Athos: the history of the film

Year: 1975

Country: USSR

Slogan: "Bad good man»

Director: Danelia

Genre: Drama, Romance, Comedy

Spectators USSR: 62.2 million





PLOT. Plumber Athanasius soup, a drunkard and a selfish, disorderly lives, shiftless life. In love with him young and naive nurse Katya. Athos slept with her and threw it away. Is there a plasterer and Kohl, whose wife kicked out of the house, and he settled in Mount Athos. There are other Athos - Fedul.

Here is what about the shooting of the film director Danelia:

"It started with the fact that the State Cinema gave me the script to read Alexander Borodyansky" About Afonyia, plumber housing department number 2 ". The plot was hard, with a sad ending. I liked the script. I met Borodyansky, we talked, realized that we understand each other, and got to work. We worked for several months, but in the end a little bit changed intonation, in some places the emphasis has shifted, and a new name - "Athos". And the plot, in principle, was the way was.



On Mount Athos we had three candidates - Polish actor Daniel Olbrychski, Vladimir Vysotsky and Leonid Kuravlev. Three different wonderful actor. Three different film. Stopped at Kuravleva. And do not make a mistake! There are Kuravleva a secret. Mount Athos in his performance forgive what would never forgive nor Athos Olbrychski nor Athos Vysotsky. And we wanted. We wanted the audience at the end of the film do not hate our Athos, and regret.

On the role of Katie casting director Helen Sudakova led the young student Shchukin Drama School Eugene Simon. Eugene liked me, and I approved it without trial. But it turned out that she had signed a contract with another picture. There she had a major role, and all summer she will be filmed somewhere in Bashkiria. Katya began to look for another. Brought a lot of talented young actresses - pretty and nice, but not that. And I realized that no one but Eugene Simonova, this role can not see.

- And what is special about it, in this Simonova you so much for it holding up? - I asked the director of the picture Alexander Efremovich Yablochkin.

- What is special about it, I can not explain - I confess - but it will be in the film a ray of light in the darkness.

Then he said:

- You'll have your Kate.

Indeed. Yablochkin flew in Bashkiria and brought back Zhenyu and her mother in Yaroslavl. (This film we shot in Yaroslavl.) And on the next day of Bashkiria from the director of the group went hysterical, angry telegram! Heard no less hysterical, angry calls from the thumbnail from the State Cinema. It turned out that the actress and her mother our director simply kidnapped, almost in the same way as the heroes Gaidai in the film "Prisoner of the Caucasus." And only left a note: "Do not worry, in three days we shall be. Your Yablochkin ».

And he said to me:

- Blood from the nose, but you should remove it within three days. Otherwise Tear shooting on the picture!

Yablochkin was the mother of filmmaker and realized that it is impossible, but it is still possible, and that - no way.



And we shot Zhenyu day and night, in the literal sense of the words. (Sometimes she managed to get some sleep in the back seat of the car while the set light to it or moved from site to site.) And so it was all the time with us on the set.

Darby Kohl played Yevgeny Leonov. In contrast slobs Athos Kohl, we considered a positive figure: it neat, good judgment, is interested in international politics and dreams of universal communicability.

A Leonov did not respect his character, saying that Kohl - selfish worse than Athos. And all the while grumbling that the plasterer he gets flat as a pancake. And only when filmed the scene, "Coley care home," he reassured. In this scene, Nick, who has reconciled with his wife, leaving from Mount Athos, leaving him a piece with your phone.

At the rehearsal Leonov took from his pocket a piece of paper with the phone, and out on the table accidentally dropped a few coins. He removed the coins and a note in his pocket and said:

- Look.

He again took out a piece of paper from his pocket, out of it again spilled coins. Again he carefully collected them and put it in his pocket.

- Got It? - He asked me.

- What?



Jack was always looking at the negative traits of his heroes - I think that because the image bigger.

The audience loved the light and naive Katya (not in vain tried!), And even sensible Kohl razgildyaya Athos, but the highest number of applause at the meetings in cinemas thwarted, the villain and a scoundrel Fedul, which in the film beautifully played Borislav Brondukov. (Replica Fedulov "Goni ruble relative!" - Became the hallmark of the film.)

In costume and makeup Boris was so organic that when during the shooting at the restaurant (the restaurant we were shooting at night in Moscow), he went outside to smoke, the doorman would not want to let him back. Brondukov explained that he's an actor, that without him shooting pluck - doorman did not believe. Said: You've got a lot of these artists! Brondukov insisted. Doorman threatened to cause the police. And would call, but then looked out into the street my assistant Rita Rasskazova.

- Borislav Nikolaevich, are you here ?! - She was delighted. - And there is a panic: where the actor gone ?!

- Is he really an artist? Wow! - Surprised the doorman.



Dancing agreed to shoot at night, in the hall of the club Krupskaya in textile workers. I asked to have modern musicians. Led group chief - curled hairy guy. Skinny. Dressed casually, hold independently. Asked how much to pay, and said that play. It turned out that we are invited to appear most popular and prohibited in those days the group. The first group was "The Time Machine" Makarevich, and the second - "Araks" Shakhnazarov.

Now I am very proud that the "Time Machine" made its debut in the movie "Athos».

The actress made grudiz semolina.

The girl with the bust of Helen Sudakova lead actress Tatyana Rasputin. Very good actress, but with normal breasts. And we wanted to bust was impressive. Some of the crew, who lived nearby, ran home and brought semolina. And filled her bra. Buttons gravity decoys could not stand it and had to tie her bra on the back of the node. (On the screen it shows.) However, because the chest "began to play" in a transparent blouse, then what critics admired this art piece ...

According to the latest version of the script in the final Afonya buys in a provincial airport ticket to the first available flight and lying on the tarmac waiting for the plane. Policeman approaches him and asks

produce documents. Athos puts him a passport. The photograph in the passport of a young boy with curly hair and a carefree smile, but in reality a sad man in front of a police officer with a completely empty eyes. In this movie and ended.

Such grim finale me from the beginning did not like.

And we Borodyansky still in the process of work on the director's script written version, which Athos and Kate met at the end of the film. But understand - this ending violates the logic of the narrative, it is a banal happy ending. And they left everything as it was.



Still, I redid the final. When Eugene Simon arrived in Yaroslavl and we started to take it off, Kate receives such a pure, gentle and touching that I really wanted to be sure she appeared at the end of the film. And we have decided to remove this: Athos in the airport lies on the grass and waiting for the plane. Kate approaches him and says, as always:

- Athanasius me someone called, I thought it was you.

Athos opens his eyes - no Kati not. Above him is a policeman and requires documents. (He thought Kate.)

On the last day of shooting Zhenya - the third - have worked very intensively, filmed one take, to make two unscheduled "dream". And by the end of the day arrived at the airport. Katie started shooting approach. The first double rocking removed - Kate goes slowly, as if floating. Not that! Filmed version - comes with a flower. Not that! Removed: she goes, her hair fluttering handkerchief. Not that!

And I realized that it's not how Kate is on the field, with a flower or something else. And that I'd like to Katya came really.

And for thirty years at the end of the film, when Athos goes to the aircraft, its someone calls out. He looks around and standing there and Katya says:

- Athanasius me someone called, I thought it was you!



And smart people have written in reviews that the film would not be as primitive, if not the final. The appearance of Katie on the airfield - a banal happy ending ... »

Among other things. "In Yaroslavl shot view from the window to the scene" Afonya wakes up in a room, Katie. " I had to shoot at five in the morning. (Morning mode - the sun had not yet risen, but already getting light.) As planned there, outside the window, had to return from the wedding couple. But at half past four revealed that wedding dress bride forgotten in Moscow. I've wanted to make a landscape, but then the operator Sergei Vronsky showed me on a horse that was dragging a cart with a barrel ...

- Let this wagon will pass - he said.

Removed the horse.

First on the frame highlighted the artist's wife Rita Levan Shengelia.

- How did you come up with this amazing - she said to me after looking at "Mosfilm". - How is it exactly!

- What exactly? - I asked cautiously.

- Horse! He makes an offer - and then the horse. So Kate, as this poor horse, will haul cargo disgusting, drunken rudeness and poverty all his life! It's so?

I humbly nodded ... »



Some quotes:

- No complaints from the public - the best reward for our work! Goodbye!

- And who are you? - I? .. Relative! Far ...

- Make yourself at home, but do not forget that at a party!

- That's so, Katyusha ... All production, social stress, self ... no privacy!

- When will you, soup, all have time - and in the fountains to dive, and dancing to fight? ..

- Something I fell ill ... I'll go lie down, press esteem ...

- Drive ruble relative! I Afonya ruble had!

- I do not like these people! .. Punctuality! ..

- Sit, popem tea, listen to the radio - a program for those who do not sleep.

- Well, polkapli, polkapli ... to smell.