Unfinished Piece for the Player Piano / Neokonchenaya Pyesa Dlya Mekhanicheskogo Pianino
Drama Mosfilm, 1977, 103 min. Format: 4:3 Language: Russian Subtitles: Russian, English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hebrew, Swedish, Chinese, Arabic, Japanese The film is based on the works by Russian writer Anton Chekhov. This is a picture of life of the Russian gentry in the late 19th century. Without a grain of sentimentality, the director reveals the moral bankruptcy of his heroes. A village teacher, Platonov, is undergoing an emotional crisis. He believes his life has had no purpose. He is tormenting both himself and his young wife, Sashenka. The film's another protagonist - Doctor Terletsky - hates his patients and his work. The guests staying with a general's wife, Anna Petrovna, are talking about the pleasures of a simple village life, not really believing what they are saying. The retro style chosen by the director and the masterly cinematography (a credit to Nikita Mikhalkov's permanent cameraman - Pavel Lebeshev) combine to make this film a real treasure for the lovers of Russian classics. Awards: Big Golden Shell at the San Sebastian IFF, 1977; Special Jury Prize for Best Acting (Alexander Kaliagin) at the Cartagena IFF, 1977; Golden Plate Prize at the Chicago IFF, 1978 Director: Nikita Mikhalkov Script: Alexander Adabashian, Nikita Mikhalkov Music by: Eduard Artemyev Cast: Alexander Kaliagin, Yelena Solovey, Yevghenia Glushenko, Antonina Shuranova, Yuri Bogatyryov, Oleg Tabakov, Nikolai Pastukhov, Pavel Kadochnikov, Nikita Mikhalkov, Anatoly Romashin, Natalya Nazarova, Xenia Minina, Sergei Nikonenko, Seryozha Guryev Special Freatures: Interviews with production designer A. Adabashyan, composer E. Artemyev; Video Featurettes: "Provicial Doctor", "Reminiscences of the writer's wife, actress O. Knipper-Chekhova", "Reminiscences of the writer N. Teleshov", About actor P. Kadochnikov; A.P. Chekhov's Biography; Filmographies; Photo Album