A Man from the Boulevard des Capuchines
Encyclopedia
A Man from the Boulevard des Capuchines is a Red Western comedy film of 1987 (Mosfilm
production), with nods to silent film and the transforming power of celluloid.
It is particularly unusual in Soviet cinema for two reasons: first, it was directed by one of the few female Soviet directors of any stature, Alla Surikova, and second it was a rare post-modernist outing.
The film was the leader of Soviet distribution in 1987 and had 60 million viewers.
silent film
s on his cinematograph, the town's wild inhabitants are tamed by the images on the silver screen, trading saloons and brawls for glasses of milk
and moving pictures.
Beautiful dancer Diane falls for First, and so he ends up making a few enemies, including Diane's many other admirers and the barman who is threatened by the new competition for "entertainment".
The film is a comedy critique of the wild west myth. Just as Buffalo Bill
mythologized his exploits and later Hollywood elaborated the image, a Soviet film (i.e. the other side of the Cold War
) deconstructs and satirizes it, both through the film and the "film within film" that Johnny First shows. It is a self-reflexive fable
documenting its own evolution.
Mosfilm
Mosfilm is a film studio, which is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein , to Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production and the epic Война и Мир...
production), with nods to silent film and the transforming power of celluloid.
It is particularly unusual in Soviet cinema for two reasons: first, it was directed by one of the few female Soviet directors of any stature, Alla Surikova, and second it was a rare post-modernist outing.
The film was the leader of Soviet distribution in 1987 and had 60 million viewers.
Plot
The plot involves the arrival of Mr Johnny First in a sleepy "Wild West" town. After Mr First starts showing the residents ChaplinesqueCharlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
silent film
Silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound, especially with no spoken dialogue. In silent films for entertainment the dialogue is transmitted through muted gestures, pantomime and title cards...
s on his cinematograph, the town's wild inhabitants are tamed by the images on the silver screen, trading saloons and brawls for glasses of milk
Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
and moving pictures.
Beautiful dancer Diane falls for First, and so he ends up making a few enemies, including Diane's many other admirers and the barman who is threatened by the new competition for "entertainment".
The film is a comedy critique of the wild west myth. Just as Buffalo Bill
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody was a United States soldier, bison hunter and showman. He was born in the Iowa Territory , in LeClaire but lived several years in Canada before his family moved to the Kansas Territory. Buffalo Bill received the Medal of Honor in 1872 for service to the US...
mythologized his exploits and later Hollywood elaborated the image, a Soviet film (i.e. the other side of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
) deconstructs and satirizes it, both through the film and the "film within film" that Johnny First shows. It is a self-reflexive fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
documenting its own evolution.
Cast
- Andrei MironovAndrei MironovAndrei Alexandrovich Mironov was a Soviet theatre and film actor who played lead roles in some of the most popular Soviet films, such as The Diamond Arm, Beware of the Car and Twelve Chairs...
as Johnny First - Alexandra Yakovleva-Aasmäe as Ms. Diana Little
- Nikolai KarachentsovNikolai KarachentsovNikolai Petrovich Karachentsov is a Soviet/Russian actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR .- Films :* The Witches Cave as Jean, the cosmolinguist* The Adventures of the Electronic as Urrie* The Cat Who Walked by Herself...
as Billy King - Oleg TabakovOleg TabakovOleg Pavlovich Tabakov is a Soviet and Russian actor and the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theatre.-Theatre career:...
as Harry - Mikhail BoyarskyMikhail BoyarskyMikhail Sergeevich Boyarsky is a Soviet/Russian actor and singer, currently living in the city of Saint Petersburg. He is best known and loved for the role of d'Artagnan in the film d'Artagnan and Three Musketeers and its sequels . He was also a popular singer of the 1980s and completed several...
as "Black" Jack - Igor KvashaIgor KvashaIgor Vladimirovich Kvasha is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actor. He is a leading actor of Sovremennik Theater. Igor Kvasha was one Sovremennik founders along with Galina Volchek, Oleg Yefremov, Yevgeniy Yevstigneyev and Oleg Tabakov...
as Pastor - Lev DurovLev DurovLev Konstantinovich Durov is a Soviet/Russian theatre and films actor since 1955, People's Artist of USSR.-Filmography:actor* I Step Through Moscow * All The King's Men - Sugar Boy* Stariki-razboyniki - driver...
as Undertaker - Galina PolskikhGalina PolskikhGalina Polskikh is a Soviet film actress. She has appeared in more than 100 films since 1962. In 1979 she was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia, and in 1999 - Order of Honour...
as Mrs. Thompson - Natalya KrachkovskayaNatalya KrachkovskayaNatalia Leonidovna Belogortseva is a Soviet and Russian actress, Meritorious Artist .Belogortseva was born in Moscow, Soviet Union. In 1948, Natalia Belogortseva was married to Vladimir Krachkovskii...
as Conchita - Natalya Fateyeva as Chief's wife
- Spartak MishulinSpartak MishulinSpartak Vasilyevich Mishulin was a Soviet actor and People's Artist of USSR. He was best known for his role as Sayid in White Sun of the Desert .-External links:...
as Chief of the Comanches - Albert Filozov as Mr. Second
- Mikhail Svetin as Pharmacist
- Leonid YarmolnikLeonid YarmolnikLeonid Isaakovich Yarmolnik is a Soviet and Russian actor and film producer.-Biography:Leonid Yarmolnik was born on January, 22nd, 1954 in Grodekovo of Primorsky Krai to the family of the Soviet Army officer. In 1960th Yarmolnik's family has located in Lvov. Leonid studied there at musical...
as One-eyed cowboy Martin - Borislav BrondukovBorislav BrondukovBoryslav Brondukov was a Ukrainian and Soviet film character actor, People's Artist of Ukraine.He was born in the village of Dubava somewhere in Kiev oblast of Ukrainian SSR in a Russian-Polish family...
as Stray cowboy