The long-awaited and widely advertised even before the release of the film “Viking” directed by Andrei Kravchuk broke all records at the box office, breaking the bar of one billion roubles on the ninth day of hire. Thus, less than two weeks tape “beat off” spent for its creation 1.25 billion.
The jubilation that swept the neighbouring great power in the process of the triumphant March of “Viking” in the country, according to the degree of emotional intensity comparable to the reaction of the Soviet citizens for the flight of Yuri Gagarin. Well, only without the mass demonstrations that accompanied the TASS about the world’s first cosmonaut. However, without the broad approval of workers still, there has not been: leading Russian TV channels during the first week of the New year broadcast polls moviegoers, who had been at the premiere screenings in different cities of the country. And about three out of four, admiring the content of the film, thought it necessary to emphasize that the abundance and quality effects of the new pattern is not inferior to the best Hollywood blockbusters. Hence, we can too!..
Kozintsev vs sir Lawrence
When the first man flew in space, many experts and ordinary citizens celebrated the event as undeniable proof of the development of Soviet science and technology at a faster pace, also comparing with the us.
But, first, it was a period of officially recognized rivalry between the two superpowers in all areas, from the production of canned food prior to the construction of ballistic missiles and spacecraft. And secondly, on 12 April 1961, it became clear that the USSR was not only not inferior to his opponent, but was several steps ahead of him. We have surpassed the U.S. in fact, knowledge-intensive and resource-intensive the direction of the economy, and already the Americans had to make great efforts to catch up with “these Russian”.
But when people on the streets are genuinely happy that their country might have something to do “is not worse than others”, I swear to God, it is a shame for the power. And the most ridiculous that the same nonsense with a straight face repeat the industry professionals — critics, producers, Directors…
I can’t imagine that Grigory Kozintsev, removing his “hamlet”, set a goal — in whatever was to surpass the namesake English movie with sir Laurence Olivier as Director and leading actor. Or Andrei Tarkovsky, his “Andrei Rublev” would seek to prove that the Russian can shoot a historical film is no worse than in Hollywood. Equally improbable seems to me the rivalry with the American cinema as a stimulus when shooting these constitute the Golden Fund of national cinema films like “the very Munchausen”, “White BIM — black ear”, “the cranes are Flying”, “Stalker”, “Ivan’s childhood” and many others, earned the highest awards in international competitions and film festivals.
By the way, in this sense can be considered the story of the film Vladimir Menshov “Moscow does not believe in tears”, the leader of film distribution, 1980 (90 million viewers), received in 1981 the “Oscar” Academy award in the category “best foreign language film”. This is where there is no hint of the desire though something to imitate Hollywood. Filmed entirely on material from Soviet reality, the film nevertheless earned recognition from the American colleagues. They are unlikely to impress as the new Russian blockbuster with its special effects “better than the us”.
And we really can
Of course, competition in art is also present, and any true artist, getting started on his next piece, wittingly or unwittingly, is already well-known masterpieces in this field and strives to exceed them. But to surpass the depth of content, novelty of perspective on already known things, not stun and blinding special effects, that knock out the last remnants of the brain’s ability to perceive audible and visible is critical.
Meanwhile, the history of the Soviet and in particular Russian cinema knows many examples of truly breakthrough in nature, when in the course of working on ordinary, it would seem that the material was created not just masterpieces, but entire genres. Director Vladimir Motyl in 1969 made a film “White sun of the desert”, instantly sold on quotes and record-breaking at that time and fees. During the period of primary products (about a year) it looked nearly 35 million viewers. Later impressions there are no statistics, but certainly to the above figure must be added at least another half as “White sun of the…” sporadically released all subsequent decades, saving office box office of the various regions and the Union republics financial “flight”. Today, after almost half a century, the film looks at one breath.
According to experts, its authors managed to create a whole new genre of Ostern, because the events in the middle East that, except for the purely external environment, and stresses peculiar to the local residents slowness, in contrast to the Western, dynamic scenes which is devoted to the development of the “wild West”. While the crew managed not only to avoid the usual Western clichés, but also to accompany the action seamlessly blends into the exotic story typical of Central Russia “ornament” in the form of episodes, the panels Kustodiev beauty, the wife of the protagonist of a red army soldier Fyodor Sukhov, “my dear Katerina Matveyevna.”
…I guess movies like “Viking” is also needed — not least as attempts technologically to keep up with global standards. But even from this point of view attempts to give them the appearance of a great achievement is flawed at its core. Russia with its natural, material, intellectual and creative resources not just maybe — it is bound to be the first, not repeating the success of others and producing their own.
