Historical drama. A picture of the famous Soviet and Russian director Stanislav Rostotsky (which he shot under the pseudonym Stepan Stepanov), telling about the military exploits of the first partisan of the Patriotic War of 1812, the hussar Denis Davydov. I watched this picture five years ago, and then I liked it very much, but I overestimated the estimate too much, and then recently there was a desire to revise this hit of the Soviet distribution (more than twenty million Soviet viewers watched the picture at one time), all the more, that there are not so many art pictures on the theme of the Patriotic War of 1812. And here's my brief opinion - Ballad about Denis Davydov. I did not notice any shortcomings in the picture, but there are some things that I must definitely explain, and I will do it in a separate paragraph, but for now, let me focus your attention on the expressive merits of this historical adventure picture.
So, here they are:
1. Scenario - the picture tells about Denis Davydov - lieutenant colonel of the Akhtyrka hussar regiment, who is eager to lead a partisan war behind the lines of the French advancing on Moscow, although everyone around him is against this idea, including the commander-in-chief, Prince Kutuzov. But thanks to his perseverance and remarkable ingenuity, Davydov seeks permission from Kutuzov. This becomes his finest hour. His flying detachment crushes the enemy, undermining his morale and hastening his defeat and expulsion from Russia. His fame reaches Napoleon, and daring raids cause envy and admiration in some, and fierce hatred and contempt in others. The picture is focused exclusively on the Patriotic War of 1812, and does not cover the Foreign campaign of the Russian army in 1813-1815, which is a pity, because our hero performed no less feats there than in his homeland. But what was shown in the picture is enough to form an opinion about Davydov and his character. The script is not satisfactory and skillfully combines history, adventure and romance, all set in the setting of 1812. Moreover, the scriptwriters were clearly inspired by the memoirs of Denis Davydov himself.
2. Costumes and decorations - the picture was filmed in the suburbs, partly at the scene of the partisan raids of Davydov's detachment, this gives authenticity to what is happening. The costumes also pleased with their elaboration and the absence of historical errors. The form of the Akhtyrka hussar regiment is correctly shown, and the French insignia give the viewer an idea of who is in front of them.
3. Music - songs and romances to the poems of Davydov sound in the picture, since he was not only a dashing slug and reveler, but also a talented poet, whose poems still burn with the fire of the Russian fiery heart and are filled with patriotism. Composer Alexander Zhurbin perfectly transposed the poems into music, as a result of which they breathed new life into them. In addition, the music perfectly emphasizes strong dramatic moments.
4. Battles, duels, fights - staged and played at a high level, even with blood (within minimal limits). Quite a decent crowd scene, although there is only one crowd scene. Although it helps that we have a partisan war here, and not the battle of Borodino. Although the battle in the second half of the picture is very intense, and could play a decisive role in the whole war.
A little about the main characters:
1. Denis Davydov performed by Andrey Rostotsky - lieutenant colonel of the Akhtyrsky hussar regiment. An ardent patriot of the Fatherland and a very eccentric person, whose antics excite everyone around him, especially nobles and generals. Jester, hussar, hero - it's all about him. Denis Davydov, who drove fear and horror to the French. Yes, he was afraid and despised by Napoleon himself. Andrei Rostotsky brilliantly played the role of the famous brave man, and left a vivid image in the souls of the audience. Bravo Andrey! Bravo!
2. Prince Bolkhovsky performed by Nikolai Eremenko-ml - an officer of the Russian army, who has personal accounts to Davydov (because of a woman). Behaves like a "noble nobility", despising ordinary people, especially Davydov's hussars. Even after the feat of the latter, he remains an ungrateful villain who deserves a bullet. A typical snob that was full at that time, including in the army. It should be said that Nikolai Eremenko-ml did an excellent job with this role. His snobbery is repulsive.
Now let's talk about the not-so-good things in this picture. There is one moment in the script that looks stupid, and they will not give us a logical explanation for the whole picture. Now about the technical part - the picture urgently needs to be restored, since it is simply impossible to look at this something in 2021. The picture is blurry and dark in many places. There are no problems with the sound. Moreover, the picture is not so old. Moreover, I have seen pictures from the fifties and sixties, which look better than the one given in the eightieth year of release. Well, it doesn't hurt to reissue it in blu-ray format with a restored picture and additional materials, so that a new generation of viewers could and would like to get acquainted with this historical adventure drama (especially since there are very few reviews on it).
As a result, we have a good historical drama about the military exploits of the partisan Denis Davydov, with a good script, excellent music and songs, costumes and scenery, and with great acting.
My rating is 8 out of 10 and my recommendation for viewing!
