When the storks pass

When pass the storks is a Soviet film of Mikhaïl Kalatozov carried out in 1957.

Synopsis

Véronika awaits the return of sound promised in marriage Boris, left on the Russian face. Without news it yields in advance of the cousin of this one, a funker not very glorious egoist and distant. Forsaken, Véronika is implied with its manner in the conflict by investing its energy with the assistance and the comfort of the wounded soldiers repatriated with the country. It becomes aware of the horror of the war.

Comments

With this film, the Soviet cinema is dissociated from all the patriotic fervour of its preceding production by showing a history of love filmed in a new spirit.

Certain scenes are outstanding and innovative:

the preamble calms before war allowing Véronika and Boris to position their love on a future.

the whirling scene of the staircase climbed by Boris (first technological for the time).

moment when Véronika terrorized by the bombardments and with end of forces yields to Mark by repeating its negation ad infinitum that it cannot control any more.

the final, poignant and desperate scene, the ultimate hope that Véronika places in the arrival of this train filled soldiers with return to the fold.

Historical importance

This film symbolizes the thaw, i.e. the easing of the Soviet mode under Nikita Khrouchtchev.

Technical prowesses

This film is famous for its sumptuous movements of apparatus, which remain true technical prowesses. One will remember in particular the rise of staircase of Boris, quoted above; he is followed beginning with the end by the camera, which remains with its height, and panoramic to 360 degrees while going up (it will be noted that the nodal point thus carries out a screwing, which is not so frequent). The operator carried probably the camera, while being hung with a cable… which went up while turning.

Then, a very famous plan follows Veronika since a tram in circulation, in which she sat. It rises to go down, followed by the camera, runs in crowd to see the procession, while the camera carries out to follow it a rather fast side dolly. Arrived at a barrier, Veronika stops while the camera rises until the very great unit.

This sequence shot starts out of camera carried; on the descent of the tram, the operator suspends his camera, using an electromagnet, with a dolly on cable. At the end of this one, an operator recovers the apparatus, to hang it to a crane which raises it until the very great unit.

Data sheet

Title: When the storks
Réalisation pass: Mikhaïl Kalatozov
Scenario: Viktor Rozov
Images: Sergueï Ouroussevski, price of the Technical Higher Commission of the Cannes festival 1958
Decorations: Evguéni Svidételiev
Music: Moiseï Vaïnberg
Sound: Igor Maïorov
Lasted: 97 minutes
Coming out date: 1958

Distribution

Tatiana Samoïlova : Veronika , special mention of interpretation to the fesival of Cannes 1958
Alexeï Batalov: Boris
Vassili Merkouriev: Fiodr Ivanovitch, the father of Boris
Alexandre Chvorine: Mark
Svetlana Kharitonova: Irina
Constantin Nikitine: Volodia
Valentine Zoubkov: Stepan
Ekatérina Kouprianova : Anna Mikhaïlovna
Boris Kokovkine: Tchernov
Antonina Bogdanova : Grandmother

Rewards

1958 : Palm of gold to the Cannes festival 1958, " for its humanism, its unit and its artistique" high-quality;
Special price of cinematographic Ier festival from the USSR in Moscow
Diploma of IXe international festival of film of workers (Czechoslovakia)
Mention of Ier annual festival in Vancouver
Diploma of honor to the festival of the festivals in Mexico City
Selznick Price of best foreign film of the year in the USA

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