Video: What's left behind the scenes of "Cruel Romance": why Andrei Myagkov almost died, and the film received devastating reviews
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
Probably none film by Eldar Ryazanov did not receive such contradictory reviews. It was a kind of experiment: the director had never filmed Russian classics before, especially since a film had already been made based on the play by N. Ostrovsky “The Dowry” in 1936. The new reading met with an irritated and even angry reaction: "Cruel romance" called outright vulgarity. And during the filming, there were many interesting, funny, and sometimes tragic episodes.
Even at the time when Eldar Ryazanov decided to shoot a film based on "Dowry" and reread the play by N. Ostrovsky, in the roles of Paratov and Karandyshev he represented Nikita Mikhalkov and Andrey Myagkov. The film would not have taken place without these actors. Therefore, even before filming began, he secured their consent. In the role of Larisa's mother, Kharita Ogudalova, Ryazanov saw only Alisa Freindlich. Therefore, no trials were carried out, only the main character was chosen from several applicants. The choice fell on 23-year-old Larisa Guzeeva, for whom this work became her debut.
Guzeeva admitted that she had nothing in common with Larisa Ogudalova: the actress at that time was hippie, smoked Belomor, swore foul language and showed up for audition in torn jeans. Moreover, the experience of unhappy love was completely unfamiliar to her. Eldar Ryazanov recalls: “Not everything in her, of course, suited her, I was not sure of everything when I approved Guzeeva for the role, but all the partner actors showed excellent solidarity, good attitude towards the young artist, supported her, encouraged her, shared their experience … At first, her professional ignorance was truly boundless, but when the last episodes were filmed, it became much easier to work with her."
Shooting in the film almost cost the life of Andrei Myagkov. According to the plot, his hero rushes in pursuit of the "Swallow". The actor did not notice how he swam too close to the steamer, and the blade hit the bow of the boat. She turned over, and Myagkov went under the water. Fortunately, he managed to escape. Despite the seriousness of the situation, he reacted very calmly, and later laughed it off and said: “I immediately thought how ridiculous such a death would be. After all, the film crew will be blamed for everything, and in particular Ryazanov. And I didn't want that. I immediately remembered my wife, my house in Moscow, and I felt surprisingly calm."
Ryazanov knew in advance that the film adaptation of Ostrovsky's play would not be of the same name, because one "Dowry" had already been released in 1936. The name "Cruel Romance" appeared by itself - the director admits that he always had a weakness for romances: "I, as a fan of old romances at first I decided to use only them. Larissa sings at Ostrovsky “Don't tempt me unnecessarily”. At first I also wanted to use “I was driving home”, “I dreamed of a garden…” and others. But I reread my favorite poetesses: Tsvetaeva, Akhmadulina. And I understood - what I needed. And the romance “I am like a butterfly to the fire …” out of despair he wrote himself. Immediately, Kipling with the "furry bumblebee" was in place."
During the filming, which took place in Kostroma, Mikhalkov often arranged banquets for the film crew, with a truly paratov scale: they sang and danced to gypsy songs until morning. Once the salaries of the actors were detained, they were interrupted by dry rations. Then Mikhalkov went hunting, killed the bear and then fed everyone with bear meat for a week. "She is stalling again!" - the director commented on Mikhalkov's hooligan courage.
Critics smashed Cruel Romance to smithereens. The film was called a vulgar and simplified adaptation of Ostrovsky's play, they wrote that against the background of cinema luminaries Mikhalkov, Myagkov and Freundlich, the aspiring actress Larisa Guzeeva looked helpless, Ryazanov was stigmatized for distorting the meaning of the play and failing to convey the atmosphere correctly.
Nevertheless, in the year of the film's release, it was watched by 22 million viewers, in 1985 it was recognized as the best film by a poll of the magazine "Soviet Screen", and Nikita Mikhalkov - the actor of the year and 20 most beautiful actors of Soviet cinema
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