Historical drama. Another, alas, almost forgotten masterpiece of Soviet cinema today, which became the directorial debut of Tatyana Mikhailovna Lioznova, responsible for the multi-part Soviet film "Seventeen Moments of Spring". The film itself is an adaptation of a real case that happened to British military pilots during the Great Patriotic War in the USSR, which was told by English journalist Ralph Parker (starred in the film in a small role), and Sergei Gerasimov and Tamara Makarova (she also played the second main role) were responsible for the script. It's even surprising that this painting was able to elude the author of this review for so long, but that's okay, because the painting was found and it's time to appreciate it. And here's a brief opinion - Tatiana Lioznova's stunning debut. There are no flaws in the picture, but there are many advantages, so they need to be painted and give you a reason to watch this poignant story.
So, here they are:
1. The scenario is 1944. British man Ralph Chadwick, who is part of the crew of an American bomber carrying out a mission as part of Operation Furious, crashes in the temporarily occupied territory of the USSR, he is the only one of the crew who survives, but because of his wounds he does not have long to live. Russians Russian woman Ekaterina Ivanovna saves him and takes care of him, and a Russian boy, Fedya Vasyukov, helps her in this. In a roundabout way, Ralph manages to get to Moscow, and from there to his homeland. Many years later, an already aged Ralph decides to travel to the USSR (seeing the contemptuous attitude of some of his compatriots towards Russia), and there he learns the terrible news. To say that the script catches the soul is an understatement. After all, the real story is very close to it, but there is no need to talk about morality - one final monologue by Ralph Chadwick is worth it. Yes, he is at the level of the final monologue of the Tramp from Chaplin's great painting "The Great Dictator". Dialogues, intonations, characters, surroundings - everything is great!
2. The atmosphere - both military and post-war - is perfectly displayed. And the most amazing thing is that it was possible to achieve this with those primitive technologies! There is a similar feature in Tatiana Mikhailovna's most famous work (after all, the theme of the war was very personal for her, her father died at the front in 1941). The scenery is my homage, the furnishings of the rooms, the costumes, the worldviews of the people of that time.
3. A blow to emotions - it is impossible to watch a picture without tears. And it was not a figure of speech, but a banal statement of fact. The meaning of the painting penetrates very deeply into the heart and makes you think about the most important things. It's hard to remain human, but that's what makes us human. The amount of emotion per minute of screen time is monstrously large, but that's the way it should be. That's what such paintings are for.
4. The acting - Andrei Popov as Ralph Chadwick, Tamara Makarova as Ekaterina Ivanovna and the rest of the honored artists of Soviet cinema play beyond all praise. They look natural in the frame, they look like real people. There is no pathos in their conversations, and that's what they cling to. There's a lot to learn.
The author of this review apologizes for the fact that the review turned out to be too short, but he does not want to reveal unnecessary details to those viewers who have not yet watched this masterpiece. Believe me, the viewing will be interesting, and you will not remain indifferent from this picture.
A 10 out of 10 rating and a recommendation for viewing!
