A short story and actors of the movie "Red Kalina": Is it easy to work with a talented director?

Vasily Shukshin's film "Kalina Krasnaya" was the director's last work and immediately became a favorite picture of many Soviet viewers. The reason for this success lies in the vitality of this film, in the simplicity and sincerity with which the talented director endowed his heroes, and the beautiful actors' play. The film was Shukshin's first work, which was shot on a color film.

History of the film

The actors of the movie "Red Kalina" were selected personally by Shukshin himself. Vasily Makarovich has long dreamed of making a movie about the national hero. He was attracted to the idea of creating a film about Stepan Razin, but officials from the State Committee suggested that he first make a film about our contemporaries. The script of the painting was written based on the story of the same name by Vasily Makarovich, published in the magazine "Our Contemporary".

The premiere took place in 1974, and the picture was named the best film of the year, and the best actor was recognized by Vasily Shukshin. "Kalina Red" became the leader of the rental and collected a record for the Soviet cinemas 62.5 million viewers. But, unfortunately, the planned film about Stepan Razin Vasily Shukshin did not have time to take off.

Fates and roles

The main female role was played by Lydia Fedoseyeva-Shukshina, the wife of a great national director. It should be noted that Shukshin liked to shoot his wife in his films: in virtually every film was a character that perfectly suited the type of actress.

The actors of the movie "Kalina Red" recalled the time of work on the film as a difficult but still very interesting period of their life. Working with a talented director was not always easy: Vasily Makarovich was a tough character and knew how to get the actors to play the game that he needed to fully reveal the images.

The name of the film is not accidental: the song with this name was sung by Shukshin to his wife Lydia, when their relations were still in their infancy.

The plot of the picture

The recidivist and thief Yegor Prokudin, played by the director himself, after deciding to leave the colony decides to go to his pen-friend, Luba (Lydia Fedoseyeva-Shukshina). The parents of the woman at first very wary accept such a guest. But the former criminal wants to change his life, and gradually the relationship with the bride's family is getting better. And yet the past does not want to leave Egor. His criminal friends find him there, too. They are trying to persuade Yegor Prokudin to return to the gang in a good way, and after receiving a categorical refusal, they decide to kill.

Actors of the movie "Red Kalina"

Maria Skvortsova, Alexei Vanin, Maria Vinogradova, Lev Durov, Zhanna Prokhorenko, Nikolai Grabbe - that's far from the full cast of actors who participated in the creation of the film. In the role of the leader of the gang of thieves, Guboshlepa, a good friend of Vasily Makurovich Shukshin Georgy Burkov.

At first, the actor did not really want to act as a criminal, but Vasily Makarovich managed to persuade his comrade, and after a well-played role, then he received invitations from other directors, and George's career went into the woods. Further there were such films as "Garage", "Cruel romance", "Irony of Fate, or With Easy Steam!". Burkov so accustomed to the role of Guboshlep that after the release of the picture on the screen, former criminals approached him, taking him for his.

Roles of the second plan

In the role of Lyuba's father, Ivan Ryzhov, who by that time was already a famous actor, appeared, but Yegor Prokudin's mother was played by Efimiya Bystrova, who was not an actress. The fate of this simple peasant woman from the village of Sadovo strongly resembled the fate of the mother of the protagonist. She did not even play a role, but simply told the main character of the picture, Lyuba, about her sons. This episode was filmed by a hidden camera, so as not to disturb the old woman. It should be noted that Vasily Makarovich often attracted simple villagers for his shootings, and this added to his realistic pictures.

In the role of the waiter, Lev Durov starred, and Natalia Gvozdikova played a young telephone operator. But in the role of the prison entertainer, the deputy director of the film was removed, and Yey Arepina played the sister of Yegor Prokudin.

Movie reel awards

Such a recognition of the picture from ordinary citizens was not expected by anyone, including Shukshin himself. "Kalina red" was a success in all cinemas of the country, and later, having appeared on the TV screens, became one of the most favorite films of this director. It's a pity that the last ...

The film received international recognition. In 1973, he was awarded the "Warsaw SIRENA" prize, which is given to Polish film critics. The director himself was awarded the prize "For originality and director's talent" at the festival in Baku. Sixteen years after the premiere of "Kalina Red" was included in the program of the International Berlin Film Festival in the section Retrospective.

A difficult film about ordinary people

In the process of working on the film, we had to make edits in both the story line and the replicas of the characters. The relevant bodies monitored the work process and tried to correct the director's work all the time. After numerous alterations, Vasily Makarovich went to the hospital with an attack of ulcers, his condition was so heavy that the cinematographic officials retreated, fearing that the director might not live to see the premiere.

Scenario, direction and the main role was selected from Shukshin's latest strengths and health, because he could not work half-heartedly. The actors of the movie "Kalina red" strongly worried about the health of the director and tried to follow all the instructions given by Vasily Makarovich on the set.

The talented director and actor died just one year after the release of his film, on the set of the film "They fought for their Motherland."