The Master and Margarita (1994 film)
Encyclopedia
The Master and Margarita (Мастер и Маргарита) is a Russian film made by director Yuri Kara
, based on the novel The Master and Margarita
written by the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov
.
was released on CD though.
In 2005, when journalist Valeriy Kitshin of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta
saw the film in a private screening at the Moscow International Film Festival
, he tried to convince the producers to release it. He almost succeeded when there appeared a new obstacle in the person of Sergey Shilovsky, the grandson of Mikhail Bulgakov's third wife Elena Sergeevna. Shilovsky claimed to have the copyright on Bulgakov's literary inheritance, and wanted to be paid for it. It was difficult to find an agreement, and Shilovsky sold the rights to producer Scott Steindorff of the Stone Village Productions company, and director Baz Luhrmann
(Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge
) is assigned to have a film ready by 2012.
On November 15, 2010, the Russian film distributor Luxor announced out of the blue that they had bought the rights on Kara's film, and that it would be released in March 2011. Eventually, it was on April 4, 2011.
The film shown in the cinema theatres is 118 minutes long. The original director's cut, which circulates on bootleg disks of low image quality, is 205 minutes long.
written by the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov
. Three storylines are interwoven.
02. Voland - 2:26
03. Foxtrot - 1:04
04. Tango - 0:59
05. Marche Funebre - 1:12
06. Boléro (*) - 15:00
07. Meister und Margarita II - 1:50
Total time: 24 min. All tracks composed by Alfred Schnittke
, except :
(*) Maurice Ravel
- Boléro, one-movement ballet
- Master i Margarita - 2005 (TV series) Ibolya Fekete - A Mester és Margarita - 2005 (movie picture) Sergei Desnitsky - Master i Margarita - 1996 (TV film) Paul Bryers
- Incident in Judea - 1992 (TV-film) Andras Szirtes - Forradalom Után - 1990 (movie picture) Maciej Wojtyszko - Mistrz i Małgorzata
- 1988 (TV series) Andrzej Wajda
- Pilatus und Andere
- 1972 (TV film) Aleksandar Petrović - Il Maestro e Margherita
- 1972 (movie picture)
To be expected:
Baz Luhrmann
- The Master and Margarita - 2012 (movie picture) Rinat Timerkaev - Master i Margarita - 2012 (animated movie picture)
Yuri Kara
Yuri Viktorovich Kara , born on 12 November 1954 in Stalino, is a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer.-Biography:Yuri Kara was born on 12 November 1954 in the Ukrainian city of Stalino, which is now called Donetsk....
, based on the novel The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
written by the Russian author 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...
.
Background
Although the film was made in 1994, it was only premiered in the Russian cinemas on April 4, 2011. Despite having the highest budget for that time spent on a Russian film and the impressive cast with the most famous Russian actors, the producers decided not to release it. According to them, Yuri Kara's director's cut was unacceptable. The soundtrack recorded by Alfred SchnittkeAlfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
was released on CD though.
In 2005, when journalist Valeriy Kitshin of the Rossiyskaya Gazeta
Rossiyskaya Gazeta
Rossiyskaya Gazeta is a Russian government daily newspaper of record which publishes the official decrees, statements and documents of state bodies...
saw the film in a private screening at the Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival
Moscow International Film Festival , is the film festival first held in Moscow in 1959. From its inception to 1995 it was held every second year in July, alternating with the Karlovy Vary festival. The festival has been held annually since 1995....
, he tried to convince the producers to release it. He almost succeeded when there appeared a new obstacle in the person of Sergey Shilovsky, the grandson of Mikhail Bulgakov's third wife Elena Sergeevna. Shilovsky claimed to have the copyright on Bulgakov's literary inheritance, and wanted to be paid for it. It was difficult to find an agreement, and Shilovsky sold the rights to producer Scott Steindorff of the Stone Village Productions company, and director Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
(Romeo+Juliet, Moulin Rouge
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
) is assigned to have a film ready by 2012.
On November 15, 2010, the Russian film distributor Luxor announced out of the blue that they had bought the rights on Kara's film, and that it would be released in March 2011. Eventually, it was on April 4, 2011.
The film shown in the cinema theatres is 118 minutes long. The original director's cut, which circulates on bootleg disks of low image quality, is 205 minutes long.
Three layers
The film is an adaptation of the novel The Master and MargaritaThe Master and Margarita
The Master and Margarita is a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, woven around the premise of a visit by the Devil to the fervently atheistic Soviet Union. Many critics consider the book to be one of the greatest novels of the 20th century, and one of the foremost Soviet satires, directed against a...
written by the Russian author 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...
. Three storylines are interwoven.
- The first one is a satire of the ‘30s in the 20th century, the period during which Joseph StalinStalinismStalinism refers to the ideology that Joseph Stalin conceived and implemented in the Soviet Union, and is generally considered a branch of Marxist–Leninist ideology but considered by some historians to be a significant deviation from this philosophy...
is in power in the Soviet UnionSoviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The demon WolandWolandWoland is a fictional character in the book The Master and Margarita by the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. Woland is the mysterious foreigner and professor whose visit to Moscow sets the plot rolling and turns the world upside-down. He appears differently to different people. "[t]he first says...
comes to MoscowMoscowMoscow 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...
to have his annual Spring Ball of the Full Moon. Together with his demonic suite, he challenges the corrupt lucky ones, bureaucrats and profiteers of that period in an hilarious way.. - The second one is set in the biblical Yershalaim, and describes the inner struggle of Pontius PilatePontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
before, during and after the conviction and execution of Yeshua Ha NozriJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
. - The thirs one tells the love story between a nameless writer in Moscow in the ’30s and his lover Margarita. The Master has written a novel on Pontius Pilate, a subject which was taboo in the officially atheistic Soviet Union.
Differences with the novel
Some scenes and characters from the novel are not included in this film, or are presented differently. Moreover, Yuri Kara introduces some characters that do not occur in the novel.- One of the key scenes from the novel is the Great Ball at Satan’s, in which Mikhail Bulgakov describes a queuing up of historical criminals during which comments on their crimes are provided by the demons Koroviev and Behemoth. Yuri Kara has added three characters to this queue which are not in the novel: Vladimir LeninVladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, Joseph StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and Adolf 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...
. - Yuri Kara also shows a scene where the young Soviet poet Ivan Homeless tramples a portrait of Jesus drawn in the sand. This scene does not appear in the novel. It is reflected in one of the earlier manuscripts of Mikhail Bulgakov, who ultimately decided not to include it in the final version of the novel.
Trivia
- Some actors who play in this film, also play in the miniseries The Master and Margarita made by Vladimir BortkoVladimir BortkoVladimir Vladimirovich Bortko , born on May 7, 1946 in Moscow, is a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer.-Biography:...
. Aleksandr FilippenkoAleksandr FilippenkoAleksandr Georgievich Filippenko is a famous Soviet and Russian actor. Filippenko was honored with People's Artist of Russia in 2000.-Biography:...
(Koroviev) is Azazello in Bortko's series, while Valentin GaftValentin GaftValentin Yosifovich Gaft is a Russian and Soviet actor, People's Artist of Russia .-Biography:Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow to a family of a lawyer Iosif Romanovich Gaft and Gita Davydovna Gaft . The family moved to Moscow from Poltava, Ukraine...
(Woland) plays both the roles of Kaifa and the chief officer of the secret police.
Cast
- Margarita: Anastasiya VertinskayaAnastasiya VertinskayaAnastasiya Alexandrovna Vertinskaya , a Soviet and Russian actress whose mass popularity and high critical acclaim made her one of the most distinguished figures in the history of the 20th century Soviet cinema...
- The Master: Viktor Rakov
- WolandWolandWoland is a fictional character in the book The Master and Margarita by the Russian author Mikhail Bulgakov. Woland is the mysterious foreigner and professor whose visit to Moscow sets the plot rolling and turns the world upside-down. He appears differently to different people. "[t]he first says...
: Valentin GaftValentin GaftValentin Yosifovich Gaft is a Russian and Soviet actor, People's Artist of Russia .-Biography:Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow to a family of a lawyer Iosif Romanovich Gaft and Gita Davydovna Gaft . The family moved to Moscow from Poltava, Ukraine... - Ivan Bezdomny: Sergey Garmash
- Pontius PilatePontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
: Mikhail UlyanovMikhail UlyanovMikhail Alexandrovich Ulyanov was a Soviet and Russian actor who was one of the most recognizable persons of the post-World War II Soviet theatre and cinema. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1969 and received a special prize from the Venice Film Festival in 1982.Mikhail Alexandrovich... - Koroviev: Aleksandr FilippenkoAleksandr FilippenkoAleksandr Georgievich Filippenko is a famous Soviet and Russian actor. Filippenko was honored with People's Artist of Russia in 2000.-Biography:...
- Behemoth: Viktor PavlovViktor PavlovViktor Pavlovich Pavlov was a Russian film and television actor.Pavlov was born in Moscow. After graduating from the M. Schepkin Theatre School, he worked in the some of the most popular theatres of Moscow:* 1963-1965 - Sovremennik Theatre...
- YeshuaJesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
Ha-Nozri: Nikolay Burlyayev - KaifaCaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
: Vyatsheslav Shalevich - Azazello: Vladimir SteklovVladimir SteklovVladimir Andreevich Steklov was a Soviet/Russian mathematician, mechanician and physicist.Steklov was born in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. In 1887, he graduated from the Kharkov University, where he was a student of Aleksandr Lyapunov. In 1889–1906 he worked at the Department of Mechanics of this...
Soundtrack
01. Meister und Margarita I - 1:4702. Voland - 2:26
03. Foxtrot - 1:04
04. Tango - 0:59
05. Marche Funebre - 1:12
06. Boléro (*) - 15:00
07. Meister und Margarita II - 1:50
Total time: 24 min. All tracks composed by Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke
Alfred Schnittke ; November 24, 1934 – August 3, 1998) was a Russian and Soviet composer. Schnittke's early music shows the strong influence of Dmitri Shostakovich. He developed a polystylistic technique in works such as the epic First Symphony and First Concerto Grosso...
, except :
(*) Maurice Ravel
Maurice Ravel
Joseph-Maurice Ravel was a French composer known especially for his melodies, orchestral and instrumental textures and effects...
- Boléro, one-movement ballet
More screen adaptations
Giovanni Brancale - Il Maestro e Margherita - 2008 (movie picture) Vladimir BortkoVladimir Bortko
Vladimir Vladimirovich Bortko , born on May 7, 1946 in Moscow, is a Russian film director, screenwriter and producer.-Biography:...
- Master i Margarita - 2005 (TV series) Ibolya Fekete - A Mester és Margarita - 2005 (movie picture) Sergei Desnitsky - Master i Margarita - 1996 (TV film) Paul Bryers
Paul Bryers
Paul Bryers, born in Liverpool in 1953, is a British film director, screenwriter and fiction author.-Biography:Paul Bryers studied Modern history, politics and economy at the University of Southampton. Later he joined the Daily Mirror’s training scheme for journalists...
- Incident in Judea - 1992 (TV-film) Andras Szirtes - Forradalom Után - 1990 (movie picture) Maciej Wojtyszko - Mistrz i Małgorzata
The Master and Margarita (TV series 1988)
The Master and Margarita is a Polish television production of Polish Film Producers Teams , based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov.-Three layers:...
- 1988 (TV series) Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda
Andrzej Wajda is a Polish film director. Recipient of an honorary Oscar, he is possibly the most prominent member of the unofficial "Polish Film School"...
- Pilatus und Andere
Pilate and Others
Pilate and Others is a 1972 German drama film directed by Andrzej Wajda, based on the 1967 novel The Master and Margarita by the Soviet writer Mikhail Bulgakov, although it focuses on the parts of the novel set in biblical Jerusalem, however events which have occurred in it, are transferred to the...
- 1972 (TV film) Aleksandar Petrović - Il Maestro e Margherita
The Master and Margaret
The Master and Margaret , is a 1972 Italian-Yugoslav film directed by Aleksandar Petrović.The film is an adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's 1967 novel The Master and Margarita, although it mainly focuses on the parts of the novel set in 1920s Moscow....
- 1972 (movie picture)
To be expected:
Baz Luhrmann
Baz Luhrmann
Mark Anthony "Baz" Luhrmann is an Australian film director, screenwriter, and producer best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes his films Strictly Ballroom, William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge!...
- The Master and Margarita - 2012 (movie picture) Rinat Timerkaev - Master i Margarita - 2012 (animated movie picture)