A short glory of Arthur Bang from "The Long Road in the Dunes": Why Juozas Kiselyus passed away at 41

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the filmography of this actor - 30 films, but Juozas Kiselyus became famous thanks to the role of Arthur Bang in the drama "Long Road in the Dunes" directed by Alois Branca. The popularity of the actor after the release of the picture on the screens was simply incredible, he received letters in sacks signed simply: "Latvia, Fishermen's Village, Artur Banga." It seemed that after such a success, a long and productive creative life awaited him, but at 41, Juozas Kiselyus was gone.

Frustrated forester

Juozas Kiselyus grew up in the small town of Ioniškis, and school teachers more than once noted a talented boy who was a constant participant in amateur performances. But the boy, it seemed, did not notice the praise in his address, he dreamed of studying at the forestry academy after leaving school and was going to become a real forester.

It seems that his admission to the acting department of the Vilnius Conservatory was unexpected for him. Even many years after receiving his diploma, he could not explain what exactly was the impetus for submitting documents to the conservatory. But studies from the very first days captured Juozas Kiselyus entirely. He eagerly absorbed new knowledge, staged sketches, tried himself in different roles and no longer imagined another life for himself.

The actor's path

Admission to the troupe of the State Drama Theater in Vilnius became quite natural. On the stage, he embodied many vivid images, but his favorite role for life remained the very first - Charles Surfes in the play "School of Scandal" based on the comedy by Richard Sheridan. The Lithuanian audience loved the actor, followed his work and were proud of his talented compatriot.

When Juozas Kiselyus was 25 years old, cinema came into his life, and he made his debut immediately in the title role, playing Vilimas in the film "Bell" by Gytis Lukšas. After that, he starred quite a lot with Baltic directors, but the most striking work, which brought the actor incredible popularity, was the role of Arthur Bang in the series "Long Road in the Dunes". By the way, initially he reacted to the proposal of Alois Branch about the shooting without much enthusiasm.

The main character seemed to him too primitive, devoid of any semitones, extremely positive. Kiselyus did not believe in the existence of superheroes and, accordingly, did not know how to play them. But still he decided not to give up the chance to film with a talented director. As a result, the actor's image of Arthur Bang turned out to be alive and voluminous.

After this picture Juozas Kiselyus began to be bombarded with proposals for filming, but more often he was invited to play the same romantic and "correct" characters as in "The Long Road in the Dunes". But these films were not so successful. Of course, the actor was worried, but at the same time he always said: for him, the theater is his home, but the cinema is still guests. But always, after sitting in one place, he waited for the opportunity to “go on a visit,” that is, to re-enter the frame and act in a movie.

He treated his popularity with a fair amount of humor. One day he decided that all the praise for his character in "The Long Road in the Dunes" refers not to him personally, but to all the participants in the film. Therefore, when sharing pleasant words with all the members of the film crew, there is not much left for him. Obviously not enough for the appearance of star fever.

The actor was desperately worried about the inability to answer all the letters that came to him from the audience. But I reread them and perceived each one as a special trust from people. These letters served as a constant reminder to him that neither on stage nor on the set should not be hackneyed and played half-heartedly.

Anxious heart

Shortly before the collapse of the USSR, the actor was suddenly diagnosed with a rather rare heart defect, but Juozas Kiselyus was determined to continue working. Moreover, the creative process, which required immersion in the image, calmed the actor and instilled confidence in the future. And after the big country disintegrated, filming almost ceased to be made, and spectators did not go to the theater very often during the period of timelessness.

Juozas Kiselyus was extremely worried about the lack of work, he was burdened by lack of money, especially since his son was growing up in his second marriage, and his two daughters, who were born in the first family, also demanded not only educational, but also financial participation.

His own inability to change circumstances weighed on the actor and, according to Kiselyus's colleague in the theater, Vilius Petrauskas, Juozas was clearly not in his best shape for the last few months of his life. A small salary and money problems could not but affect the morale of a talented actor, and therefore, his heart. When Juozas returned from screen tests on May 7, 1991, he felt a sharp deterioration in health, barely getting off the trolleybus. He caught his breath and nevertheless reached home on his own, from where an ambulance had already taken him.

In the intensive care unit, where the actor was placed, he underwent all the necessary examinations and, not finding anything critical, he was transferred to the general ward. For some reason, the actor was desperately freezing, he even had a fever and his daughter ran to the pharmacy for aspirin, which was not in the hospital. On May 10, Juozas Kiselyus was X-rayed and asked to wait for the results in the corridor. He was sitting in a wheelchair when a doctor approached him. The upbringing did not allow the actor to sit in the presence of the lady, he got up. And then he fell down dead. As it turned out, the cardiac aorta suddenly burst, and it was already impossible to save the actor.

In Soviet times, the Baltics were considered almost abroad. There was a completely different culture, special traditions, unique architecture, and rare films were filmed there, unlike everything else. Baltic actors themselves resembled foreigners, which they often had to play. They were popular, they were recognized on the streets, their careers and lives were followed. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Baltic actors remained abroad.