“Duelist” shot and partly missed – news

“Duelist” (16+) to escalate the suspense masterfully: the first excerpt shown in a closed presentation of the film market at “Kinotavr”, then everyone was stunned by the news that the Russian film in main program of the festival in Toronto. Secret screenings for the elite critics added fuel to the fire.

But it’s the lyrics — how much film do not advertise, sooner or later, will premiere and will be the reaction of the audience. In Toronto, for example, and the audience and the critics “Duelist” perceived cool. The reviews were rather perplexed. Still — the action in the picture at least: a grim Russian black shoot each other fine antique guns.

With indifferent cruelty, which not even dreamed of cowboys of the classic westerns, directed by Alexey Mizgirev has created heavy as the St. Petersburg November, atmosphere of despair, referring to the Duel Kuprin and courtyards, wells, Dostoevsky.

Photo courtesy of the press service WDSSPR

Is filed “Duelist” as a large-scale Hollywood action movie, but in fact Mizgirev filmed a drama about the Russian character. The entourage and details of Saint-Petersburg “Duelist” is not inferior to London in “Sherlock Holmes” guy Ritchie, but the story of intrigue and spectacular action in it.

Mizgirev focuses on the slow dialogues on the honor of a Russian officer. Prudent speculator count Beklemishev (Vladimir Mashkov) and a proud nobleman Yakovlev (Pyotr Fyodorov) have different opinions on this issue. Mysticism in the film as such, no, although in the script it was implied. In the end, it remains of significant replica — Yakovlev — devil” or “Later — I’m already cursed.”

“Scrapper” is an example of how the Russian film industry (producers Alexander Rodnyansky, Gleb Fetisov and Sergey Melkumov) tries to play by Western rules, while trying to preserve the authenticity. For the national cinema “Wins”, of course, the phenomenon is outstanding, but its main task — to compete with Western blockbusters — the picture is, alas, unable to cope. In the “Duelist” too seriously — the depth of the author’s statements was both and advantage and a disadvantage of the picture.

Photo courtesy of the press service WDSSPR

But the actor’s work Mashkova and Fedorov can be unambiguously attributed to the pluses of “Duelist”. Fedorov is of more concern is the role of the bully Yakovlev will be included in the list of his acting successes.

Finally — and this is an undeniable reason to go to the cinema — “Scrapper” became the third Russian picture, coming out in IMAX, which means higher picture quality and commercial viability.