Maxim Perepelitsa
| Maxim Perepelitsa | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Anatoly Granik |
| Written by | Ivan Stadnyuk |
| Starring |
Leonid Bykov Lyudmila Kostyrko Nikolai Yakovchenko Aleksandr Borisov |
| Music by | Vasily Solovyov-Sedoi |
| Cinematography | Dmitri Meskhiev |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 94 min. |
| Country | USSR |
| Language | Russian |
Maxim Perepelitsa (Russian: Максим Перепелица) is a 1956 comedy film directed by Anatoly Granik.[1]
Synopsis
Maxim Perepelitsa is a cheerful and quick-witted guy from a Ukrainian village, well-known personality in his native town. He has a fantastic ability to invent all sorts of stories and take time off from work. Having received a summons to the army, wishing to "protect" himself against potential rivals, he sends pumpkins to all the guys in the village on behalf of his beloved girl Maroussi – this is a traditional rejection of courtship in Ukraine which ends up causing a stir in the village. The kolkhoz assembly even wants to deprive Perepelitsa of his honorable duty to serve in the Soviet Army, but Maxim gives his word to correct his behavior. In the army he dodges responsibility when trying to avoid the difficulties of service, but here his trick is out of turn and is arrested in the guardhouse. However his flexible character and good-natured personality make him pliable in re-education. Showing himself as smart and having initiative during a training exercise, he gets the rank of junior sergeant, shows true heroism in his native village during the holidays, and Maroussia finally reciprocates his feelings.
Cast
- Leonid Bykov - Maksim Perepelitsa
- Lyudmila Kostirko - Maroussia, bride Maxima
- Nikolai Yakovchenko - blacksmith Kondrat Perepelitsa, Maxim's father
- Aleksandr Borisov - postman Marco Mukha, Kondrat's friend
- George Asipenka - Opanas, Kondrat's friend
- Basil Fushchych - Stepan Levada, one of Maxim
- Taisiya Litvinenko - Vasilinka, Stepan's beloveed
- Nina Tamarova - Yavdokha, seller of flowers
- Vladimir Efimov - Ivan Tverdokhlib, unfortunate groom of Maroussia
- Georgy Vitsin - Musiy, pensioner
- Alexander Stepanov - Fomin, a lieutenant, a platoon commander
- Konstantin Sorokin - Sablin, foreman, deputy commander of a platoon
- Alexander Susnin - Vasily Ezhikov, a colleague of Maxim
- Sergei Sibel - Samus, colleague Maxim
- Radner Muratov - Taskira, a colleague of Maxim
- Paul Usovnichenko - Kupriyanov, a platoon commander (in credits as Kupriyanov, in the film as Vetrov)
Production
Anatoly Granik for most of the major roles invited Ukrainian theater actors, as all of the rural scenes of the film took place in Ukraine.[2] The main characters who came to serve in the army are Ukrainians.
In 1955 also the film Private Ivan was made featuring a very similar story; author of the script and of the source material Ivan Stadnyuk openly accused the creators of "Private Ivan" in plagiarism.[3]
After watching the movie "Maxim Perepelitsa" the army accused screenwriter Stadnyuk of promoting familiarity in the army. This alleged familiarity was reflected in the scene where the company commander, senior lieutenant Kupriyanov invites Maxim, after he returns from the guardhouse, to sit beside him on the bench and at the same time gives him a cigarette from his own cigarette case.[3]