Road to Life (Putyovka v zhizn)
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNikolai Ekk
Written byNikolai Ekk
Anton Semyonovich Makarenko
StarringNikolai Batalov
Yvan Kyrlya
Mikhail Dzhagofarov
CinematographyVasili Pronin
Music byYakov Stollyar
Production
company
Release dates
30 September 1931 (Germany)
27 January 1932 (USA)
22 February 1932 (Spain)
27 February 1959 (Finland)
8 July 2006 (Japan)
Running time
119 minutes
CountrySoviet Union
LanguagesRussian, Mari

Road to Life (Russian: Путёвка в жизнь, romanized: Putyovka v zhizn) is a 1931 Soviet drama film written and directed by Nikolai Ekk.[1][2] The film won an award at the 1932 Venice International Film Festival, which went to Ekk for Most Convincing Director.

It was the first sound film in the Soviet Union, and the first to be win a Best Director award at any film festival.

Plot summary

In Moscow operates one of the countless gangs of street kids – Zhigan's gang. The boys who belong to it have been living on the street for a long time. In December 1923 police forces conduct a raid, and catch about a thousand homeless children. Almost all of them are distributed to orphanages. But there are several dozen minors who run away from all the orphanages to which they are sent. For example, Mustafa has escaped 8 times and had to be returned 15 times by the authorities. What is one supposed to do with them? This leads to a decision to send them over to a house of correction, that is, a prison for minors.

Sergeev offers another solution: to create a labor commune. The children will work as carpenters, shoemakers, carpenters, remain free citizens, they will feed themselves. But not with theft, instead with work ... Good intentions as always, are good only in theory. In practice, the former street kids do not immediately become honest hard workers ...[3]

Cast

Zharov as Tomka Zhigan
  • Nikolai Batalov - Nikolai Sergeiev
  • Yvan Kyrlya - Dandy Mustapha
  • Mikhail Dzhagofarov - Nikolai 'Kolka' Rebrov
  • Aleksandr Novikov – Vaska Busa
  • Mikhail Zharov – Fomka Zhigan
  • Glikeriya Bogdanova-Chesnokova – a girl from a gang of Zhigan (not in the titles, the episode was cut and remains in the general plans only)
  • Mariya Andropova as Maria Skriabina
  • Vladimir Vesnovsky as Mr. Rebrov
  • Mariya Gonfa as Lelka, aka 'Maziha'
  • Bozhak Besprizornykh

Production

The film was shot on the territory of the Bolshevskaya labor commune named after Genrikh Yagoda (established in February 1924).[4] Several scenes were filmed on the territory of the Annunciation Monastery in Sarapul. The arrival of street children in the labor commune, as well as scenes of street rebellion, were all filmed in the village of Kolomenskoye. The Church of the Ascension in Kolomenskoye is also shown in the film.

This is the first appearance in film of actors Rina Zelyonaya and Georgiy Zhzhonov.

Old residents of the city of Dzerzhinsk (Lyuberetsky District) believe that the film tells the story of a labor commune located in the area of the Ugresha Monastery. They say that at Lyubertsy Dzerzhinsky on a single-track is a place where Zhigan killed Mustafa.

Awards

The film's director Nikolai Ekk was named as the best director by a poll of viewers of the 1st Venice International Film Festival (1932).[5]

Legacy

While Genrikh Yagoda served as a comissar, Bolshevskaya commune being dedicated to him brought it certain advantages. After the arrest of Genrikh Yagoda in April 1937, the commune was broken and dispersed, Matvei Pogrebinsky shot himself, his books ("Factory of people", edited under Maxim Gorky, and others) were removed from libraries and destroyed. However, the film, due to its high international acclaim, was not withdrawn from circulation, but all mention of the commune itself were excised from the footage.[4]

References

  1. ↑ Peter Rollberg (2009). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 665–666. ISBN 978-0-8108-6072-8.
  2. ↑ Jay Leyda (1960). Kino: A History of the Russian and Soviet Film. George Allen & Unwin. pp. 284–285.
  3. ↑ Jacek Klinowski, Adam Garbicz (2012). Feature Cinema in the 20th Century: Volume One: 1913–1950: a Comprehensive Guide. Planet RGB Limited. ISBN 978-1-624-07564-3.
  4. 1 2 Хиллиг, Гётц. А. С. Макаренко и Болшевская коммуна // Постметодика, № 2, 2001 «Громадянська освіта в школі»
  5. ↑ "The 30s". la Biennale di Venezia. 7 April 2017.


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