Last film of 'The Amazing May', Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession

Ivan Vasilievich Changes Profession (Иван Васильевич меняет профессию) is a Soviet comedy film produced by Mosfilm in 1973.

This film is based on a play by Mikhail Bulgakov and was one of the most attended movies in the Soviet Union in 1973 with more than 60 million tickets sold.

  

Cast

▪   Yuri Yakovlev (Ivan the Terrible / Ivan Vasilievich Bunsha)

▪   Leonid Kuravlev (George Miloslavsky)

▪   Aleksandr Demyanenko (Shurik)

Plot

The movie begins in 1973 Moscow, where Engineer Shurik (Aleksandr Demyanenko) is working on a time machine in his apartment. By accident, he sends Ivan Vasilevich Bunsha (Yuri Yakovlev), superintendent of his apartment building, and George Miloslavsky (Leonid Kuravlev), a small-time burglar, back into the time of Ivan IV. The pair is forced to disguise themselves, with Bunsha dressing up as Ivan IV and Miloslavsky as a knyaz of the same name (who everybody thought was executed by the tsar). At the same time, the real Ivan IV (also played by Yuri Yakovlev) is sent by the same machine into Shurik's apartment, he has to deal with modern-day life while Shurik tries to fix the machine so that everyone can be brought back to their proper place in time. As the police (tipped off by a neighbor who was burgled by Miloslavsky) close in on Shurik, who is frantically trying to repair the machine, the cover of Bunsha and Miloslavsky is blown and they have to fight off the Streltsy, who have figured out that Bunsha is not the real Tsar. The movie ends with Bunsha, Miloslavsky, and Ivan IV all transported back to their proper places, although the entire thing is revealed to be a dream by Shurik. Or was it?

Porcelain dolls in national costumes

Let us introduce you a nice representative of beautiful Russian arts and crafts, creased by the Deagostini company. This is a hand-made porcelain doll in traditional Russian national costume. There are around 50 dolls in the collection, 10 has been already edited.

The costume is made according to the sketches of the specialists in Russian folk. It is made of authentic fabrics and represents even a small but traditional ornament. All is hand-made.
On the picture you see Summer look of Kostroma region


 Костромская земля – это интересные и культурные люди, это атмосфера дворянского клуба, каким-то чудом проникшая во все уголки этой замечательной губернии – гостеприимной Костромы.

Porcelain doll is now sold in the Russian curiosity shop
You may buy it during the Russian market on the 9th of June or order it at 2teacher@rlc.hk  

Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, 3d film of the 'Amazing May'

Next Tuesday, 22 of May, we show the 3rd film of our 'Amazing May'

A she-prisoner of the Caucasus, or Shurik's New Adventures (Кавказская пленница, или Новые приключения Шурика) also known as Kidnapping, Caucasian Style, aSoviet comedy film dealing with the theme of bride kidnapping, that is a caucasian pre-wedding tradition (of course, only if a bride agrees to be kidnapped!) 

Wiki says, that the title is a humorous interpretation of the Alexander Pushkin poem, "The Prisoner of the Caucasus", and Leo Tolstoy's adaptation of the poem to a short story. 

The film was directed by Leonid Gaidai, one of the greatest comedy-makers and film-direstors. Almost all his films has become 'cult films' of the Russian cinema. Recently in our cinema club you have seen 'The Diamond Arm' which is also Gaidai's film. 

It is the last film featuring the trio "Coward" (Georgy Vitsin), "Fool" (Yuri Nikulin) and "Experienced" (Yevgeny Morgunov), an act similar to the Three Stooges. The premiere of the film took place in Moscow on April 1, 1967.

PLOT

A kind, yet naïve, anthropology student named Shurik (Alexander Demyanenko) goes to theCaucasus to learn the ancient customs of the locals. While there, he falls in love with Nina (Natalya Varley). However, Nina's uncle (Frunzik Mkrtchyan) sells his niece without her knowledge, and arranges to have Nina kidnapped by the eccentric trio: Coward, Fool and Experienced. After a failed attempt, the uncle decides to trick Shurik into helping with the kidnapping, telling him that it is a traditional custom, and that it was Nina's own wish. Shurik goes through with the kidnapping but, after working through his initial confusion, enlists the help of a friend to eventually rescue Nina from her captors.

FAMOUS QUOTATIONS

— Затем на развалинах часовни… — Простите, часовню тоже я… развалил? — Нет, это было до вас, в четырнадцатом веке.

-then on the ruins of the chapel
- excuse me... the chapel was destroyed also by me...?
- no, it happened before you, in the 14 century

— Бамбарбия! Киргуду! — Что он сказал? — Он говорит, что если вы откажетесь, они вас… Зарежут…. Шутка. — Шутка!

- bambarbia kergudu (indeed, it has no meaning)
- what did he say?
- he says that if you refuse, they will ... kill you. Joke..
- Joke!

— Жить, как говорится, хорошо. — А хорошо жить ещё лучше! — Точно!

- It's good to live!
- and to live good is very good!
- True!

— Иначе «Memento mori!» — Моментально. — В море!

- otherwise 'Memento mori' (in Latin it means 'Remember the death')

- immediately! 

- into the sea!

— Могу я видеть прокурора? — Можете. Где у нас прокурор? — В шестой палате, где раньше Наполеон был.

- May I see the prosecutor?
- You may! Where is our prosecutor?
- In chamber 6, where Napoleon used to be! (means in the madhouse's chamber 6)

Студентка, комсомолка, спортсменка, наконец, она — просто красавица!

- student, comsomol-girl, sportswoman and simply - the beauty!

… и вот когда вся стая полетела зимовать на юг, одна маленькая, но гордая птичка сказала: «Лично я полечу прямо на солнце». И она стала подниматься всё выше и выше, но очень скоро обожгла себе крылья и упала на самое дно самого глубокого ущелья. Так выпьем же за то, чтобы никто из нас, как бы высоко он ни летал, никогда не отрывался бы от коллектива!

Имею желание купить дом, но не имею возможности. Имею возможность купить козу, но… не имею желания. Так выпьем за то, чтобы наши желания всегда совпадали с нашими возможностями…

- I have a desire to buy a house, but have no  opportunity. I have an  opportunity  to buy a goat, but ... have no desire. Let's drink for that our desires always coincide with our  opportunities!

Тост без вина — это всё равно что брачная ночь без невесты.

- Toast without wine is like a honeymoon without a bride!

Чей туфля? Ой, моё! Спасибо.

- Whose shoe? - Mine, thanks!

Неплохо очень совсем без жены, Гораздо лучше с любой стороны!

- It's not bad to have no wife,

Much better from all sides!

— Это, как его, волюнтаризм! — В моём доме не выражаться! — А чего я сказал?

- It's ...what's that.. voluntarism!
- In my house no abuse words!
- But what did I say?

Тот, кто нам мешает, тот нам поможет!

- The one who disturds us, this one will help us!

Diamond Arm, 2nd film of the Amazing May

The Diamond Arm (Бриллиантовая рука) is a 1968 Soviet comedy film filmed by Mosfilm and first released in 1968. The film was directed by slapstick director Leonid Gaidai and starred several famous Soviet actors, including Yuri Nikulin, Andrei Mironov, Anatoli Papanov, Nonna Mordyukova and Svetlana Svetlichnaya. The Diamond Arm has become a Russian cult film. 


Here you may also read about the actors

Plot

The boss of a black market ring (known only as "The Chief") wants to smuggle a batch of jewelry into the Soviet Union by hiding it into the orthopedic cast of a courier. The contraband ends up in the cast on the arm of "ordinary Soviet citizen" Semyon Semyonovich Gorbunkov who gets mistaken for the courier while on a cruise shore excursion. He lets the militsiya know about this, and the militsiya captain uses Gorbunkov as bait to catch the criminals. Most of the plot are various attempts of two inept crooks, Lyolik and Gennadiy Kozodoyev,to lure Gorbunkov into a situation where they could have quietly, without a wet job, taken the cast off him.

Here you may read about the process of making this film

Catch phrases

• "A dog is man's best friend!" ---"Well, maybe in London a dog is man's best friend, but over here it's the UPRAVDOM (apartment manager)." (The upravdom woman finally became a caricature of a seemingly petty but influential social bureaucrat.)
• "Only aristocrats and degenerates drink champagne in the morning..." (Шампанское по утрам пьют только аристократы или дегенераты) (pauses, checks out the bottle and drinks right from it)
• A mocking reproach: "Semyon Semyonych!..." (Of an absent-minded person to wake him up.)
• "Flowers for his woman, ice cream for the kids. And don't mix it up, Kutuzov!" (Дитям мороженое, бабе цветы.... и не перепутай, Кутузов!)
• "I'm innocent! I'm innocent! He came by himself!" 
• "I'm not a coward... But I'm scared..." "Я не трус, но я боюсь!"
• "I've got an idea: what if we could..." -- "We couldn't." -- "I see... Then, maybe we should..." -- "No, we shouldn't." -- "Okay... In that case, maybe I'd rather..." -- "Why not, you could try that one." (A caricature of a militsiya commander who is so astute that he is almost a mind-reader)
• "As they say, that is c'est la vie!" ("такова се-ля-ви") (c'est la vie is French for "that is life", in other words the phrase is a double mis-translation: "that is that is life" Also, cf. later Dovlatov's catch phrase "таково се-ля-ви" ("such is c'est la vie", where "such" is used in the neuter gender, as if alluding to the Russian word for "crap"), which is clearly patterned on this quote.)
• "But Lyolik, that is not aesthetic!" -- "That's cheap, reliable and practical!" (rhymes nicely in Russian: "Лёлик, но это же не эстетично!" - "Зато дёшево, надёжно и практично.") (As preparing to hit Semyon Semyonovich on the head with a metal tool.)
• "Our people don't take a taxi to the bakery!" (In Russian: "Наши люди в булочную на такси не ездят!" 

info is taken from Wikipedia

photo is taken from the web-site Ruskino

The Victory Day in pictures

all photos are taken from the chronicals of vk.com 

Taste of Russia

Dear all, we are opening a new course for complete beginners - 'A Taste of Russian'. It's a short intensive course suitable for those who plan to travel to Russia or would like to get the first taste of Russian to see if learning Russian is something they are really interested in. Information on our website.

And a free course for students is still waiting for applicants. Do not miss this opportunity and please spread the word. Very big spasibo to everyone!


more information here http://rlc.edu.hk/courses/new-courses.html 

Songs of Victory

Here are some songs that symbolises the Victory Day, the 9th of May. Some were helping the warriors to fight against the enemy through all those terrible years, some were 'born' later, created for films or events, but also has become the sounds of this Great Day Темная ночь - Dark night Listen or download Марк Бернес Темная ночь for free on Prostopleer День Победы - Victory Day Listen or download Лев Лещенко День Победы for free on Prostopleer За того парня - For that guy Listen or download Лев Лещенко За Того Парня for free on Prostopleer Бери шинель, пошли домой - Take the overcoat, let's go home Listen or download Бери шинель, пошли домой for free on Prostopleer Песня из кинофильма "Офицеры" - song from the film 'Officers' Listen or download Песня из Кф <<Офицеры>> for free on Prostopleer Прощание славянки - Farewell song of a slavonic girl Listen or download Военные песни прощание славянки for free on Prostopleer

Famous films about the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945

THe Victory Day 9 of May is coming. THis day we always watch a lot films about the War, remember the deed of our grandmothers and grandfathers, cry and respect them. 

Here is just a small collection of Soviet films about the War 1941-1945


"Великий перелом"
"Небесный тихоход"

watch it here

"Встреча на Эльбе"
"Баллада о солдате" - Ballad of a soldier, 1959

watch it here 

"На семи ветрах" - 'On seven winds', 1962

Аты-баты, шли солдаты, 1977 

Летят журавли. - The cranes are flying, 1957 

watch it here

А зори здесь тихие - The Dawns gere are quite, 1972 

Они сражались за Родину. - 'They fought for Motherland' 1976

watch it here

"В бой идут одни "старики"" - 'Only 'old men' go to battle', 1973

"Дважды рожденный" - Born twice, 1983

"Офицеры" - 'Officers', 1971

"Женя, Женечка, Катюша"  - "Eugene, Jane and 'Katyusha'", 1967

watch it here

to be continued 

Have fun learning Russian

from vk.com 

The Victory Day is coming soon

Soon comes the great holidayer our country. The campaign 'Georgian ribbon' has started, the soldiers practice before the parade on Red Square, and we remember and respect those who made us a great gift - our lives and freedom!

from vk.com