Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears
Encyclopedia
Moscow Does not Believe in Tears is a 1980 Soviet film made by Mosfilm
. It was written by Valentin Chernykh and directed by Vladimir Menshov
. The leading roles were played by Menshov's wife Vera Alentova
and by Aleksey Batalov
. The film won an Academy Award
for Best Foreign Language Film
in 1980.
from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. It tells a story about three provincial girls who come to Moscow. They are settled in the same room in a dormitory and eventually become friends. Katerina (Vera Alentova
) strives to earn her degree and also works hard at a factory. She house-sits an apartment for rich Moscow relatives for a while, and her friend Lyudmila (Irina Muravyova
) convinces her to pretend that they are the daughters of a rich professor, in order to seduce intelligent, wealthy Muscovite men. At a party thrown by Lyudmila in the apartment, she meets a man Rudolf (Yuri Vasilyev) who works as a cameraman for a television channel. He eventually forces himself on Katerina, resulting in her becoming pregnant. Rudolf refuses to marry her or acknowledge the child as his own. This leaves Katerina alone with a baby - Rudolf's mother tells her to leave her son alone and offers her money, which Katerina refuses.
The movie shows Katerina with tears in her eyes setting her alarm clock in a dormitory where she just arrived after bearing her daughter, Alexandra (played by Natalya Vavilova
), then takes a 20-year leap forward in time. Katerina is then shown waking up to the sound of an alarm clock in her own apartment. She still hasn't married, but she is now the director of a large factory. She has a lover, an older married man named Volodya (Oleg Tabakov
), but she still feels that something is missing in her life.
One evening when Katerina is returning home from her friend's dacha
in the countryside on a train, she meets a man named Gosha (Aleksey Batalov
). Soon after they start seeing each other, but an unexpected return of Rudolf seems to ruin everything. Rudolf is part of a news crew that arrives at Ekaterina's factory to do a report on the factory's great production rate. He does not recognize his ex-lover at first but when he does he wants to make amends and meet his daughter. Katerina doesn't let him call or visit their home. But Rudolf comes against her will when Gosha, Katerina and Alexandra are having dinner. He tells them about the interview, and at that moment Gosha finds out that Katerina is a director and that her salary must be bigger than his own. Being a man that can't let a woman be on top of him in any way, Gosha gets upset and leaves.
For several days he is nowhere to be seen, he doesn't call and doesn't come to Katerina, until at last she and her former dormitory roommates gather in her apartment and decide that they have to do something. Nikolai (Boris Smorchkov), the husband of Antonina, sets out to find Gosha. He finds him drinking and after getting drunk with him he convinces Gosha to return to Katerina.
The final scene of the movie is set in the kitchen of Katerina's flat. Gosha eats soup, while Katerina watches him with tears in her eyes. Gosha asks "What's wrong?" Katerina replies "I've been looking for you for so long". After a moment of thought Gosha says "Eight days." Katerina says "No," and repeats, "I've been looking for you for so long."
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...
. It was written by Valentin Chernykh and directed by Vladimir Menshov
Vladimir Menshov
Vladimir Valentinovich Menshov is a Soviet and Russian actor and film director. He is noted for depicting the Russian everyman and working class life in his films. Like many other Russian filmmakers, he studied acting and directing at the state film school VGIK, the world's oldest educational...
. The leading roles were played by Menshov's wife Vera Alentova
Vera Alentova
Vera Valentinovna Alentova is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actressmade famous for her leading role in the famous 1980 Soviet drama Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.-Awards:...
and by Aleksey Batalov
Aleksey Batalov
Aleksey Vladimirovich Batalov is a Soviet and Russian actor who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1976 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1989.-Biography:...
. The film won an Academy Award
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
in 1980.
Plot
The movie is set in 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...
from the late 1950s to the late 1970s. It tells a story about three provincial girls who come to Moscow. They are settled in the same room in a dormitory and eventually become friends. Katerina (Vera Alentova
Vera Alentova
Vera Valentinovna Alentova is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actressmade famous for her leading role in the famous 1980 Soviet drama Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.-Awards:...
) strives to earn her degree and also works hard at a factory. She house-sits an apartment for rich Moscow relatives for a while, and her friend Lyudmila (Irina Muravyova
Irina Muravyova
Irina Vadimovna Muravyova is a Russian film, television and stage actress, who is most well known for her performances in Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears , Karnaval , Samaya obayatelnaya i privlekatelnaya and her work in Maly Theatre of Moscow...
) convinces her to pretend that they are the daughters of a rich professor, in order to seduce intelligent, wealthy Muscovite men. At a party thrown by Lyudmila in the apartment, she meets a man Rudolf (Yuri Vasilyev) who works as a cameraman for a television channel. He eventually forces himself on Katerina, resulting in her becoming pregnant. Rudolf refuses to marry her or acknowledge the child as his own. This leaves Katerina alone with a baby - Rudolf's mother tells her to leave her son alone and offers her money, which Katerina refuses.
The movie shows Katerina with tears in her eyes setting her alarm clock in a dormitory where she just arrived after bearing her daughter, Alexandra (played by Natalya Vavilova
Natalya Vavilova
-Biography:Vavilova started her career as an actress at the age of fourteen. She appeared in several pictures in supporting roles.In 1984, Natalya Vavilova graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, studying under Yevgeny Matveyev, an acclaimed Russian actor and director. Her...
), then takes a 20-year leap forward in time. Katerina is then shown waking up to the sound of an alarm clock in her own apartment. She still hasn't married, but she is now the director of a large factory. She has a lover, an older married man named Volodya (Oleg Tabakov
Oleg Tabakov
Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov is a Soviet and Russian actor and the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theatre.-Theatre career:...
), but she still feels that something is missing in her life.
One evening when Katerina is returning home from her friend's dacha
Dacha
Dacha is a Russian word for seasonal or year-round second homes often located in the exurbs of Soviet and post-Soviet cities. Cottages or shacks serving as family's main or only home are not considered dachas, although many purpose-built dachas are recently being converted for year-round residence...
in the countryside on a train, she meets a man named Gosha (Aleksey Batalov
Aleksey Batalov
Aleksey Vladimirovich Batalov is a Soviet and Russian actor who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1976 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1989.-Biography:...
). Soon after they start seeing each other, but an unexpected return of Rudolf seems to ruin everything. Rudolf is part of a news crew that arrives at Ekaterina's factory to do a report on the factory's great production rate. He does not recognize his ex-lover at first but when he does he wants to make amends and meet his daughter. Katerina doesn't let him call or visit their home. But Rudolf comes against her will when Gosha, Katerina and Alexandra are having dinner. He tells them about the interview, and at that moment Gosha finds out that Katerina is a director and that her salary must be bigger than his own. Being a man that can't let a woman be on top of him in any way, Gosha gets upset and leaves.
For several days he is nowhere to be seen, he doesn't call and doesn't come to Katerina, until at last she and her former dormitory roommates gather in her apartment and decide that they have to do something. Nikolai (Boris Smorchkov), the husband of Antonina, sets out to find Gosha. He finds him drinking and after getting drunk with him he convinces Gosha to return to Katerina.
The final scene of the movie is set in the kitchen of Katerina's flat. Gosha eats soup, while Katerina watches him with tears in her eyes. Gosha asks "What's wrong?" Katerina replies "I've been looking for you for so long". After a moment of thought Gosha says "Eight days." Katerina says "No," and repeats, "I've been looking for you for so long."
Cast
- Vera AlentovaVera AlentovaVera Valentinovna Alentova is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actressmade famous for her leading role in the famous 1980 Soviet drama Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.-Awards:...
- Katerina Tikhomirova - Irina MuravyovaIrina MuravyovaIrina Vadimovna Muravyova is a Russian film, television and stage actress, who is most well known for her performances in Moscow Does Not Believe In Tears , Karnaval , Samaya obayatelnaya i privlekatelnaya and her work in Maly Theatre of Moscow...
- Lyudmila - Aleksey BatalovAleksey BatalovAleksey Vladimirovich Batalov is a Soviet and Russian actor who has been acclaimed for his portrayal of noble and positive characters. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1976 and a Hero of Socialist Labour in 1989.-Biography:...
- Gosha - Raisa Ryazanova - Antonina
- Aleksandr Fatyushin - Sergei Gurin
- Boris Smorchkov - Nikolai
- Viktor Uralsky - Nikolai's Father
- Valentina Ushakova - Nikolai's Mother
- Yuri Vasilyev - Rodion Rachkov
- Yevgeniya Khanayeva - Rachkov's Mother
- Zoya FyodorovaZoya FyodorovaZoya Alekseyevna Fyodorova was a Russian film star who had an affair with American Navy captain Jackson Tate in 1945 and bore a child, Victoria Fyodorova in January 1946. As a result of the affair, she was imprisoned in Siberia by Joseph Stalin for eight years...
- Hostel's Security - Natalya VavilovaNatalya Vavilova-Biography:Vavilova started her career as an actress at the age of fourteen. She appeared in several pictures in supporting roles.In 1984, Natalya Vavilova graduated from the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, studying under Yevgeny Matveyev, an acclaimed Russian actor and director. Her...
- Alexandra - Liya AkhedzhakovaLiya AkhedzhakovaLiya Medzhidovna Akhedzhakova is a Soviet and Russian actress who is famous both for theater and cinema.-Biography:Akhedzhakova was born in Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine. She grew up in a theatrical family in Maykop. Her Father Majid Salehovich Ahedzhakov was the principal director and her mother an...
- Olga Pavlovna, Club's Director - Oleg TabakovOleg TabakovOleg Pavlovich Tabakov is a Soviet and Russian actor and the artistic director of the Moscow Art Theatre.-Theatre career:...
- Vladimir, Katerina's lover - Vladimir BasovVladimir BasovVladimir Pavlovich Basov was a Soviet actor, film director, and screenwriter. Vladimir Basov was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1983.-Biography:...
- Anton Kruglov - Cameo appearanceCameo appearanceA cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s:- Andrei Voznesensky
- Innokenty SmoktunovskyInnokenty SmoktunovskyInnokentiy Mikhailovich Smoktunovsky was a Soviet actor acclaimed as the "king of Soviet actors". He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1974 and the Hero of Socialist Labour in 1990....
- Georgi YumatovGeorgi YumatovGeorgi Yumatov was a Soviet film actor. He appeared in 65 films between 1947 and 1994.-Selected filmography:* The Young Guard * Zhukovsky * Hostile Whirlwinds * Road to Life...
- Leonid Kharitonov
- Tatyana Konyukhova
- Pavel Rudakov and Veniamin Nechaev
Awards and recognition
- The film won an Academy AwardAcademy AwardsAn Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
for Best Foreign Language FilmAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language FilmThe Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
in 1980, and was chosen to participate in the International Film Exchange. - The film was nominated for the Golden BearGolden BearAccording to legend, the Golden Bear was a large golden Ursus arctos. Members of the Ursus arctos species can reach masses of . The Grizzly Bear and the Kodiak Bear are North American subspecies of the Brown Bear....
at the 30th Berlin International Film Festival30th Berlin International Film FestivalThe 30th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from February 18 to February 29, 1980.-Jury:* Ingrid Thulin * Betsy Blair* Mathieu Carrière* Alberto Isaac* Peter Kern* Károly Makk* Alexander Mitta* Alexandre Trauner...
(1980). - Vera AlentovaVera AlentovaVera Valentinovna Alentova is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actressmade famous for her leading role in the famous 1980 Soviet drama Moscow Does Not Believe in Tears.-Awards:...
has been named as the best USSR actress according to a poll by journal "Sovetskij Ekran" (1980). - In 1981 it was awarded the USSR State PrizeUSSR State PrizeThe USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
. - US President Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
watched the film several times prior to his meetings with the President of the Soviet UnionPresident of the Soviet UnionThe President of the Soviet Union , officially called President of the USSR was the Head of State of the USSR from 15 March 1990 to 25 December 1991. Mikhail Gorbachev was the only person to occupy the office. Gorbachev was also General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union between...
, Mikhail GorbachevMikhail GorbachevMikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
, in order to gain a better understanding of the "Russian soulRussian soulThe term Russian soul has been used in literature to describe Russian spirituality. The writings of many Russian writers such as Nikolai Gogol, Leo Tolstoy and Fyodor Dostoyevsky offer descriptions of the Russian soul....
".
Songs from the film
- Bésame muchoBésame Mucho"Bésame Mucho" is a Spanish language song written in 1940 by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velázquez.-Inspiration:According to Velázquez herself, she wrote this song even though she had never been kissed yet at the time, and kissing as she heard was considered a sin.She was inspired by the piano...
- Daddy Cool
- By Sergey Nikitin and Tatyana NikitinaTatyana NikitinaTatyana Khashimovna Nikitina is a prominent Russian bard, physicist, and politician. She usually performs together with her husband, Sergey Nikitin....
:- Александра (Alexandra)
- Диалог у новогодней елки (A dialogue by the New Year's tree)
- By Klavdiya ShulzhenkoKlavdiya ShulzhenkoKlavdiya Ivanovna Shulzhenko was a popular female singer of the Soviet Union.- Professional biography :Shulzhenko started singing with jazz and pop bands in the late 1920s. She rose to fame in the late 1930s with her version of Sebastian Yradier's La Paloma...
:- Давай закурим (Davai zakurim / "Lets take a smoke")
External links
- An interview with Vladimir Menshov (Russian)
- Trailer and Screenshots