A great and funny Soviet musical parody of Hollywood Westerns and also a tribute to the history of cinema. By portraying in an amusing way most of the genre clichés (saloon brawl, whisky, piano playing, can can dance, a stagecoach robbery, an eyepatch, shot men dropping from above...). That typical Old West caothic town is changed when a foreign man screens movies (indeed famous real and historic early films from XIX century). Besides being a cute homage to the seventh art, there is also implicitly a mockery on the United States values and on what was being produced in Hollywood on the 80's. It is probably among the 10 best movies made in Soviet Union. Alla Surikova, a woman inside the almost purely male universe of top Mosfilm directors, has a great work here, as there are many difficult action scenes wonderfully made.
10 Reviews
Prestigious and Regular...
RosanaBotafogo10 August 2021
Despite the film criticism, the idolatry of violent westerns, bloodthirsty, decimating Indians, misogynists, pigs and disgusting, produced by a woman in the Soviet cinema, the film is not very captivating, well produced, great social context, but it lacked something that I could cling, feel empathy, and the protagonist didn't contribute either... Prestigious and Regular...
Billy, charge up!
alekspredator8721 August 2022
"The Man from Capuchin Boulevard" is without a doubt an extraordinary film. This is a movie with a capital letter, which takes exactly its unique atmosphere and memorable plot. The Soviet western sends the viewer to enjoy a kind of interpretation of the origin of cinema in the Wild West. And the entire film crew, and especially the brilliant acting of the actors, will allow you to plunge into the fascinating and sometimes touching world of the distant past on another continent.
The film was one of the last appearances in the cinema of the talented actor Andrey Mironov. In the year of release - 1987 - the artist was gone. An incredible loss for the entire national cinema. I'm sure Mironov could give us a dozen more memorable images. Perhaps because the role in this film was one of the last, I remember it so well. The actor created a unique image of Johnny First. A true gentleman, a missionary from cinema, a very polite and positive character from all sides, who is designed to introduce the masses to an amazing revolutionary phenomenon - cinema. The picture will show how interesting and with very funny adventures the hero will take up this event.
There are many other actors of the first magnitude in the film, who also successfully merge into this picture: Oleg Tabakov, Nikolai Karachentsov, Mikhail Boyarsky, Alexandra Yakovleva, Igor Kvasha, Lev Durov and many, many others. Each of the artists, regardless of screen time, elegantly fits into the created world, creating that unique atmosphere that the viewer enjoys throughout the narrative. Black Jack, played by Boyarsky, contrasts sharply with his usual image of D'Artagnan. Great performance: absolutely different charisma, piercing gaze and literally animal danger emanating from the hero. Karachentsov and his Billy are a magnificent demonstration of the transformation of a gangster into a polite... gangster. Bartender Harry is another opportunity for actor Tabakov to transform into an extraordinary personality and really get into the image. Kvasha was pleased with a superbly worked-out hero pastor, and Spartak Mishulin became a pleasant-looking Indian leader. Alexandra Yakovleva and her Diana Little have become the personification of new assumptions in cinema. The actress presented an unforgettable image of a sexually liberated heroine. Watching her, I constantly wondered how such a thing was allowed on the screens in those days. But it was a great image.
The film was released in 1987. The time of Perestroika, new trends, new hopes, new opportunities in the cinema. On the screen you can see something unusual that inspires a certain freedom. Experiments and unexpected solutions are acceptable, which the viewer necessarily notices. At the same time, capitalist values are ridiculed quite interestingly in the picture, as if reminding us that we are still watching Soviet cinema. There are also a lot of other cliches from that time and place, which, in my opinion, are perfectly ridiculed. The authors well demonstrate frank laughter at Western westerns, successfully beating what could really be seen in those pictures. Here you have constant quarrels, fights, and shooting. Without this, it seems, nowhere. However, the creators joke funny enough for the domestic viewer, you definitely get pleasure.
The picture is full of various fights, songs, shooting, dancing, explosions, sparkling humor. In this picture, all this is successfully woven into an interesting plot. It feels like the creators really wanted to surprise the viewer and make the film memorable for a long time. What to say. They did it well. And some quotes are still used in our society.
"The Man from Capuchin Boulevard" is a landmark movie, an epoch-making picture that will surely please the audience today. This is an unshakable classic, a symbol of the era, of the time when it began to seem that once in the domestic cinema you can see such freedom of thought and performance, then all this will soon be in society. And even though what was happening in reality was happening, this film became an obvious victory of its time. An extraordinary picture, an amazing acting game, a gorgeous story that you sometimes want to revisit again.
9 out of 10.
The film was one of the last appearances in the cinema of the talented actor Andrey Mironov. In the year of release - 1987 - the artist was gone. An incredible loss for the entire national cinema. I'm sure Mironov could give us a dozen more memorable images. Perhaps because the role in this film was one of the last, I remember it so well. The actor created a unique image of Johnny First. A true gentleman, a missionary from cinema, a very polite and positive character from all sides, who is designed to introduce the masses to an amazing revolutionary phenomenon - cinema. The picture will show how interesting and with very funny adventures the hero will take up this event.
There are many other actors of the first magnitude in the film, who also successfully merge into this picture: Oleg Tabakov, Nikolai Karachentsov, Mikhail Boyarsky, Alexandra Yakovleva, Igor Kvasha, Lev Durov and many, many others. Each of the artists, regardless of screen time, elegantly fits into the created world, creating that unique atmosphere that the viewer enjoys throughout the narrative. Black Jack, played by Boyarsky, contrasts sharply with his usual image of D'Artagnan. Great performance: absolutely different charisma, piercing gaze and literally animal danger emanating from the hero. Karachentsov and his Billy are a magnificent demonstration of the transformation of a gangster into a polite... gangster. Bartender Harry is another opportunity for actor Tabakov to transform into an extraordinary personality and really get into the image. Kvasha was pleased with a superbly worked-out hero pastor, and Spartak Mishulin became a pleasant-looking Indian leader. Alexandra Yakovleva and her Diana Little have become the personification of new assumptions in cinema. The actress presented an unforgettable image of a sexually liberated heroine. Watching her, I constantly wondered how such a thing was allowed on the screens in those days. But it was a great image.
The film was released in 1987. The time of Perestroika, new trends, new hopes, new opportunities in the cinema. On the screen you can see something unusual that inspires a certain freedom. Experiments and unexpected solutions are acceptable, which the viewer necessarily notices. At the same time, capitalist values are ridiculed quite interestingly in the picture, as if reminding us that we are still watching Soviet cinema. There are also a lot of other cliches from that time and place, which, in my opinion, are perfectly ridiculed. The authors well demonstrate frank laughter at Western westerns, successfully beating what could really be seen in those pictures. Here you have constant quarrels, fights, and shooting. Without this, it seems, nowhere. However, the creators joke funny enough for the domestic viewer, you definitely get pleasure.
The picture is full of various fights, songs, shooting, dancing, explosions, sparkling humor. In this picture, all this is successfully woven into an interesting plot. It feels like the creators really wanted to surprise the viewer and make the film memorable for a long time. What to say. They did it well. And some quotes are still used in our society.
"The Man from Capuchin Boulevard" is a landmark movie, an epoch-making picture that will surely please the audience today. This is an unshakable classic, a symbol of the era, of the time when it began to seem that once in the domestic cinema you can see such freedom of thought and performance, then all this will soon be in society. And even though what was happening in reality was happening, this film became an obvious victory of its time. An extraordinary picture, an amazing acting game, a gorgeous story that you sometimes want to revisit again.
9 out of 10.
Great spoof of the American Western
viy4611 October 2005
Really funny, sweet, and moving take on the American western done by a soviet female director. Mr. First comes to a small town in the wild west to introduce the population to the art of cinematography. He brings a projector and an array of silent movies, including romance and comedy. Rowdy cowboys discover a different way of life and try to improve their own existence. Amazing cast, Tabakov is especially endearing as a saloon owner torn between greed and love for the movies. Surprisingly effective fight scenes could probably challenge those of the American counterparts. Karachentsov gives it his best with some of the best fight moves I've seen. Mironov is great, as usual, as an idealist out to change the world and bring enlightenment to the wild wild west. Highly recommended as a comedy, romance, western, and a meditation on the role of art and mass entertainment in our society.
One of the best soviet comedies
kurciasbezdalas2 September 2008
This is one of those good old soviet comedies. The humor in these films is pretty innocent but still very funny. This film contains many Russian stars of that time. The plot is quite original. It's about a town in Wild West who's people are only drinking and fighting every single day and about an intelligent man who arrive to the town to introduce towns people with Cinematography. Soon people of town get fascinated by cinema, they stop drinking and fighting and become more polite to each other. The movie is really funny and interesting. Though this is not a action film, i've noticed some well choreographed fighting scenes. This film is really worth your time.
Perfect comedy
sasha-121 May 2001
That's a beautiful comedy with a number of Russian film stars. The plot is rather unusual for a comedy western. One of the first cinematographers(his name is Mr.First performed by Andrey Mironov) arrives in a sleepy Wild West town and brings a primitive film projector with a number of bobbins of first Chaplin-like films. Every night he shows films in the local saloon and his arrival has a dramatical effect on the local cowboys(probably "cowboys" will seem rather strange for real Americans, but don't forget the film is made in Russia and they also have some stereotypes about the Wild West). After his arrival they stop fighting with each other,stop speaking bad words, start behaving very politely("like real gentlemen"), and in the evenings come to the saloon to have a drink of ... milk, instead of whiskey!!! After solving many problems and passing through a wall of misunderstanding Mr.First makes a lot of friends and eventually the local beauty Diana falls in love with him. The film has a lot of funny episodes and twists e.g. the local Comanches start the war with the cowboys only to have a possibility to go to the movie saloon as well.It's really worth watching the film wherever you live.
A tough lesson taught by a Russian female director
AndreiPavlov5 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This movie is hot. It seems to be the only real representative of a serious cowboy flick in Russian cinema. And this one makes us proud. It was directed by a woman! The plot goes here. The very beginning of the 20th century. Wild West. A cinema devotee - Mr First - comes to an American town where everybody drinks, fights, and swears. Mr First introduces the world of black-and-white cinema to the cowboys and the life changes. All the good movies he shows them have a direct effect on their living. The population of the town stops all the drinking, fighting, etc. The people start to respect each other and to behave in a good manner. Mr First leaves the town for some time. During his absence some freak comes to town - Mr Second - who is also a cinema devotee, but he is into some nasty types of movies. As a result of watching those "nasties" the people turn into violent morons again.
It has got plenty of fist-fighting, swearing, numerous shootings, easy catchy songs, lots of nice women, tons of whiskey being consumed, hundreds of cigars being smoked over and over, macho-Indians and of course macho-cowboys. Those crazy fights and quarrels in the saloon alone deserve an Oscar. On top of it it has a clever story to deliver. All this makes the film one of the very best movies of our time.
Please, throw away something from the IMDb top 250 and put this one onto the top list. That will be fair. Think it over: a girl directs a western, makes it in an insane manner with lots of fighting and shooting, and what is more, makes it thought-provoking. This deserves the ultimate worldwide recognition. No wonder we all went to cinema multiple times to watch it again and again. Even the tough American flicks of the 1980-s could not overwhelm our perception of this picture.
A goof: in one scene the drunk one-eyed cowboy looses his band and becomes a normal goggler - that's ridiculous.
10 out of 10, very enjoyable for all generations and all nationalities. Thanks for attention.
It has got plenty of fist-fighting, swearing, numerous shootings, easy catchy songs, lots of nice women, tons of whiskey being consumed, hundreds of cigars being smoked over and over, macho-Indians and of course macho-cowboys. Those crazy fights and quarrels in the saloon alone deserve an Oscar. On top of it it has a clever story to deliver. All this makes the film one of the very best movies of our time.
Please, throw away something from the IMDb top 250 and put this one onto the top list. That will be fair. Think it over: a girl directs a western, makes it in an insane manner with lots of fighting and shooting, and what is more, makes it thought-provoking. This deserves the ultimate worldwide recognition. No wonder we all went to cinema multiple times to watch it again and again. Even the tough American flicks of the 1980-s could not overwhelm our perception of this picture.
A goof: in one scene the drunk one-eyed cowboy looses his band and becomes a normal goggler - that's ridiculous.
10 out of 10, very enjoyable for all generations and all nationalities. Thanks for attention.
First prize!
hte-trasme23 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This was both a surrealist old-west comedy, and at the same time a crookedly-philosophical postmodern commentary on the power of art -- and it's a huge success as both. As a basis for the comedy, there is a plentiful supply of plain good gags, from the cowboys dutifully repairing the saloon after they have destroyed it in a bar fight, to the "That was my steak!" running gag, to the perfectly stereotypical Indian Chief soberly declaring that the cowboys must never have heard of Charles Darwin.
The cowboys are, of course, perfectly self-conscious movieland cowboys - - hard-drinking and hard-fighting reductio ad absurdum. And they're utterly unfamiliar with the concept of art. So when Mr First arrives with the Absurdist premise and delivers cinema, it's films themselves that transform the cowboys from their unabashedly film-sourced stereotypical personalities. Is it a change for the better? Like all changes that art brings, that's open to interpretation. But it leads to the sight of an evil pastor declaring movies "the opium of the people."
And, of course, in an artless world where art is introduced, it has a literal, magical effect. The undertaker is out work because people don't want to die any more (he's a former philosopher, but that skill wasn't so much needed on the frontier), and our heroine wants a baby immediately after kissing -- because that's how it is in the movie. And, of course -- in a wonderful moment that perhaps encapsulates how this film makes memorable philosophical points almost casually while it jokes -- when the building is burnt down the movies and apparatus are undamaged because (in a possible nod to Bulgakov), quite literally "art does not burn" ("iskusstvo ne gorit")!
And while Mr First's influence may have been purifying, we see that Mr Second arrives at the end to put the money into film (where we know it remains), returning our cowboy heroes to their debouched ways. So art is powerful, but perhaps equivocal in it's power. And it ends with that cynical note, and a cheerful song (the music, by the way, its all extremely catchy).
The performers are excellent too; this is the third film of Andrey Mironov's that I've seen, and he keeps impressing me as a comedy performer. I'd almost call this obligatory for those who (like me) have a taste for Absurdist comedy and reflexive postmodern wit. And for those who just looking fro something funny, my recommendation still stands.
The cowboys are, of course, perfectly self-conscious movieland cowboys - - hard-drinking and hard-fighting reductio ad absurdum. And they're utterly unfamiliar with the concept of art. So when Mr First arrives with the Absurdist premise and delivers cinema, it's films themselves that transform the cowboys from their unabashedly film-sourced stereotypical personalities. Is it a change for the better? Like all changes that art brings, that's open to interpretation. But it leads to the sight of an evil pastor declaring movies "the opium of the people."
And, of course, in an artless world where art is introduced, it has a literal, magical effect. The undertaker is out work because people don't want to die any more (he's a former philosopher, but that skill wasn't so much needed on the frontier), and our heroine wants a baby immediately after kissing -- because that's how it is in the movie. And, of course -- in a wonderful moment that perhaps encapsulates how this film makes memorable philosophical points almost casually while it jokes -- when the building is burnt down the movies and apparatus are undamaged because (in a possible nod to Bulgakov), quite literally "art does not burn" ("iskusstvo ne gorit")!
And while Mr First's influence may have been purifying, we see that Mr Second arrives at the end to put the money into film (where we know it remains), returning our cowboy heroes to their debouched ways. So art is powerful, but perhaps equivocal in it's power. And it ends with that cynical note, and a cheerful song (the music, by the way, its all extremely catchy).
The performers are excellent too; this is the third film of Andrey Mironov's that I've seen, and he keeps impressing me as a comedy performer. I'd almost call this obligatory for those who (like me) have a taste for Absurdist comedy and reflexive postmodern wit. And for those who just looking fro something funny, my recommendation still stands.
As we dreamed since long, but still can not live up to....
levelclearer3 January 2017
I like the super-task of the "Сinema man" (The man from Cappuchino boulevard), but I never can understand what made them in 1987 (Chrushev is dead) want to clash the cinema and the Church. This seems to make the movie very very lame. Just answer me, when you hit a God-forsaken American town, how often do you meet an evil, carnal Pastor ? Everyone, absolutely everyone in this town, including the bar owner, the Indian Chief, and the local hit-man Black Joe are good people, at least they have good soul strings. Only Church Pastor stands out as pitch black, as absolute evil. You know, I don't like such plain con gaming. Even the world of cinema men has good and bad representatives like Mr.First who features good manners, good and high feelings, gentleness, kindness, and everything good you know about the cinema, and Mr.Second who disseminates violence, low style, fights, perhaps toilet humor, horrors, nudity and sex, and everything bad you know about the cinema. But when it comes to Church you have only one pitch black Jewish evil carnal Pastor who's dream is to rape a lady singing in the bar. Well, even if you tell me that evil, carnal, raping Pastors are as frequent in the USA as Coca-Cola dispensers, this still can not be a reason to bang a traveling cinema man against the Church. Even local hit-man Black Joe turns better than Pastor. What is this ? What thoughts shall this provoke ? The only clue thrown in is Mr. First's song "without rage and mourning for the benefit of the planet Earth as we dreamed since long but still can not live up to our dream". Well, perhaps's that's it. A spoof of the American dream, a mock of the shining city on the hill ? And the evil lustful Pastor is an American Pastor namely and exclusively? Kh-m, you should have warned me, that this gonna be so, eh, particular. The movie was shot in 1987 when we in Russia were going full speed for universal human values, everything was going to be for us so universal, and an evil Pastor in the US could mean only an equally evil Priest on the other side of the pond. Well, were we really supposed to take seriously that cinema is going to save the world ? And all this garnished with carefully choreographed fist fights in the saloon, fighting Indians, and "Lemonade Joe" style story of how a rotten dangerous hole of American town turned into a descent place thanks to the traveling projector ? Strange movie though, with a message buried more deeper than the eventual plot, otherwise with no message at all. Well, as strange and mesmerizing as Irina Fateeva and Spartak Michulin as Indian Chief couple.
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