Was cinema in the USSR as perfect as they say about it? Discussing Soviet films on the Watchman podcast

When the viewer no longer expects anything from a domestic producer, talk is increasingly heard about the good old Soviet films and that “they knew how to shoot before”. And then there was no propaganda, no cronyism, no bad actors in the cinema. Each film is like a selection, continuous Ivans Vasilyevichs and Operations "Y". In general, as is often the case, nostalgia prevails over common sense.

The hosts of the podcast "Watchman" Alexei Khromov and Mikhail Volnyh in this episode talk about how censorship and propaganda in the USSR prevented directors from creating and expressing themselves. remember the good, but little-known pictures of Eldar Ryazanov, Georgy Danelia and Leonid Gaidai, and also try to unravel the secret of the success of the film “Moscow Does Not Tear believes. "

Don't forget to subscribe to the Watchmen podcast on any platform you like. Give us likes and stars - it motivates us!

02:04 - where did the myth come from that Soviet films are better than modern Russian ones.
11:02 - about cinema censorship in the USSR and those who are trying to justify it.
14:45 - Michael recommends reading “Martyrology»Andrey Tarkovsky - director's diaries.
21:09 - why the legends of Soviet cinema were "blown away" in their free post-Soviet time and no longer released anything worthwhile.
33:16 - about the experimental work of famous directors in the USSR.
44:00 - "Moscow does not believe in tears" and "Oscar»: Did the film receive its award fairly?

What to watch

We've compiled the films that were mentioned in the podcast:

• "Russian souvenir", director - Grigory Alexandrov, 1960.
• "Dangerous for life", director - Leonid Gaidai, 1985.
• "Sportloto-82", director - Leonid Gaidai, 1982.
• "Moonlight Rainbow", directed by Andrey Ermash, 1983.
• "Planet of Storms", director - Pavel Klushantsev, 1961.
• "Long farewell", director - Kira Muratova, 1971.
• "Checking on the roads", director - Alexey German, 1971.
• «Zero city", Directed by Karen Shakhnazarov, 1988.
• "Sunstroke", director - Nikita Mikhalkov, 2014.
• "Burnt by the Sun", directed by Nikita Mikhalkov, 1994.
• "White Tiger", directed by Karen Shakhnazarov, 2012.
• "12", director - Nikita Mikhalkov, 2007.
• “Time Forward!”, Directors - Sofya Milkina, Mikhail Schweitzer, 1965.
• "Today there will be no dismissal", directors - Andrei Tarkovsky, Alexander Gordon, 1958.
• "Skating rink and violin", director - Andrei Tarkovsky, 1960.
• "Behind the Matches", director - Leonid Gaidai, Risto Orko, 1979.
• "Dear Elena Sergeevna", director - Eldar Ryazanov, 1988.
• "A trap for a lonely man", director - Alexey Korenev, 1990.
• "Visitor to the Museum", director - Konstantin Lopushansky, 1989.
• "Letters from a Dead Man", director - Konstantin Lopushansky, 1986.
• "Mister Designer", director - Oleg Teptsov, 1988.