Petersburg: only hatred – Interfax

Moscow. September 30. INTERFAX.RU – IN rolling out the film “Duelist” Alexey Mizgireva – probably the greatest Russian premiere this year.

Petersburg of the middle XIX century, in which there is a constant building site: built St. Isaac’s Cathedral, promenades, sidewalks. In this city there was briter is an avid duelist, known as captain Yakovlev (Pyotr Fyodorov). On the fun he can score a few shots or a nail to knock a stray ricocheting bullet glass with his head, but more shooting people. A piece of paper with a name and a black cross underneath Yakovlev reports German businessman (Martin Wuttke) that they come from an unknown customer. Owner name soon comes the challenge to a duel from Yakovlev, after the victory which the captain gets a wad of notes.

One day he comes in order to kill the young Prince Tuchkov (Pavel Tabakov), who stands up for his sister Martha (Julia Hlynina). Thus by piterom are not only driven by selfish desire for gain – he is seeking funds to take revenge on the enemy and defend her honor (and could it be otherwise, a nobleman in the Russian capital in the mid-nineteenth century?).

Director Alexei Mizgirev, before removing more social and modern – about the police, soldiers and sailors (“Flint”, “Tambourine, drum”, “Convoy”), then goes into new territory by dictating a new visual decision.

“Duelist” first of all amazes with its scale and spectacle, not seen since “the Barber of Siberia” in 1998 (have movies and some plot similarities). Is a hymn to the courtly era: the officers ‘ Assembly, the highest light, the capital of the Empire, where ladies in fluffy dresses, officers with gold epaulets and collars, Astrakhan coats, and their necessary opposites, rascals and scoundrels, that must fight to the shiny revolver, without leaving however refined manners. And the duel as the battle for honor (this word is pronounced many times in the film) is a kind of symbol of this era.

“Duelist” – the movie is really great, which is equally important visual (responsible operator Maxim Osadchy, who directed “Stalingrad, and costume designers with the decorators) and story (the writer was also Mizgirev). The characters in the film is spelled out very clearly, even a few posters, and represent the opposition, immediately fraught with conflict: the wave and rock, ice and fire, honor and meanness. Exalted and romantic attraction to conflict is the essence of the era very accurately captured in the film.

And those who do not agree, you should call a duel.

Kate Zagvozdkina