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Belorussian Station

For the real-life namesake railway station, see Moscow Smolenskaya railway station.
Belorussian Station
Directed byAndrei Smirnov
Written byVadim Trunin
StarringYevgeny Leonov
Anatoli Papanov
Vsevolod Safonov
Aleksey Glazyrin
Nina Urgant
CinematographyPavel Lebeshev
Music byAlfred Schnittke (absent in the titres)
Production
company
Release date
  • 30 April 1971 (1971-04-30)
Running time
101 minutes
CountrySoviet Union
LanguageRussian

Belorussian Station[1] (Russian: Белорусский вокзал, romanized: Belorusski vokzal)[2] is a 1971 Soviet drama film directed by Andrei Smirnov.[3]

Plot

In the summer of 1945, a group of former comrades-in-arms parted ways at Belorussky Station after the war, having last gathered in 1946 to celebrate the birthday of their former commander, Valentin Matveev. Now, over twenty years later in 1970, they reunite in Moscow to bid farewell to Matveev, who has passed away. The tense atmosphere of the funeral, complicated by the widow’s emotional distress, leaves them unable to properly honor their friend’s memory. The four men—now leading very different lives as a factory director, chief accountant, journalist, and municipal repairman—find themselves wandering Moscow in search of a quiet place to reminisce. While contending with everyday responsibilities and interruptions, they recall the solidarity and sacrifices of their wartime bond, revealing layers of their characters and unshaken loyalty to their friendships. Their late commander’s memory serves as a moral compass throughout, a constant reminder of their shared past.

The film culminates at the home of Raya, a former battalion nurse who initially doesn’t recognize them. Upon hearing of Matveev’s death, she gathers her strength to sing their cherished song, honoring the memory of the "unbreakable" 10th Airborne Battalion of the 1st Belorussian Front. The narrative poignantly contrasts the outlooks and values of these veterans with the younger generation, depicting a post-war world where no battle scenes are shown, and shots are only heard in the form of the farewell salute at the cemetery. Without a single scene of wartime action, Andrei Smirnov’s film is widely regarded as one of the most profound works about World War II, capturing the emotional depth and enduring significance of their wartime experiences.

Writing and filming

The original script written in 1966 by Vadim Trunin was significantly different from the final one shot in the film. According to that scenario, young people at the restaurant began to mock the four front-line friends, and it came to a fight. The former paratroopers easily come out of it victorious, but the called police took the side of young people (one of them had influential parents). The police tried to arrest the four friends but instead the policemen became victims themselves.

Film director Andrei Smirnov was picking actors for this film for a very long time. Thus, the role of the director of the plant Kharlamov was auditioned for by Mikhail Ulyanov and even Eldar Ryazanov. Nikolay Rybnikov wanted to play the role of the simple locksmith, but Yevgeny Leonov was stronger in the screen test. The character of accountant Dubinsky was conceived as an analogue to Aramis, who would be played by the "classic" intellectual – Innokenty Smoktunovsky or Nikolai Grinko. As a result, Andrei Smirnov chose Anatoly Papanov, who surprisingly combined softness and sentimentality with brutality and power.

Direction of Mosfilm approved Inna Makarova on the role of the nurse Raisa, but Andrei Smirnov insisted on the candidacy of Nina Urgant.

Music

The text of song for the movie, ("We need only one victory") was written by poet Bulat Okudzhava on request by director Andrei Smirnov. The music was also written by Okudzhava and adopted by Alfred Schnittke in the form of a march to be played at the military parades on Victory Day (9 May). During the filming of the finale Smirnov asked Nina Urgant not to cry when she sings. She managed to do it only after several attempts.[citation needed]

Cast

Awards

References

  1. ^ "Белорусский вокзал, 1970".
  2. ^ "Белорусский вокзал (1970)".
  3. ^ Peter Rollberg (2016). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. p. 104. ISBN 1442268425.


Quelle: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belorussian_station_(film)