Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future
Encyclopedia
Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession is a Soviet comedy film
produced by Mosfilm
in 1973. In the United States the film has sometimes been sold under the title Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future.
This film is based on a play by Mikhail Bulgakov
and was one of the most attended movies in the Soviet Union in 1973 with more than 60 million tickets sold.
, where Engineer Shurik (Aleksandr Demyanenko
) is working on a time machine
in his apartment. By accident, he sends Ivan Vasilevich Bunsha (Yuri Yakovlev), superintendent of his apartment building, and George Miloslavsky (Leonid Kuravlev), a small-time burglar, back into the time of Ivan IV. The pair is forced to disguise themselves, with Bunsha dressing up as Ivan IV and Miloslavsky as a knyaz
of the same name (who everybody thought was executed by the tsar). At the same time, the real Ivan IV (also played by Yuri Yakovlev) is sent by the same machine into Shurik's apartment, he has to deal with modern-day life while Shurik tries to fix the machine so that everyone can be brought back to their proper place in time. As the police (tipped off by a neighbor who was burgled by Miloslavsky) close in on Shurik, who is frantically trying to repair the machine, the cover of Bunsha and Miloslavsky is blown and they have to fight off the Streltsy
, who have figured out that Bunsha is not the real Tsar. The movie ends with Bunsha, Miloslavsky, and Ivan IV all transported back to their proper places, although the entire thing is revealed to be a dream by Shurik. Or was it?
was replaced in the film with a tape recorder
, and the time machine
was envisioned as using more advanced technology such as transistor
s. In addition, inventor Timofeyev is inspired to travel to Ivan IV's era after seeing a film about it on television
, as opposed to listening to the play Pskov
ityanka on the radio
.
There were other deviations, not related to changes designed to modernize the setting. While the inventor's surname Timofeyev was retained, he was called Nikolai (nicknamed "Koka" by his wife Zinaida), while in the film, his name is Alexander (called "Shurik" informally). He is presumably an older version of the protagonist of two previous Leonid Gaidai films: Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures
and Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
, played by the same actor, Aleksandr Demyanenko
; this connection, though, is not stated outright and neither of these earlier films are referenced.
In addition, the reason for the time machine malfunction was changed. In the original play, Bunsha and Miloslavsky knowingly disable the machine to seal the gateway between the two time periods, but are dragged into the past, along with the key to the machine, forcing Timofeyev to make a replacement key. In the film, the time machine is accidentally damaged by a halberd
, and Timofeyev has to search for some transistors to repair it.
Finally, while the "all just a dream" ending is present in both the play and the film, the play ends on a revelation that Shpak's apartment has been robbed in reality, not only in the dream. This twist is absent in the film.
In the play, Ivan Vasilievich Bunsha is the son of a nobleman, something which, as a conscientious Soviet bureaucrat, he tries to hide. This isn't mentioned in the film.
Despite the aforementioned inconsistencies, the film can be considered a fairly faithful and accurate adaptation.
Comedy film
Comedy film is a genre of film in which the main emphasis is on humour. They are designed to elicit laughter from the audience. Comedies are mostly light-hearted dramas and are made to amuse and entertain the audiences...
produced by Mosfilm
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...
in 1973. In the United States the film has sometimes been sold under the title Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future.
This film is based on a play by Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhail Bulgakov
Mikhaíl Afanásyevich Bulgákov was a Soviet Russian writer and playwright active in the first half of the 20th century. He is best known for his novel The Master and Margarita, which The Times of London has called one of the masterpieces of the 20th century.-Biography:Mikhail Bulgakov was born on...
and was one of the most attended movies in the Soviet Union in 1973 with more than 60 million tickets sold.
Cast
- Yuri Yakovlev (Ivan the Terrible / Ivan Vasilievich Bunsha)
- Leonid Kuravlev (George Miloslavsky)
- Aleksandr DemyanenkoAleksandr DemyanenkoAleksandr Sergeievich Demyanenko was a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR.-Early life:Aleksandr Demyanenko was born in Sverdlovsk, USSR in 1937. He went to a music school from 1946 to 1952. In 1954 he failed to enter the school of arts. In 1955, however, he...
(Shurik) - Natalia Selezneva (Zina)
- 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...
(Uliana Andreevna Bunsha) - Vladimir EtushVladimir EtushVladimir Abramovich Etush is a Soviet film and television actor and a People's Artist of the USSR , an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Filmography :* The Gadfly...
(Anton Semenovich Shpak) - Mikhail PugovkinMikhail PugovkinMikhail Ivanovich Pugovkin was a Soviet/Russian comic actor named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1988.He studied in the Moscow Art Theatre school under Ivan Moskvin, took part in World War II and, following demobilisation, was featured in the 1944 all-star cast adaptation of Anton Chekhov's The...
(director Yakin) - Natalia Kustinskaya (Yakin's mistress)
- Sergey Filippov (Swedish ambassador)
- Saveliy KramarovSaveliy KramarovSavely Viktorovich Kramarov was a well known Soviet actor, known for his comedic roles in Soviet films of the 1970s.He was born in Moscow. In 1979, shortly before emigration, he became a practicing Orthodox Jew....
(Feofan the clerk) - Edward Bredun (black market seller)
- Natalia Gurzo (Shpak's dental assistant)
- Nina MaslovaNina MaslovaNina Konstantinovna Maslova is a Soviet and Russian actress who has appeared in several films such as Aferisty and Depressiya.- Filmography :*Big School-Break as Viktoria Korovyanskaya...
(Tsaritza Marfa) - Viktor Uralsky (Police sergeant-major)
- Leonid GaidaiLeonid GaidaiLeonid Iovich Gaidai was one of the most popular Soviet comedy directors, enjoying immense popularity and broad public recognition in the former USSR & modern Russia...
(Yakin's light assistant)
Plot
The movie begins in 1973 MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, where Engineer Shurik (Aleksandr Demyanenko
Aleksandr Demyanenko
Aleksandr Sergeievich Demyanenko was a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR.-Early life:Aleksandr Demyanenko was born in Sverdlovsk, USSR in 1937. He went to a music school from 1946 to 1952. In 1954 he failed to enter the school of arts. In 1955, however, he...
) is working on a time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
in his apartment. By accident, he sends Ivan Vasilevich Bunsha (Yuri Yakovlev), superintendent of his apartment building, and George Miloslavsky (Leonid Kuravlev), a small-time burglar, back into the time of Ivan IV. The pair is forced to disguise themselves, with Bunsha dressing up as Ivan IV and Miloslavsky as a knyaz
Knyaz
Kniaz, knyaz or knez is a Slavic title found in most Slavic languages, denoting a royal nobility rank. It is usually translated into English as either Prince or less commonly as Duke....
of the same name (who everybody thought was executed by the tsar). At the same time, the real Ivan IV (also played by Yuri Yakovlev) is sent by the same machine into Shurik's apartment, he has to deal with modern-day life while Shurik tries to fix the machine so that everyone can be brought back to their proper place in time. As the police (tipped off by a neighbor who was burgled by Miloslavsky) close in on Shurik, who is frantically trying to repair the machine, the cover of Bunsha and Miloslavsky is blown and they have to fight off the Streltsy
Streltsy
Streltsy were the units of Russian guardsmen in the 16th - early 18th centuries, armed with firearms. They are also collectively known as Marksman Troops .- Origins and organization :...
, who have figured out that Bunsha is not the real Tsar. The movie ends with Bunsha, Miloslavsky, and Ivan IV all transported back to their proper places, although the entire thing is revealed to be a dream by Shurik. Or was it?
Production
- The beginning and ending scenes are in black-and-white, while the rest of the movie is in color. This was done to show the contrast between reality and dream (respectively), and perhaps as a tongue-in-cheek homage to The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
. - In the scene where Bunsha meets with the SwedishSwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
ambassador, the first thing he says is "HitlerAdolf HitlerAdolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
kaputt!" It's one of the most recognizable phrases on German for majority of Russians. However, the original script had him say "Peace - friendship!", but the Soviet censors thought it inappropriate. The resulting change ended up being more humorous. - Not only is Bunsha mistaken for the tsar, but Ivan IV has to deal with Bunsha's wifeWifeA wife is a female partner in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the wife regarding her spouse and others, and her status in the community and in law, varies between cultures and has varied over time.-Origin and etymology:...
who believes him to be her husbandHusbandA husband is a male participant in a marriage. The rights and obligations of the husband regarding his spouse and others, and his status in the community and in law, vary between cultures and has varied over time...
. - Bunsha's wife's hair keeps changing every scene. This is revealed to be because she wears wigWigA wig is a head of hair made from horsehair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair, or synthetic materials which is worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic reasons, including cultural and religious observance. The word wig is short for periwig and first...
s. - There are several events which could have had dire consequences to the timeline had the whole thing not turned out to be a dream:
- Ivan IV sees a painting in Shurik's apartment - Ivan the Terrible killing his son by Ilya Repin, but the event itself is only supposed to happen later in his life. It is clear, though, that he does not recognize the person (himself) in the painting.
- Before stealing the Swedish ambassador's medallion, Miloslavsky distracts him by giving him a novelty ballpoint penBallpoint penA ballpoint pen is a writing instrument with an internal ink reservoir and a sphere for a point. The internal chamber is filled with a viscous ink that is dispensed at its tip during use by the rolling action of a small sphere...
centuries before they are invented. - Ivan IV at one point is listening to the "Hare's Song" on the tape-player, a song from Gaidai's The Diamond ArmThe Diamond ArmThe Diamond Arm is a 1968 Soviet comedy film filmed by Mosfilm and first released in 1968. The film was directed by slapstick director Leonid Gaidai and starred several famous Soviet actors, including Yuri Nikulin, Andrei Mironov, Anatoli Papanov, Nonna Mordyukova and Svetlana Svetlichnaya. The...
. - Ivan IV finding out that Boris Godunov would succeed him by hearing about Pushkin's play.
- The movie is an inspiration for an Indian movie starring Paresh RawalParesh RawalParesh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...
called fun2sh.
Deviations from the original play
The original play was written by Bulgakov in 1935 (albeit not published until 1965) and, therefore, used a setting typical to the 1930s. The film, released in 1973, made changes to the setting to make it contemporary. For instance, Shpak's phonographPhonograph
The phonograph record player, or gramophone is a device introduced in 1877 that has had continued common use for reproducing sound recordings, although when first developed, the phonograph was used to both record and reproduce sounds...
was replaced in the film with a tape recorder
Tape recorder
An audio tape recorder, tape deck, reel-to-reel tape deck, cassette deck or tape machine is an audio storage device that records and plays back sounds, including articulated voices, usually using magnetic tape, either wound on a reel or in a cassette, for storage...
, and the time machine
Time travel
Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space. Time travel could hypothetically involve moving backward in time to a moment earlier than the starting point, or forward to the future of that point without the...
was envisioned as using more advanced technology such as transistor
Transistor
A transistor is a semiconductor device used to amplify and switch electronic signals and power. It is composed of a semiconductor material with at least three terminals for connection to an external circuit. A voltage or current applied to one pair of the transistor's terminals changes the current...
s. In addition, inventor Timofeyev is inspired to travel to Ivan IV's era after seeing a film about it on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
, as opposed to listening to the play Pskov
Pskov
Pskov is an ancient city and the administrative center of Pskov Oblast, Russia, located in the northwest of Russia about east from the Estonian border, on the Velikaya River. Population: -Early history:...
ityanka on the radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
.
There were other deviations, not related to changes designed to modernize the setting. While the inventor's surname Timofeyev was retained, he was called Nikolai (nicknamed "Koka" by his wife Zinaida), while in the film, his name is Alexander (called "Shurik" informally). He is presumably an older version of the protagonist of two previous Leonid Gaidai films: Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures
Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures
Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures is a 1965 Soviet slapstick comedy film directed by Leonid Gaidai, starring Aleksandr Demyanenko, Natalya Seleznyova, Yuri Nikulin, Georgy Vitsin and Yevgeny Morgunov. The film consists of three independent parts: "Workmate" , "Déjà vu" and "Operation Y"...
and Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
A she-prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik's New Adventures , also known as Kidnapping, Caucasian Style is a Soviet comedy film dealing with the theme of bride kidnapping....
, played by the same actor, Aleksandr Demyanenko
Aleksandr Demyanenko
Aleksandr Sergeievich Demyanenko was a Soviet and Russian film and theater actor, People's Artist of the RSFSR.-Early life:Aleksandr Demyanenko was born in Sverdlovsk, USSR in 1937. He went to a music school from 1946 to 1952. In 1954 he failed to enter the school of arts. In 1955, however, he...
; this connection, though, is not stated outright and neither of these earlier films are referenced.
In addition, the reason for the time machine malfunction was changed. In the original play, Bunsha and Miloslavsky knowingly disable the machine to seal the gateway between the two time periods, but are dragged into the past, along with the key to the machine, forcing Timofeyev to make a replacement key. In the film, the time machine is accidentally damaged by a halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
, and Timofeyev has to search for some transistors to repair it.
Finally, while the "all just a dream" ending is present in both the play and the film, the play ends on a revelation that Shpak's apartment has been robbed in reality, not only in the dream. This twist is absent in the film.
In the play, Ivan Vasilievich Bunsha is the son of a nobleman, something which, as a conscientious Soviet bureaucrat, he tries to hide. This isn't mentioned in the film.
Despite the aforementioned inconsistencies, the film can be considered a fairly faithful and accurate adaptation.