How Nikita Mikhalkov "The unfinished play for a mechanical piano" was created, become classics of the Soviet cinema, tells "AIF".
this year the movie "The Unfinished Play for a Mechanical Piano" recognized not only one of the best domestic movies about Russian intelligentsia, but become classics of the Soviet cinema, celebrates anniversary. To the tape of Nikita Mikhalkov based on the works Chekhov Anton Pavlovich were 40 years.
how the movie in which absolutely improbable quantity of stars of the Soviet cinema (Alexander Aleksandrovich Kalyagin, Solovey Helena, Bogatyrev Youri, Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov acted was created and others), are told by "AIF".
From the play to the scenario
"Fatherlessness" was the first play Chekhov Anton Pavlovich which he wrote at 18-year age even during study to gymnasiums. When work was finished, it was referred by Yermolova Maria. The Russian drama actress Maly theater studied the play, and then, in any way without making comments read, simply returned to the author a writing-book in which work was written down. After that Chekhov Anton Pavlovich never and anywhere did not remember "Fatherlessness".
the Play was found byand for the first time is published only in 1923 ( in 19 years after death Chekhov Anton Pavlovich — of an editor's note ). "Fatherlessness" had a small therefore over time the edition began to be considered as the rare first circulation. And once with the little-known play young Chekhov Anton Pavlovich presented this book to Nikita Mikhalkov which right there to interest in a material and began to inquire about it.
— It was the play from four actions with murder and suicide, Roma and the railroad, generally, everything that the young man full of energy could write. We with Nikita Mikhalkov then finished work on "Raboy of love" and at once lit up ideas to picturize this work Chekhov Anton Pavlovich — the actor and the playwright Adabashyan Alexander remembers . — Submitted an application, but it hopelessly became dusty for about a year in archive. Then it became clear that before implementation of the plan the Ministry of Culture does not have one more film project. Began to think that it is possible to start quickly in production. Here all also remembered about our demand. Called us, asked, whether there is at us a ready scenario. We told: "yes" — though at us was nothing. "Bring". — "Well, it is necessary to correct, he is not absolutely ready". — "How many can cost the movie? " We called the underestimated sum — about 300 thousand rubles. We were given a green light.
asOver the scenario Adabashyan Alexander with Nikita Mikhalkov worked together. At first authors developed the general structure of the scenario, and then started writing of concrete scenes.
— Usually we in detail sorted two scenes. Then dispersed to write everyone the. Met, read. Argued and swore. But came to consensus and took two following scenes — Adabashyan Alexander remembers.
the Appeal to Chekhovian dramatic art for each director and the screenwriter the most difficult examination. However in a case examination was put with "Fatherlessness" doubly, after all the work was incomplete and imperfect. After a case about Yermolova Maria Chekhov Anton Pavlovich did not finish the play. Therefore Nikita Mikhalkov and to Adabashyan Alexander the text of the classic was necessary to adapt not simply, and actually "to write" it. To smooth things over the original, screenwriters borrowed separate elements from other works Chekhov Anton Pavlovich (for example, "In the estate" and "The teacher of literature"), and also changed the separate subject moments.
— According to the play Platonov Mikhail perishes, killed by Sofya — Nikita Mikhalkov remembers. — We refused this final. Besides, it is possible, I will introduce the seditious idea, but that his Ivanov was shot seems to me a mistake of the writer. The person capable of an act can be shot. Chekhovian heroes of acts do not make. Such is and Platonov Mikhail. Failure comprehends it even then when he tries to commit suicide — rushes from break to the river. If it drowned, we could consider him as the hero, the person who preferred death to dim existence in the narrow-minded environment. It would be the act! But instead of that he only complains: here a small bottom, nobody prevented it, it hurt. From a combination of contradictory traits of sincere width and limitation, an insight and a blindness, human height and a malost — this character in all its difficult volume and depth appeared for us.
with the intellectuals
Complexitywith a script writing were far not the only problems which founders of the movie had to face. After all ahead of them the casting waited.
On a male lead Platonov Mikhail at once approved byAlexander Aleksandrovich Kalyagin. But Nikita Mikhalkov set a condition to grow thin before the actor. Alexander Aleksandrovich Kalyagin went on a diet from one buckwheat cereal and in a month dumped 25 kg.
— From superstition it did not say that grows thin for a role, and on inquiries why it so thaws, answered that by itself it turns out. At theater decided that it is seriously sick — remember colleagues of the actor.
here with performers of other roles everything passedA not so smoothly. So, the role of the general widow Anna Petrovna Voynitseva got Gurchenko Ludmila, and for a role Triletsky Nicholas Ivanovich approved Steblova Eugenie. However some days before the beginning of shootings Gurchenko Ludmila broke a leg, and Steblov got into accident and got sick in hospital.
to Founders Gurchenko Ludmila with Shuranova Antonina were necessary to replacequickly, and Adabashyan Alexander the most Nikita Mikhalkov persuaded to play Triletsky Nicholas Ivanovich which appeared one growth with Steblov, and the sewed suits fitted it. However, a role Triletsky Nicholas Ivanovich, according to the playwright, after all it was necessary to reduce.
But also on it problems of authors did not end with. Elena Solovey approved in a picture Solovey Helena under whom Sofya's role was written, before shootings gave rise and reported that will not be removed as takes year vacation for care of the child.
Quickly Solovey Helena found replacement in the person Leble Natalia, but left nothing – it became quickly clear that it will not extend a role, besides, on a platform of steel there were any mystical things.
— we Film Leble Natalia — emulsion decomposition. As if this damnation any! We shoot other scenes — everything normally. Right there we start removing Leble Natalia — it turns out nothing … — the actor Nikonenko Sergei , played in the movie Yakov's role remembers .
Eventually, Leble Natalia itself left from the project. Then Nikita Mikhalkov called to himself the assistant on actors and ordered: "Without Solovey Helena not to come back! "
— To me there arrived the assistant producer with the huge letter from Nikita Mikhalkov — Elena SOLOVEY remembers Solovey Helena Working everyday life the movie removed in Pushchino on the bank of Oka. Here the film crew found the ancient estate with the two-storeyed stone house and park with overgrown avenues and blossoming ponds. In 150 meters from a place of shootings the brand new hotel where all film group lived in operating time over the movie was located.
Actors lived all summer on one place, for work went on foot, slowly. Nikita Mikhalkov asked that each actor, irrespective of the volume of its role, spent all film-making period to Pushchino. With a family, with children to mushroom in the wood, to bathe in the river, in the evenings to visit and over a cup of tea to say about weather for tomorrow, what tomorrow to remove and how to play — so these tea drinking turned into rehearsals, but accurate differentiation on "business" and "did not put" did not exist. And work was a burden not, and leisure was naturally and unostentatiously filled with reflections about work. Even on a platform all talked with each other on "you" and only on a name middle name.
After shootings when all group went to have a rest, on a platform remained only Adabashyan Alexander, Nikita Mikhalkov, the operator Lebeshev Pawel and artists Samulekin Alexander and Maya Abar-Baranovskaya. They made a detailed plan of shootings next day and counted, in what time to cause actors that they did not sit waiting for shootings.
Why "a mechanical piano"
the Play of Chekhov "Fatherlessness" is very popular in the West where it usually put under the name "Platonov". From where so strange name of the movie — "A mechanical piano" undertook?
— "A mechanical piano" — the only line in notebooks Chekhov Anton Pavlovich, more it is not mentioned anywhere — the director and with - the screenwriter of the movie Nikita Mikhalkov tells. — But it seemed to us that the image of a mechanical toy could help us. And in a sense we, of course, went on violence concerning a material, but painfully strong image plastic arose, at least, so it seemed to us.
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— "The unfinished play for a mechanical piano" — my most favourite movie — were noted by the classic of the Soviet cinema Yutkevich Sergei . — The screen version does not mean the literal or distorted translation of literary or dramaturgic work into cinema language. Here the imagination, the imagination, feeling of the director who finds in this author of the coauthor, the inspirer of future picture are necessary. And, as a matter of fact, without being any screen version, from my point of view, it is best Chekhov Anton Pavlovich whom I saw on the screen. For me it is a fine example of how it is necessary to approach to the screen version.