A Glass of Water (1979 film)

A Glass of Water (1979 film)
Стакан воды (Stakan vody)
Directed by Youli Karassik
Written by Youli Karassik
Based on Le verre d’eau ou Les effets et les causes
by Eugène Scribe
Starring Kirill Lavrov
Alla Demidova
Natalia Belokhvostikova
Svetlana Smirnova
Peteris Gaudinsh
Igor Dmitriev
Juris Strenga
Music by Yuri Saulsky
Cinematography Vladimir Chukhnov
Production
company
Release date
 1979
Running time
 128 min.
Country USSR
Language Russian

A Glass of Water (Russian: Стакан воды, translit. Stakan vody) is a 1979 Soviet comedy film directed by Youli Karassik and based on the 1840 play of the same title by Eugène Scribe, set in the court of Queen Anne of Great Britain at the start of the 18th century. The play was previously adapted for film in Russia in 1957.

Plot

Britain is in the midst of a long and ruinous war with France, the War of the Spanish Succession and its queen is completely under the control of her old friend Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough, leader of the Whig party - she wants to prolong the war to her own benefit and that of her husband John Churchill, Duke of Marlborough, commander-in-chief of the British forces. Against them are the Tories, led by Lord Bolingbroke, who believe that the war has to stop and peace talks begin. Anne supports the Whigs because she and her court are both completely subordinated to Sarah's will.

It seems nothing can shake Sarah's power and so Bolingbroke has no chance of achieving peace negotiations. However, he befriends Arthur Masham, an impoverished nobleman and officer in the royal guards who is in love with Abigail, forced to serve in a jewellery shop. Abigail and Arthur are about to get married, but this hits an obstacle when Arthur kills a cousin of Lord Bolingbroke in a duel. Anne's jeweller visits Abigail secretly and offers her a position at court, but - afraid of Sarah's intrigues and unwilling to admit their love to the queen - Arthur and Abigail decide not to lose this opportunity.

However, Bolingbroke still has power over the couple, since he knows that Arthur's secret patron - gaining him promotion and sending him gifts - is none other than Sarah herself. Bolingbroke resorts to blackmail, returning to Sarah a letter from her to Masham (which she does not want her jealous husband to see) and in exchange gaining Abigail a position at court. This finally gains him a supporter close to Anne.

Cut off from real life by Sarah, Anne is bored of spending her days caught up in court ritual. She revels in novels and dreams about falling in love. She admits to her new confidante Abigail that she has fallen in love with a young member of her guards - none other than Arthur, whose engagement to Abigail is still a secret from all but Bolingbroke. Confused, Abigail rushes to him for help and Bolingbroke realises that he finally has a way of breaking Sarah's influence over Anne. All he now needs is a way to act on it and soon he finds it, when Sarah interrupts a rendezvous between Anne and Masham. Offering Anne a glass of water, he brings about Sarah's fall.

Cast

References

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