Bed and Sofa (1927)

A married couple have a small apartment in Moscow. When an old friend of the husband's arrives in the city, he is unable to find lodgings. Kolia, the husband, invites his friend to move in with them.

Director:

Abram Room (as A. Room)

Writers:

Viktor Shklovskiy (story) (as V. Shklovsky), Viktor Shklovskiy (dialogue) (as V. Shklovsky)

Stars:

Vladimir Fogel, Nikolay Batalov, Lyudmila Semyonova

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Vladimir Fogel	...	Volodia, a Printer
Nikolay Batalov	...	Kolia, the Husband
Lyudmila Semyonova	...	Liuda Semyonova, the Wife
Leonid Yurenev	...	Building Superintendent
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yelena Sokolova	...	Clinic Nurse
Mariya Yarotskaya	...	Paesant at the Clinic

Storyline

A married couple have a small apartment in Moscow. When an old friend of the husband's arrives in the city, he is unable to find lodgings. Kolia, the husband, invites his friend to move in with them. While Kolia is away on business, sensual Liuda and attractive Volodia fall in love and have an affair. After his initial outrage, the husband calms down. Kolia winds up on the sofa, and the three settle into a menage-a-trois until the wife finds herself pregnant. The two men are trying to decide what to do, but Liuda is strong enough to make her own decisions. Considered a landmark film because of humor, naturalism, and its sympathetic portrayal of the woman.

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Plot Keywords:

polyamory | radio set | extramarital affair | sofa | russia | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1996, Off-Broadway, the Vinyard Theatre presented "Bed and Sofa: A Silent Movie Opera," with Libretto by Laurence Klavan, Music by Polly Pen and Direction by Andre Ernotte. The opera reproduces the plot of the original movie, as an opera. Some of the story plays out silently, giving the feeling that the audience is watching a silent movie. A narrator injects humorous transitions between some scenes, acting as a vocal title card. This opera was performed in Fort Lauderdale's Broward Center of the Performing Arts in September, 2015.

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Connections

Featured in Fejezetek a film történetéböl: Az orosz és a szovjet némafilm (1989)

User Reviews

They say great minds think alike...

If this film was not explicitly the inspiration for Truffaut's Jules and Jim then he and Room certainly had the same muse singing on their shoulders. A fascinating silent film, very influential and far ahead of its time.

Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

None Russian

Release Date:

1927 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Bed and Sofa

Filming Locations:

Meschanskaya, Moscow, Russia

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sovkino

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1