KARNAVAL (1982) - A wonderfully funny story about a young girl -  the very talented Irina Muravyova who is terrific here - who goes from a small town to make it big in show business in Moscow. She gets her big chance when a roller skating bear gets diarrhea!!!  Muravyova shines brilliantly as the young girl who wants to be a star so bad and Alexander Abdulov, in one of his first big rolls, is the young -  but not too faithful - boy friend. A great musical score and modernistic dancing, for that time, greatly add enjoyment. Not to be missed! 145 minutes.

SCARLET SAILS (88 min) - A warm, happy fairy tale with no magic that says if you want a miracle to happen, make that miracle yourself. Gorgeous music and great scenery. And the young sea captain makes the miracle occur. The perfect film for a lousy day.

THE WAVE RUNNER/Running on Waves/She Who Runs On the Waves (1967) - A slightly fantastic film - written by Alexander Grin, who wrote Scarlet Sails -  about a famous pianist who forgoes his concert tour to find a deeper meaning in  life. A thought provoking film. An unknown gem even in Russia. 68minutes.

AN ORDINARY MIRACLE - Probably the second greatest Russian film of all time with three of Russia's greatest male stars -Oleg  Yankovaky, Alexander Abdulov and Andrei Mironov - and the great Mark Zakharov as director. A magician, who controls the cast"s actions changes a bear into a handsome youth who will revert back to a bear if he falls in love with and is kissed by a princess. The spell CANNOT BE BROKEN!!! At the 25 minute mark the young man meets the princess. 138 minutes.

WHITE SUN OF THE DESERT- think Sergio Leone and Clint Eastwood near the Mongolian desert. Action, great fun and a smash in Russia. 85 action-filled minutes.

THE DIAMOND ARM - Russian comedy does not travel but this film does. Directed by the great Russian comedy director, Leonid Gaidai, it stars Russia's greatest comedian and clown, the late, wonderful Yuri Nikulin, who is assisted by a very young Andrei Mironov, and has some great - Mack Sennett like -  comedy. There are many hilarious scenes that even a western audience should warm to this. #1 Russian film in 1969.

AT HOME AMONG STRANGERS (97 min.) - Think John Wayne/Howard Hawks. Called the first Russian western it takes place near 1920 (!) after the Russian Civil War. Though there are some motor vehicles in it the film is a true Western with a wonderful train robbery in which  thousands of dollars in gold is carried out by men on  horseback. Another smash in Russia.

SHAKESPEARE NEVER IMAGINED -  Three petty thieves are mistaken for three famous Shakespearean actors in a small town and must perform Othello to escape jail, even though they know practically nothing about acting and the play itself.  The play goes on in front of the police and the real actors.   104 minutes.

 THE IRONY OF FATE - It helps to be Russian for this classic but it is to New Year's Eve what It's a Wonderful life is to Xmas. Though it starts slowly it builds to, possibly , the most romantic ending in film history and the female lead  - Barbara Brylska - is one of the most gorgeous woman  you will ever see. Love it and see it again and again. 185 wonderful minutes.

10 LITTLE INDIANS - Russia has done Shakespeare, Doyle/Holmes, Dickens, Cervantes and  Stout but here they do Agatha Christie - and what a job! This is the ONLY version that follows Christie's book - not her play, which butchers the conclusion - and contains not one word of comedy. Doom and gloom hang heavy over this 137 minute wonderful film and a great Russian cast brings the characters to life. It would be enjoyable for TCM to do the Rene Clair version, which is full of comedy, followed by this one, but don't count on it as it is Russian. Titles are very poor but film is so riveting that it is not too important. 

(Conclusion) If you want to try one film the best choice is KARNAVAL  but if you want to think more,  try AN ORDINARY MIRACLE,  a miracle of a film. The greatest I have not mentioned. Maybe later. And check for my other two lists of overlooked Russian films.

Take that, Robert Osborne! ,

10 (of 25) wonderful Russian films with English titles - that Robert Osborne will not show on TCM yet should be in every film collector's library.

THE LITTLE MERMAID (81 min.)- This is not Disney and should not be shown to young children. A dark version of the Anderson story about a little Russalka that brings tragedy to the three of the four leads; the Prince, her benefactor and herself. Only the selfish Princess is unaffected. Viktoriya Novikoua,who looks ethereal here, shines in the title role in what may be her only film.

IVAN VASILIEVICH: BACK TO THE FUTURE/IVAN VASILIEVICH CHANGES PLACES - Mix Ernie Kovacs, Bennie Hill, Buster Keaten and the wonderful Russian comedy director, LeonidGaidai, together and you get this crazy comedy of mistaken identity. Through a type of time tunnel Ivan the Terrible appears in 1970s Russia and a stupid landlord and a petty crook are transported to ancient Russia. Ivan and the landlord look like twin brothers and the fun begins. Russians will enjoy this more than Americans but everyone should like it. The last shot is unbelievable! Only two seconds long, it consists of one word said by a cast member who is not listed anywhere in the credits!!!! And it is not said in Russian!!! Amazing! 93 time traveling minutes

AIR CREW - Called the first Russian disaster film and it is interesting. The first part of the film tells about the personal lives of three pilots while the last part introduces  two (!!!)disasters - one on the ground and one in the air. Wonderful special effects, especially for a Russian film of nearly 40 years ago. 144 minutes.

THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES* -  Probably the best of many versions of this classic and, possibly, the longest. You get what must be the best Holmes/Watson combo ever (Vasiliy Livanov and Vitaliy Solomin who are greatly loved even in England) and, at last, the appearance of Laura Lyons, an important character almost always left out of other versions. Great music and English-looking sets, costumes and backgrounds in this 146 minute gem.

THAT VERY MUNCHAUSEN - "Can't you understand?   Baron Munchausen is famous not for flying to the moon but for never having told a lie." This is the theme of the greatest Russian film of all and one of the five greatest ever! And Oleg Yankovsky is given what is probably the hardest acting job an actor has ever been given. He must make the Baron believable. The film flops if you don't believe everything he says. And, thanks to Yankovsky, you DO  believe in him because you want to!  The sets are great, the costumes gorgeous, the music fits the action perfectly and the Baron's theme is totally unforgettable!!! And -  you have a wonderfully unique song and dance by a 15 1/2 foot woman who tells about her flight to the moon with the Baron! In the amazing and surprising conclusion the Baron, who still has never told a lie, goes on to immortality. Would love to discuss this unknown gem with Ted Turner, Robert Osborne, Ben Mankiewicz or Drew Barrymore.

Conclusion - This ends my third and last list of 25 great Russian films that still seem to be hidden way from American audiences. Some are very hard to find but all have been issued with English titles in NTSC. Again, KARNAVAL would probably be the best film to begin with but all are better than seeing one of the favorite films of TCM and Robert Osborne - The Maltese Falcon -  for the 50th time.

*There is a boxed set of 6 DVDs of the complete 11 episodes of the Russian Sherlock Holmes series of the late 70s and early 80s which is wonderful. And, as an afterthought, I should mention that many of my 25 best films were originally made for television.

Here are some more enjoyable Russian films - with titles - that are recommended.....   - Kidnapping Caucasian Style (a Gaidai comedy - #1 Russiasn film in 1967).   -Operation Y (another Gaidai comedy - #1 Russian film in 1965).   -Sadko (not the Rimsky-Korsakov opera but based on it)   -Mary Poppins, Goodbye (very different, to say the least)    -Viy (called the first Russian horror film but PG 13 at the       most)   -An Old, Old Tale (Anderson Russianized again. Great fun!)   -Siberiade (a  4 1/2 hour film covering about 7 to 8 decades of two families in a small Siberian city)   -The (Italian) Straw Hat (A Russian musical version of the famous 1851 French farce with Andrei Mironov)

The Last Five (of 25) more Russian films - with titles - that should be in every film lover's library but probably aren' since TCM and Robert Osborne treat them like the plague. Ther last of three lists.

D'ARTAGNAN AND THE THREE MUSKETEERS. A long Russian take (250 min.) on this classic  with a joyful lead - Mikhail Boyarskiy, who, later, made this role part of his own later life in Russia - and and a wonderfully sexy Milady (Margarita Terekhova, who looks like Milady should look) for the ages. Great music and singing - a cd is available - adds to, but does not detract from, the film as it is not an operetta or a musical comedy. A big hit in Russia. and for a good reason. Fun!

TWO COMRADES WERE SERVING (99 min.). Stray away from Soviet war films!!!!! This an exception and follows the conclusion of the Russian Civil War (1920). War is really Hell here and the film stands next to The Human Condition, Paths of Glory and All Quiet on the Western Front in proving that. The triple ending is brutal - the death of the horse is almost unwatchable. The great Oleg Yankovsky has one of his first great roles here as a man of peace caught up in the conflict and shows how he soon became Russia's greatest actor.

RAILWAY STATION FOR TWO/THE STATION OF TWO PEOPLE. It starts, slightly, like Brief Encounter but soon gets more romantic and  complicated as two opposites slowly start  to fall in love with each other. The stars -  Oleg Basilashuili (OFFICE ROMANCE) and the late, strikingly beautiful Lydmila Gurchenko - look and act like unhappy middle age people whom you definitely  care for . Conclusion is emotional,  bittersweet and one of the most romantic conclusions ever taking place in  frozen Siberia. Another Eldar Ryazanov gem! About 130 minutes. #1 in Russia in 1983.

THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA. Most Russian fairy and folk tales should stay in Russia but this is Anderson and they do a  great job here. This seems to be based on three or four Anderson stories. A young Prince, looking for a Princess, encounters four gorgeous but very different young ladies as he travels the countryside and finds out what Dorothy did at the end of The Wizard of Oz - happiness is under his own roof! Gorgeous scenery and beautiful Vivaldi music add to the fun. The episode with the "dark princess" is outstanding. 74 minutes.

BARBER OF SIBERIA. Both adored and hated in Russia - and elsewhere -  this is a long,  grand and unsettling Greek tragedy that takes place in Russia, Siberia and - briefly - the United States! The ending is heartbreaking for the hero who loses everything but his life which had seemed so promising. Beautiful  scenery and sets and many thousands of actors add depth to the action. 177 minutes.

A CRUEL ROMANCE. Title tells all in this outstanding Eldar Ryazanov costume drama in which a girl - the stunning, coolly beautiful Larisa Guzeeva  - is much too beautiful and is used by almost everybody, including her mother, in her small town. Costumes and music add greatly to the tragedy of the all too gorgeous heroine. The  brutal but devastating  conclusion is rough but not unexpected..

A HUNTING DRAMA/MY TENDER AND AFFECTIONATE BEAST. Based upon a Chekhov story, this is about another much too beautiful and young 16 year old girl - Olenka -  whom all the men, young and old, desire. She decides to marry an older one, but...death follows. Again, gorgeous scenery and costumes and a beautiful young actress  in the lead,  Galina  Belyayeva, make this a wonderful and thoughtful film. Oleg Yankovsky  tells the story through his manuscript, but is it to be believed?. The waltz theme became world famous. 109 minutes.

POOR, POOR PAVEL. A tragedy about the fate of the mad (?) Czar  of Russia, Pavel (Paul)  - 1796-1801  - the first son of Catherine the Great. Pavel was a dreamer who didn't fit in with those times in Russia and was assassinated! Here, Yankovsky is the villain.  As usual in Russian histories, gorgeous costumes and sets. 103 minutes.

BUSINESS/OFFICE ROMANCE. A long, warm, fuzzy  and joyful story about a hard as nails  female executive - the wonderful Alisa Freindlikh (who is the mother in A CRUEL ROMANCE, the Queen in D'ARTAGNAN AND THE THREE MUSKETEERS and the Queen in THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA ) - who only thinks about business. She is all work and no play and leads a joyless but quite active life. Then an ordinary office worker enters . No propaganda here, just normal Russians leading their own lives in Moscow. This is a feel good, funny film that should be much better known in the west. Easterners love it - and for good reason. Again , another Eldar Ryazanov classic! #1 in Russia in 1978.

ASSASSIN OF THE TSAR.  The title star in this tricky , much debated 1991 film is Malcolm McDowell while the psychiatrist, who tries to find out what happened, is Oleg Yankovsky. What did happen in 1918 when Tsar Nicholas was assassinated? Was McDowell the assassin? And what is the doctor's objective? If you see and enjoy this you must get the British film Nicholas and Alexandra which goes into great detail about that fateful night. 98 minutes. .  (Conclusion)  My third and last list is now posted. Four of my twenty five  films were directed by Eldar Ryazanov* who is still alive and in his late 80s. There are  no more as I can only find five films of his with English titles (one of his last, ANDERSON is - to me - poor). Why the Academy of Motion Picture  Arts and Sciences, or ANYONE in the states, hasn't honored this man is beyond belief! Possibly because he is Russian? And, still, TCM and  Robert Osborne seem to believe that every Russian film is propaganda. 99.99% are but there are a few dozen that are still hidden away. Oh well, Robert, another showing of The Philadelphia Story.

 *THE IRONY OF FATE    BUSINESS  ROMANCE    A CRUEL ROMANCE    RAILWAY STATION FOR TWO

10 (of 25) more wonderful Russian films with titlesthat Robert Osborne and TCM won't show.lms - w/tities - that should be in every film collector's collection but probably won''t be as Robert Osborne and TCM don't know they exist.

zemba7-817-69080's Lists

More to explore

Recently viewed