Behind the scenes "Verticals": How Vysotsky's "Song of a Friend" was born, and why no one believed in the success of the film

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

When the film "Vertical" was released 51 years ago, it was watched by 32 million viewers. Many went to the cinema several times to once again hear the songs of Vladimir Vysotsky and record their lyrics. Probably, there is no person who would not know the "Song of a Friend", which sounded in this film. But viewers are unlikely to know that another performer was originally approved for the main role, and Vysotsky found the script very weak.

Filming took place in the Caucasus Mountains, namely in the Baksan Valley, in the Adyl-Su gorge and on the Shkhelda glacier, and only a few episodes were filmed later in the pavilions of the Odessa Film Studio. The Or-Tau peak, which the heroes of the film conquer, is a fictitious name, such a peak does not actually exist. It was also a fiction that the heroes were the first to climb the Or-Tau peak - all the significant peaks of the Caucasus were conquered in the last century. But everything else was not imaginary - the shooting took place at high altitudes in real conditions.

The film "Vertical" became a diploma work and a film debut for graduates of the directing department of VGIK Stanislav Govorukhin and Boris Durov. The story of the climbers was close to all the filmmakers, and the plot was based on real events. Scriptwriter Sergei Tarasov said: "".

Before VGIK Stanislav Govorukhin graduated from the geological faculty and received the third grade in mountaineering. In the mountains of the Tien Shan, Pamir and Caucasus, he more than once met with climbers and sincerely admired their courage and integrity of their characters. He himself possessed mountaineering skills, which he demonstrated in the frame, becoming an understudy for actors Gennady Voropaev, Alexander Fadeev and Georgy Kulbush.

However, on the large and medium shots, stunt doubles could not replace the actors, so they also needed to master the skills of mountaineering in order to look organically on the screens. To do this, experienced instructors conducted classes with them, explaining to them how to use an ice ax and a walkie-talkie, how to set up tents correctly, how to walk in a bundle. The actors even made training ascents and passed the standards.

Thanks to one of the film's consultants, climber Leonid Eliseev, the famous "Song of a Friend" was born ("If a friend turned out to be suddenly …"). When the artist asked him a question about why he goes to the mountains, his answer was struck: "". And once he told Vladimir Vysotsky about how, while climbing the northern slope of the Main Caucasian ridge in 1955, due to an error of one of the climbers, five of his comrades fell off and were injured. And Eliseev himself was able to climb the nearest ledge and transmit a request for help by radio to the rescuers. This story impressed Vysotsky so much that he wrote "Song of a Friend" overnight.

The song "Top" was also created under the impression of real events. When the film was being filmed, three climbers nearby climbed the peak of Free Spain. As a result of the rockfall, one of them died, and two others were injured and were trapped on the rock. Then the members of the film crew, without waiting for the rescuers, decided to go to their aid. Vysotsky said: ""

Many said that the film "Vertical" took place exclusively thanks to Vladimir Vysotsky and his incredible popularity among the people. But initially Govorukhin invited another performer to the role of a singing radio operator - Yuri Vizbor, who also visited the mountains more than once, was a ski coach and also wrote several songs about climbers. He successfully passed the audition, but just before filming began, he suddenly abandoned the role, which he later regretted. As a result, the radio operator was played by Vysotsky, for whom this film became one of the best in his film career. This film was the first in which he performed songs of his own composition. After the release of the film, all-Union popularity came to him, and the audience in cinemas greeted his every appearance on the screen with a storm of applause. And when, shortly after the premiere of the film, the Melodiya company released a disc with songs for the film, the entire circulation was swept off the shelves in a matter of days.

Few initially believed in the success of the film, including Vysotsky himself. In a letter to his wife, Vysotsky admitted: "". Govorukhin and Durov themselves called the script, which they were given at the film studio, very weak, and hoped that only songs could save him. But even they could not imagine that the film not only would not fail at the box office, but would also become one of the most beloved among the audience and would not lose its popularity even after 50 years.

"Vertical" was the first work of the director, after which he shot many more hits: Why Stanislav Govorukhin doesn't shoot blockbusters.