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True Friends (film)
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Wikipedia article
'True Friends' (Russian: ' ') is a 1954 dramatic comedy film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov.
Plot
Alexander, Boris and Vasily are three old friends, who now barely see each other as they are busy with their professional life. They embark on long-planned voyage on a raft down the Yauza river, which turns into a series of comical accidents but also strengthens their friendship.
Cast
*Vasili Merkuryev as Vasili Nestratov
*Boris Chirkov as Boris Chizhov
*Aleksandr Borisov as Alexander Lapin
*Alexey Gribov as Nekhoda
*Liliya Gritsenko as Natalya Sergeyevna
*Lyudmila Shagalova as Katya
*Aleksei Pokrovsky
*Ludmila Genika-Chirkova
*Mikhail Pugovkin as club entertainer
Production
'True Friends' was made in the aftermath of the death of Joseph Stalin, when political control over Soviet cinema relaxed considerably. Josephin Woll wrote that "his death liberated director Kalatozov... 'True Friends' was his first Thaw project."Josephine Woll. 'The Cranes Are Flying: The Film Companion '. . Page 23. Its script was submitted for approval in 1952, but it was only authorized for filming after Stalin's passing away.Miera Liehm, Antonin J. Liehm . 'The Most Important Art: Soviet and Eastern European Film After 1945.' . Page 71.
Reception
With 30.9 million tickets sold, 'True Friends' was the seventh highest-grossing Soviet film of 1954.'[http://www.kinoexpert.ru/index.asp?comm=4&num=2034 True Friends]' on kinoexpert.ru. Together with 'Salt of the Earth', it was 'Ex aequo' awarded the Crystal Globe in the 1954 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.'[http://www.kviff.com/en/about-festival/history-past-years/1954/ 8th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival]'. kviff.com.
The 'New York Times' critic wrote that the film "makes for a surprisingly relaxed and sometimes infectious adventure."A.W. '[http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9A07E7D8153DE23BBC4D52DFB767838F649EDE Vernye Druzya (1954) The Screen in Review; ' True Friends,' Russian Film, Is at Stanley]'. New York Times, 15 November 1954. Mira and Antonin Liehm commented that "it is almost incredible how fresh and new this film seemed, with its tame satirical theme." John Wakeman regarded it as a "subtle and often very funny satire".John Wakeman. 'World Film Directors: 1890-1945'. . Page 514. David C. Gillespie opined that it is "an important, largely successful attempt... in addressing the legacy of Stalinism and its effects on the psyche and behaviour of people."David C. Gillespie. 'Russian Cinema'. . Page 45. Josephine Woll concluded that 'True Friends' "broke little new ground", reflecting the slow start of the Thaw in 1954, but that it satisfied the audience's "hunger" for films that, "banal plot and schematic characters notwithstanding, portrayed their life with some veracity."
References
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