Watch Out for the Automobile

Russian film "Watch Out for the Automobile" is about the role of cars in people's lives. It was made at a time when it was not possible for everybody to afford cars. This is one reason why dishonest people were able to buy cars without great difficulty. It is in such an unethical climate that this film's hero decides to steal cars which acquired through illegal money. Director Eldar Ryazanov has directed his film in such a manner that viewers get the feeling that there is nothing extraordinary about this car thief and the cars stolen by him. This effect is created by portraying the hero as an ordinary man who has nothing to do with crime. The film begins with tightly constructed scenes of a heavily guarded car being stolen.This leads viewers to ask what would really happen when the thief is not recognized by other people ? On his part,the car thief is able to fulfill his wishes as he wants to make a wise use of money for poor people. Apart from drama about incidents of car theft,genuine comedy can also be found in form of comical situations witnessed during a Shakespearean play's rehearsal by the hero and his nemesis.Lastly,this film's moral message is conveyed immediately after a truly mind boggling car chase sequence.

Beware of the Automobile. What would a Russian say when you mentioned it in front of him? I'm a Russian myself and I know. When someone mentions the movie's name, the other person would go babbling on about the storyline, every single detail from start to end. He would imitate highly enjoyed moments in the highly enjoyed film. He would repeat memorable quotes (which sound funnier in Russian). And he would go asking everyone if they knew interesting facts about the interesting film.

With non-Russians, however... well, to be honest I don't know. I have this movie on VHS in Russian and I never showed to an English speaking person before, but I think that even some non-Russian people will be fascinated by this film. I certainly am. I watch this movie whenever I get the chance. And I always love it, no matter how many times I've watched it.

The director, Eldar Ryazanov is a highly-loved Russian director and has directed a lot of classical Russian films, not one which I don't like. Go Ryazanov! Go Beware of the Automobile! Go whoever watched this film! Go whoever enjoyed it! Rating: 10/10

"Beregis avtomobilya" in Russian means "look out for the car". It seems that the title actually implies that cars become sort of a metaphor for our lives. The protagonist Detochkin (his surname implies "child" in Russian) is an insurance agent who steals cars from thieves and gives the money to charity. But then there's a surprise.

What I mean about the title as a metaphor for our lives. Some people put all their money into their cars; they're complete losers, but at least they have cool cars. Moreover, it's often said that a person is his/her own worst enemy. In this sense, the danger to Detochkin posed by the average vehicle is nothing compared to what his own actions can do.

Anyway, this is a pretty funny movie, a look at the Soviet Union in the mid-'60s. We even get to hear an American song in one scene! I suspect that they had fun making the movie. Worth seeing.

This is one of my favourite comedies, and it's a real shame that as I write this there is no version with English subtitles available. This is truly one of the funniest movies that I've ever seen, especially the hilarious narrated car chase sequence.

This is quite a well-known movie in Russia so it seems strange that there is no English version yet. We can only hope that RusCiCo or KINO will eventually release something.

The movie's humour is gentle, ironic, and just plain wacky at times, and the main character is easy to identify with, even if he is technically a criminal (though not a criminal at heart); there are no actual "bad people" in the movie, and there are some pretty funny situations when the protagonist reveals through his own honesty how the morals of other people can be much more crooked than his (for example, the guy who desperately needs a ride and isn't at all put off after being told that the guy he's asking for a ride is about to steal the car).

Highly recommended (if you can understand Russian).

Just a great movie portraying the genres most often used in movies at that time: love, light humour. Smoktynovsky is perhaps not the ideal choice for the role (Ryzanov originally wanted Nikylin for this role, but the latter was currently in the also great comedy - Diamond Arm), yet he is very good. There are many funny quotes in this film, better understood if you understand Russian, a ton of small funny moments which just make you grin. The cast gives an outstanding performance. Back to Smoktynovsky again, I'll describe the movie for you a bit. He is an honest insurance agent who steals and sells cars from unfairly rich people, and gives the money to foster homes. His best friend is a detective trying to find the thief. After he learns the shocking truth, he obviously does not want Detochkin (Smoktynocsky's hero) to be punished severely.