Viy (1967)

Directors:

Georgi Kropachyov
Konstantin Yershov

Writers:

Nikolai Gogol (story)
Georgi Kropachyov (writer)

Release Date:

27 November 1967 (Soviet Union)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Horror

Plot:

A young priest is ordered to preside over the wake of witch in a small old wooden church of a remote village. This means spending three nights alone with the corpse with only his faith to protect him.

Plot Keywords:

Village | Witch | Priest | Church | Corpse

Cast

Leonid Kuravlyov	...	Khoma Brutus - the philosopher
Natalya Varley	...	Pannochka
Aleksei Glazyrin	...	Sotnik
Nikolai Kutuzov	...	Witch (as N. Kutuzov)
Vadim Zakharchenko	...	Khaliava - the theologian
Pyotr Vesklyarov	...	Rector / Dorosh (as P. Vesklyarov)
Vladimir Salnikov	...	Gorobetz - the orator (as V. Salnikov)
Dmitri Kapka	...	Overko (as D. Kapka)
Stepan Shkurat	...	Yavtukh (as S. Shkurat)
G. Sochevko	...	Stepan
Nikolai Yakovchenko	...	Spirid (as N. Yakovchenko)
Nikolai Panasyev	...	Comforter

Also Known As:

Вий (Soviet Union: Russian title)
Viy or Spirit of Evil (USA) (DVD title)

Runtime:

77 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Finland:K-16 | UK:12

Filming Locations:

Mosfilm Studios, Moscow, Russia

Company:

Mosfilm

Trivia:

Originally a Ukrainian folk story.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Khoma draws a chalk circle on the church floor for the first time, traces of previous circles are still visible on the floorboards.

Quotes:

Pannochka: By the shades of night, may he go blind, turn his hair white. Bewitch him. Cover him with snow.

Movie Connections:

Version of La maschera del demonio (1960)

It could have been scarier

Good fairy-tale that can show what potential existed in our cinema decades ago. What makes it so special is not special effects but special rich national atmosphere: costumes, huts, talks, dancing, music, etc. It all has Russian flavour (Ukrainian, if you like). This film was very popular among Soviet kids and truly it remains the highest achievement of Russian cinema in horror/comedy genre. Years have passed but time only points out: we could make it all in a very professional and artistic way.

9 out of 10 (have a feeling that its makers were restrained and were not allowed to dish all the horrors out). Thank you for attention.