Post in memory of Vladimir Menshov: Why the famous director heard reproaches and accusations against him all his life

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

Vladimir Menshov, the famous Soviet and Russian film director, actor, screenwriter, People's Artist, died from the consequences of the coronavirus at the age of 82 on July 5. His name is known to everyone, and his films have long become classics of Russian cinema. It would seem that he managed to achieve everything that could only be dreamed of, but few know about the obstacles he had to overcome. Because of what Menshov has heard accusations of vulgarity, immorality and lack of taste all his life, and why the Oscar he received became a real punishment for him - further in the review.

Everything that Vladimir Menshov achieved, he achieved himself. He was born into a family far from the art world: his father was a sailor, later served in the NKVD, and his mother worked as a maid on a ship until she met her future husband. Vladimir grew up in Astrakhan, the homeland of his parents. From his youth, he was an avid film fan and re-read all the available literature on cinema. The father dreamed that his son would become a military man, but he dreamed of an acting profession. True, the capital did not immediately submit to him - he was not admitted to VGIK. Menshov returned to Astrakhan and got a job as a turner at the factory, and at the same time was engaged in acting training in the auxiliary staff of the local drama theater. Before 4 years later Menshov became a student at the Moscow Art Theater School, he worked as a turner, a miner, a sailor, and a diver.

After graduating from the acting department, Menshov could not find a job - there was a place for him only in the Stavropol Drama Theater, where he performed for 2 years. Returning to Moscow, he graduated from the directing department of VGIK. In 1970 Menshov made his film debut as an actor and screenwriter. True, he soon realized that the acting profession for him is rather a hobby, and directing is a vocation and work of a lifetime.

His very first full-length work - the film "The Drawing" - earned the recognition and love of the audience. In 1977, he became the leader of the box office, more than 33 million people watched it, and a year later the director received a State Prize. But his finest hour was 1980, when the film "Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears" was released. In the first year it was seen by 90 million viewers, and in 1981 Menshov's film was awarded an Oscar. True, instead of the director, the award in the nomination "Best Foreign Language Film" was received by a representative of the Soviet Embassy in the United States - Menshov himself was not released from the USSR to the awards ceremony. And at home they handed a carnation and a vase.

Menshov was able to get the well-deserved "Oscar" only years later, and even then by deception. The director said: "".

Despite this, Menshov now does not express any complaints and claims to the Soviet regime, as many do, - he says, such was the system. He was much more upset by the reaction of his colleagues, many of whom were openly jealous of him. After the success of the picture, even those whom he considered his friends turned away from him. He was called an upstart and layman. At a meeting of the State Film Agency at Mosfilm, “Moscow …” was called cheap and a disgrace of Soviet cinema, and the director was offered to “slap his hands” for vulgarity! Most of my colleagues did not hide their opinion: Menshov got the Oscar undeservedly! And this despite the fact that in the Soviet box office this film collected about 50 million rubles, with a budget of 500 thousand. The spectators went to the sessions several times, lining up in long lines.

Even after world recognition, Menshov did not have to rest on his laurels in the USSR. The requirements for his work were no less, if not more severe than for the films of other directors. The idea to film the lyric comedy "Love and Doves" came to him after he saw the performance of the same name on the stage of the Sovremennik Theater. And although the production was a success, even at the stage of approving the script, Menshov faced obstacles: he was accused of immorality and the promotion of alcoholism, that he distorts the peasant life, too lightly revealing the topic of drunkenness. Although permission to shoot was still achieved, it was even harder to defend the fate of the picture already taken.

The shooting took place at the peak of the anti-alcohol campaign, when all episodes with drunkenness were cut from the films. And the artistic council demanded to cut out all the scenes where the heroes drank. Following this logic, all episodes with Uncle Mitya, whose role was brilliantly played by Sergei Yursky, would have to be completely removed from the film. Realizing that in this case the entire film would simply be “cut down”, Menshov flatly refused to make any edits. Then he was removed from work and another director was appointed for re-editing.

The director recalled: "". The film lay on the shelf for six months, and then Menshov had to be returned, and he was able to defend almost all the episodes rejected by the censorship.

Oleg Tabakov, laughing, said that Vladimir Menshov, with his talent, like with a hump - all his life he had to deal with rejection, reproaches and condemnation. But what better proof of talent and success than the popular love for his films, which have not lost their popularity for 40 years!

Very often I heard reproaches against myself and the director's wife: What Vera Alentova prefers not to remember.