good. There are many funny quotes in this film, better understood if you understand Russian, a ton of small funny moments which just make you grin. The cast gives an outstanding performance. Back to Smoktynovsky again, I'll describe the movie for you a bit. He is an honest insurance agent who steals and sells cars from unfairly rich people, and gives the money to foster homes. His best friend is a detective trying to find the thief. After he learns the shocking truth, he obviously does not want Detochkin (Smoktynocsky's hero) to be punished severely.

"Beregis avtomobilya" in Russian means "look out for the car". It seems that the title actually implies that cars become sort of a metaphor for our lives. The protagonist Detochkin (his surname implies "child" in Russian) is an insurance agent who steals cars from thieves and gives the money to charity. But then there's a surprise.

What I mean about the title as a metaphor for our lives. Some people put all their money into their cars; they're complete losers, but at least they have cool cars. Moreover, it's often said that a person is his/her own worst enemy. In this sense, the danger to Detochkin posed by the average vehicle is nothing compared to what his own actions can do.

Anyway, this is a pretty funny movie, a look at the Soviet Union in the mid-'60s. We even get to hear an American song in one scene! I suspect that they had fun making the movie. Worth seeing.

It's a really accomplished movie with LOTS of technical screenplay and classic action chases and great drama sequences.

The acting is humble and sound. The lead protagonist is a car thief who steals cars for the good. Not to harm but to provide for the kids. He is apologetic and a classic Gentleman.

He is chased by his best friend who happens to be a cop and his co-star. There is many times when the cop has to question his idealologies and it pans out so beautifully in this moive.

This movie is also a rare chance to see Russia in the 1960's and how they have German lager and have not been graced by the style of swinging sixties' London.

It's a Russian noir movie and it is really well-acted and choreographed and the plot is excellent. The narrative is great. Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy's (the lead actor) own background memoirs are excellent credentials for a movie.

Excellent acting from Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy; Oleg Efremov; Georgi Zhzhyonov (who survived 18 years in prison under Starlin; maybe a movie about him?) and Olga Aroseva amongst others.

Great film with inspiration from early American cinema and slapstick Chaplin and crime drama novels. 8/10.

By current standards it is really ridiculous to call it a "black comedy". "Death Becomes Her" and "Pulp Fiction" are black comedies. And among the Russian ones "Deja vu" is a good candidate. So, here goes problem number one. Being rather light-hearted it lacks colour badly (suppose they could make it in colour back in 1966). And sometimes it lacks style (the background voice making wise comments in a "TV news" manner is a downer). This is very subjective fault-finding but quite decisive to me. There are no complaints regarding the actors' performance and the story is fine with its "Robin Hood" touch. There are many memorable scenes ("Hamlet" performance, the Soviet shopping, a funny monologue about "our" Shakespeare, etc.) and tons of enjoyable sayings. Most these things are, unfortunately (or fortunately), can be easily understood by older Russian people (especially of older generations) only. As to people from other countries (and even younger Russian audience) – there will be some problems in catching its tune. Just to expand on this matter: for Russians, the movie is one good piece of entertainment, nostalgia, and a historical lesson (clothes, relations between people during the Soviet era, first businessmen a la "spekulianti", Soviet "drama clubs", etc.). For the rest of the world... - hardly. If you live in some sort of USA, was born there, have been living there your whole life, have just watched this movie and ready to give it a 10 right away with a frank heart, post me a few lines please.

It is a good movie but not great. Upon the DVD box it is written: "popular videos". It really belongs to that class of movies - "Russian popular videos" that is.

If it were in colour and without that bumbling voice behind the camera, the mark from my side would have been better.

Quite objectively, it is 6 out of 10 (but there should be a place for this film in the national top 1000 of course). Thanks for attention.

The absence of reviews here prompts me to say a few words. I saw this in a cinema in Moscow in 1966 [despite date above], a popular film there at the time. I couldn't follow all the dialogue at the time, but I recall being struck by the believability and humanity of the whole thing. Russian public were right on the side of the anti-hero, though he was no swashbuckler and the ending is dispassionate. This was still during the time of the Soviet thaw, and Moscow was heaving with American tourists. Life was better for Russians and things were looking up. The old gallant Soviet war heros had become less interesting, and the time was right for someone more complex, surfacing, perhaps, from the rich literary tradition. A perfect Geroi nasha vremeno - my theory anyway. I'd just like to see it again before giving it a rating!