It's a commonly held belief that Russians are a miserable lot, and while their classical literature may certainly reflect this, they're not entirely without their sense of humour (thank God!). This is most evident in the Soviet cinema of the 20th century. Numerous all-time classics have sprung from this period, some being =, and others even breaking past the language and cultural barrier and finding equal fame in other places! Today I'll be looking at two of the best-The many adventures of nerdy but noble Shurik!...
Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures
All over Russia, the hapless young everyman Shurik finds himself in all sorts of =, from hostile coworkers at construction sites, to bands of criminals trying to rob warehouses, or college.
A true classic of Russian cinema, Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures
The film takes inspiration from classic silent cinema. We have dialogue of course, and some great dialogue, but a lot of the film is devoted to wordless shenanigans, from Shurik and the violent Fedya's wars around the workplace, to Shurik and fellow student Lida's blissfully unaware study period. The comedy here is very creative, and really does the old genre justice, delivering many laughs.
The first segment, Workmate, is a very amusing series of struggles as unwilling ruffian Fedya is stuck in community service with the guy who pissed him off earlier. Intent on getting his revenge, he's constantly making things difficult for Shurik, but always finding himself on the receiving end of = punishments
The second, Deja Vu, is one of two halves. The first is a mostly silent series of mishaps and misunderstandings, while the second is a romance. It's sweet, and I like that there are never any nasty twists and turns for the couple. It's just a lightearted love story blossoming between these two strangers.
And lastly, the titular Operation Y is equally simple as the first, but likewise uses this to its advantage. The plot is mostly a battle of wits and attrition between Shurik and the three burglars in this warehouse, and while there were a couple of times I wished for a little more, it's otherwise perfectly done. The humour's always on point, the physicality is great, and the actors are all clearly masters of their craft. There's always lots of talent on display in this film.
The linking character throughout these shorts is hapless student Shurik. To me he felt like Charlie Chaplin's Tramp. Each story is a different continuity, always showing the same lead character. He may be in a different workplace one story, another city the next, meeting a girlfriend at college, or at home in Siberia with a family. I like this breezy touch, and thankfully it's never confusing.
The other characters are great fun, from hostile crooks or coworkers, loopy bosses, devious students, and = girls. Lida is the best character besides Shurik, and despite only appearing in one segment, they make an iconic pair, to the point where statues have been erected in Moscow/Russia of them together! What a nice tribute.
The only issue I really had with Operation Y is its lack of a main ending. We get endings to each of the little segments, but I dunno, it felt like something was missing when the movie ended where it did. I suppose a way of explaining it is that it felt like the ending of a TV episode versus that of a movie.
The acting here is great. Aleksandr Demyanenko is perfect as Shurik, endearing and haplessly charming. Natalya Seleznyova is super cute and fun as Lida, getting across a range of different emotions. Aleksei Smirnov is amusing as the ever grumpy boar Fedya. The comedy trio of Nikulin, Vistin,and Morgunov entertain thoroughly, even taking a bit of the limelight away from Shurik in the last act, which was mixed. They're great, though I wished he appeared more.
With this being in essence a silent film for much of the runtime, music plays a big part here. It succeeds superbly. There are plenty of fun tracks, with =, but there are also many sound effects in the tunes too. That's a touch that's not often seen in modern day films, but moreso the silent era, to compensate for the lack of sound in the movie itself. It was always a great workaround, and lends lots of fun atmosphere and =s to the proceedings.
The settings in Operation Y are great! We've got a lot of variation, from bustling city streets, to detailed construction sites, cold/icy Siberian outposts, and leisurely parks and = of Moscow, which really sell the romance and = of the characters, and makes it feel as comfy and inviting as Paris. I applaud the movie for shaking things up so much visually in each segment, and truly letting each one feel different.
Overall, Operation Y and Shurik's Other Adventures is a great time to be had!
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, or the New Adventures of Shurik
Shurik is working as an ethnologist, and has travelled to the Caucasus mountain range to write about some local customs and traditions. While in a pastoral village he meets the pretty girl Nina, and despite a rocky introduction thanks to an infatuated donkey, the two hit it off. Shurik isn't the only one with an attraction to Nina however, as the corrupt mayor wants her for himself, and makes a deal with her uncle to sell the girl [for some sheep]. To this end the uncle hires three unscrupulous crooks to kidnap Nina, tricking Shurik into taking part.
Two years after his first adventures, Shurik returned for more in the 1967 sequel Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, or the New Adventures of Shurik (also known as The Caucasian Prisoner, and...etc). It started out life as another [anthology] film like its predecessor, but for whatever reason, during production/ it was decided to fold the two stories together into one. On one hand I did miss the episodic structure, and wished the series could've stayed more consistent, but that aside this is a fun movie. It runs at a brisk 80-ish minutes, never drags on, and is the kind of adventure Shurik would get himself into.
The story is well written, with a few twists and turns, and great character interactions. No-one feels unnecessary or annoying, and everything happens with reason. The story never upstages the jokes, nor vice versa. Everything culminates in a great chase, which feels just the right length, never going on forever, or over too soon.
This is a hilarious film, with an abundance of great gags, well designed setpieces, and funny dialogue! The humour in Kidnapping, Caucasian Style is so influential/=beloved that it's still quoted in Russia today, and you can see why.
This film is not only rich in comedy, but also in social commentary. It examines the barbaric old brideal kidnapping custom through a comedic lens. Despite this kinda heavy subject matter, the film is never brought down by it. It manages to stay funny and lighthearted, giving the material the attention it deserves and not treating it as a joke, while also making the audience laugh. The movie also focuses on government corruption, and how easy it could be for an official to have an enemy committed to a lunatic asylum with just a word in someone's ear.
The only moment I was awkward during the movie was when Shurik is tricked and the kidnap scene, but while my face was just about to explode from awkwardness, he realises the truth almost immediately and sets out to rescue Nina and make up for his mistake.
The characters here are a little numerous at times, but it's not a large cast, so it's only these guys we're watching, rather than having a dozen other minor players to keep track of. Shurik is just as good as in the last entry, coming across as noble and heroic, despite his clumsiness and sometimes naivete. He's never stupid or useless either. Despite being tricked, he works out what's happened and immediately springs into action, also working out Saakhov's involvement. Nina is lively and adorable, and has a nice relationship with Shurik. She's never skeptical or cold. Nina is a tough girl too, and despite being kidnapped, she's quite proactive, getting her own attempts at escaping, as well as funny acts of rebellion (pro tip, don't lock in your kidnapped bride in with your expensive 96 piece dining set).
The romance The two actors and characters share plenty of chemistry, and are really sweet together! Unfortunately after Nina's kidnap, she's stuck in one part of the Caucasus and Shurik's in another, first institutionalised, then searching. The two don't reunite until the very end, and even then the moment where she finds out he's innocent is totally offscreen.
Besides that, there's nothing really wrong with Kidnapping, Caucasian Style. A couple of little things I wished were different, but is otherwise perfectly fine as is. There was never a moment that I found bad. Until the end, anyway! The film concludes how you'd expect, with Shurik and Nina travelling but then it looks like Nina abandons him! I doubt this was the intention, but it really looked like =. The = left a sour taste in my mouth as a result. It had the = to go with a hilarious gag to close out the movie on, but instead it just ended on a = downer.
The music here is very good! We've got a great assortment of fun and jaunty tracks, with the best for me being the ones playing over the chases. There are also a few songs, and they're great fun! The singing is nice, the lyrics funny, and the melodies are ones you can really shake it too!
The locations in Kidnapping, Caucasian Style are really pretty. Shot on location in the Caucasus mountains, they're always in the forefront, and it almost feels like a character in its own right, if that makes any sense. This sure lives up to its title, delivering the Caucasus in spades!
The acting here is once again a high point. Aleksandr Demyanenko is perfect as Shurik, and embodies all of his characteristics perfectly. Natalya Varley (voiced by Nadezdha Rumyantseva) is fun and quirky/lively as Nina, always having an impish charm. Yuri Nikulin, Georgy Vitsin, and Evgeny Morgunov make for a great villainous trio, while Vladimir and Frunzik Mkrtchyan amuse too. Ruslan Akhmetov doesn't get a big role, but has some great moments.
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style is a hilarious film, and a great follow-up to Operation Y. These are a fantastic pair, and a great introduction to Russian cinema. It's truly a shame that there were never more, because Shurik is such a rich character, and he deserved more spots in the limelight...
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, or the New Adventures of Shurik
Shurik is working as an ethnologist, and has travelled to the Caucasus mountain range to write about some local customs and traditions. While in a pastoral village he meets the pretty girl Nina, and despite a rocky introduction thanks to an infatuated donkey, the two hit it off. Shurik isn't the only one with an attraction to Nina however, as the corrupt mayor wants her for himself, and makes a deal with her uncle to sell the girl [for some sheep]. To this end the uncle hires three unscrupulous crooks to kidnap Nina, tricking Shurik into taking part.
Two years after his first adventures, Shurik returned for more in the 1967 sequel Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, or the New Adventures of Shurik (also known as The Caucasian Prisoner, and...etc). It started out life as another [anthology] film like its predecessor, but for whatever reason, during production it was decided to fold the two stories together into one. On one hand I did miss the episodic structure, and wished the series could've stayed more consistent, but that aside this is a fun story. It runs at a brisk 80-ish minutes, never drags on, and is the kind of adventure Shurik would get himself into.
The story is well written, with a few twists and turns, and great character interactions. No-one feels unnecessary or annoying, and everything happens with reason. The story never upstages the jokes, nor vice versa. Everything culminates in a great chase, which feels just the right length, never going on forever, or over too soon.
This is a hilarious film, with an abundance of great gags, well designed setpieces, and funny dialogue! The humour in Kidnapping, Caucasian Style is so influential/=beloved that it's still quoted in Russia today, and you can see why.
This film is not only rich in comedy, but also in social commentary. It examines the barbaric old brideal kidnapping custom through a comedic lens. Despite this kinda heavy subject matter, the film is never brought down by it. It manages to stay funny and lighthearted, giving the material the attention it deserves and not treating it as a joke, while also making the audience laugh. The movie also focuses on government corruption, and how easy it could be for an official to have an enemy committed to a lunatic asylum with just a word in someone's ear.
The only moment I was awkward during the movie was when Shurik is tricked and the kidnap scene, but while my face was just about to explode from awkwardness, he realises the truth almost immediately and sets out to rescue Nina and make up for his mistake.
The characters here are a little numerous at times, but it's not a large cast, so it's only these guys we're watching, rather than having a dozen other minor players to keep track of. Shurik is just as good as in the last entry, coming across as noble and heroic, despite his clumsiness and sometimes naivete. He's never stupid or useless either. Despite being tricked, he works out what's happened and immediately springs into action, also working out Saakhov's involvement. Nina is lively and adorable, and has a nice relationship with Shurik. She's never skeptical or cold. Nina is a tough girl too, and despite being kidnapped, she's quite proactive, getting her own attempts at escaping, as well as funny acts of rebellion (pro tip, don't lock in your kidnapped bride in with your expensive 96 piece dining set).
The romance The two actors and characters share plenty of chemistry, and are really sweet together! Unfortunately after Nina's kidnap, she's stuck in one part of the Caucasus and Shurik's in another, first institutionalised, then searching. The two don't reunite until the very end, and even then the moment where she finds out he's innocent is totally offscreen.
Besides that, there's nothing really wrong with Kidnapping, Caucasian Style. A couple of little things I wished were different, but is otherwise perfectly fine as is. There was never a moment that I found bad. Until the end, anyway! The film concludes how you'd expect, with Shurik and Nina travelling but then it looks like Nina abandons him! I doubt this was the intention, but it really looked like he gets ditched. The end left a sour taste in my mouth as a result. It had the opportunity to go with a hilarious gag to close out the movie on, but instead it just ended on a bloody downer.
The music here is very good! We've got a great assortment of fun and jaunty tracks, with the best for me being the ones playing over the chases. There are also a few songs, and they're great fun! The singing is nice, the lyrics funny, and the melodies are ones you can really shake it too!
The locations in Kidnapping, Caucasian Style are really pretty. Shot on location in the Caucasus mountains, they're always in the forefront, and it almost feels like a character in its own right, if that makes any sense. This sure lives up to its title, delivering the Caucasus in spades!
The acting here is once again a high point. Aleksandr Demyanenko is perfect as Shurik, and embodies all of his characteristics perfectly. Natalya Varley (voiced by Nadezdha Rumyantseva) is fun and quirky/lively as Nina, always having an impish charm. Yuri Nikulin, Georgy Vitsin, and Evgeny Morgunov make for a great villainous trio, while Vladimir and Frunzik Mkrtchyan amuse too. Ruslan Akhmetov doesn't get a big role, but has some great moments.
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style is a hilarious film, and a great follow-up to Operation Y. These are a fantastic pair, and a great introduction to Russian cinema. It's truly a shame that there were never more, because Shurik is such a rich character, and he deserved more spots in the limelight...
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