Watch Out for the Automobile (1966) User Reviews

Don't beware seeing it

[hte-trasme · 8/10 · 9 February 2014]

This has been called a "black comedy," but for all the cynicism that may or may not be read into it, it comes off with an enormous amount of charm. I love the premise -- a man goes around stealing cars so that he can sell them and give the profits to orphanages.

A previous reviewer compares it in this regard to Lermontov's "Hero of Our Time," but the concept puts me in mind theatrically much more of another classic nineteenth- century Russian novel -- Dostoevsky's "The Idiot." Like Prince Myshkin, Detochkin is a completely honest man (and Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy plays him wonderfully, with an in-the-moment innocence that makes it possible to buy the whole thing). And, following completely honest principles, he ends up a car-their on the run from the police.

The possibly-somewhat-bitter subtext being that to exist as a truly honest man is incompatible with modern lawful society -- a conclusion only bolstered when we learn at the end from Detochkin's shaved head -- even though it is accompanied by happy music in celebration of his reunion with Luba -- that he has done time for his right- though-illegal actions.

The court scene is adorned by a speech from the villain Dima, pointing out how Detochkin's unacceptably kindly actions were against the rights to property and money guaranteed by the Soviet constitution, and there lies satire for those who choose to see it.

The narration rarely breaks in, and when it does it seems to perform the rather postmodern function of explicitly contextualizing the film with relation to audience expectations of detective movies, so that it will be clear how those expectations will be deliberately turned on their heads.

It's my second Eldar Ryazanov film and I look forward to more; this was delight, and one that I felt could be enjoyed on a few different levels.

Who car you?

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 13 May 2009]

"Beregis avtomobilya" in Russian means "look out for the car". It seems that the title actually implies that cars become sort of a metaphor for our lives. The protagonist Detochkin (his surname implies "child" in Russian) is an insurance agent who steals cars from thieves and gives the money to charity. But then there's a surprise.

What I mean about the title as a metaphor for our lives. Some people put all their money into their cars; they're complete losers, but at least they have cool cars. Moreover, it's often said that a person is his/her own worst enemy. In this sense, the danger to Detochkin posed by the average vehicle is nothing compared to what his own actions can do.

Anyway, this is a pretty funny movie, a look at the Soviet Union in the mid-'60s. We even get to hear an American song in one scene! I suspect that they had fun making the movie. Worth seeing.

Brilliant

[AlexK1978 · 9/10 · 29 February 2008]

Just a great movie portraying the genres most often used in movies at that time: love, light humour. Smoktynovsky is perhaps not the ideal choice for the role (Ryzanov originally wanted Nikylin for this role, but the latter was currently in the also great comedy - Diamond Arm), yet he is very good. There are many funny quotes in this film, better understood if you understand Russian, a ton of small funny moments which just make you grin. The cast gives an outstanding performance. Back to Smoktynovsky again, I'll describe the movie for you a bit. He is an honest insurance agent who steals and sells cars from unfairly rich people, and gives the money to foster homes. His best friend is a detective trying to find the thief. After he learns the shocking truth, he obviously does not want Detochkin (Smoktynocsky's hero) to be punished severely.

Watch Out for the Automobile or the Modern Robin Hood

[Galina_movie_fan · 10/10 · 14 October 2007]

"Beware of the Car" aka "Uncommon Thief" or "Watch Out for the Automobile" is the comedy directed by one of the most famous and talented Soviet directors Edgar Ryazanov in 1966. Eldar Ryazanov, the master of the comedies, one of the most beloved Soviet and Russian directors, had directed many masterpieces, and I am not afraid to say so. I've seen his films when they were first released, and I've seen them many times since and they just don't get old or outdated. They are brilliant, they are sparkling, they are not slapstick laugh-out-loudly comedies, they are rather lyrical delicate dramedies and they are fabulous. The writing is always first class. Ryazanov often wrote the screenplays for his movies, and his best ones were the result of his cooperation with Emil Braginskiy - just like in "Beregis' avtomobilya". One of the most talented Russian film composers, Andrei Petrov who had written music scores for over 80 films and worked with Georgi Daneliya, George Cukor, Daniil Khrabrovitsky, Leonid Menaker, and Aleksei German among many others, had written his most beautiful melodious and recognizable scores and songs for Edgar Ryazanov. If I start talking about the actors who played in Ryazanov's B/W early comedy, "Beregis' Avtomobilya", someone would have to stop me. Who is who of the Soviet big screen and drama stage took the roles, even the small cameos in his funny and sad comedy/mystery/satire/crime/romance and every actor/actress is perfect.

The timid, shy, modest and sweet insurance agent, the loving son and diligent employee of an insurance company, the actor of amateur theater (where his next role will be a coveted Hamlet in Shakespeare's tragedy) Jury Detochkin (the genius Innokenty Smoktunovsky. If you don't believe me, watch any of his movies, just the one. "Hamlet" aka "Gamlet",1964 would be more than enough to convince you) has a hidden site nobody is aware of. He is an irreconcilable fighter for justice who proves to be a clever, creative and mysterious car thief that steals the personal automobiles from those whom he considers as dishonest people. He sells the cars, and donated the money to his favorite charity, the children's homes. Detochkin never takes any money for himself and acts like a modern Robin Hood. However, for the justice represented by his good friend, the actor of the same theater, and in the real life - police inspector Podberezovikov (Oleg Efremov), this Robin Hood is nothing but the dangerous, smart, inventive and imperceptible criminal who has to be stopped, brought to justice, and put to jail.

In this film Detochkin (Smoktunovsky) plays Hamlet in amateur performance. It is remarkable, that Innokenty Smoktunovsky by then had already played brilliantly Hamlet in the film directed by Grigoriy Kozintzev in 1964 that was based on the translation by Boris Pasternak with the music written by Dmitriy Shostakovich. Smoktunovsky's Hamlet is considered one of the best interpretations of the tragic Prince ever made.

Hero of our time (Russia 1966)

[clevelander · 16 September 2003]

The absence of reviews here prompts me to say a few words. I saw this in a cinema in Moscow in 1966 [despite date above], a popular film there at the time. I couldn't follow all the dialogue at the time, but I recall being struck by the believability and humanity of the whole thing. Russian public were right on the side of the anti-hero, though he was no swashbuckler and the ending is dispassionate. This was still during the time of the Soviet thaw, and Moscow was heaving with American tourists. Life was better for Russians and things were looking up. The old gallant Soviet war heros had become less interesting, and the time was right for someone more complex, surfacing, perhaps, from the rich literary tradition. A perfect Geroi nasha vremeno - my theory anyway. I'd just like to see it again before giving it a rating!

Go Ryazanov!

[dickie_jonus_tsr · 10/10 · 11 August 2005]

Beware of the Automobile. What would a Russian say when you mentioned it in front of him? I'm a Russian myself and I know. When someone mentions the movie's name, the other person would go babbling on about the storyline, every single detail from start to end. He would imitate highly enjoyed moments in the highly enjoyed film. He would repeat memorable quotes (which sound funnier in Russian). And he would go asking everyone if they knew interesting facts about the interesting film.

With non-Russians, however... well, to be honest I don't know. I have this movie on VHS in Russian and I never showed to an English speaking person before, but I think that even some non-Russian people will be fascinated by this film. I certainly am. I watch this movie whenever I get the chance. And I always love it, no matter how many times I've watched it.

The director, Eldar Ryazanov is a highly-loved Russian director and has directed a lot of classical Russian films, not one which I don't like. Go Ryazanov! Go Beware of the Automobile! Go whoever watched this film! Go whoever enjoyed it! Rating: 10/10

Beregis Avtomobilya:Superb performance by "King of Soviet actors" Innokenty Smoktunovsky in a film directed by Eldar Ryazanov.

[FilmCriticLalitRao · 10/10 · 19 October 2013]

Russian film "Watch Out for the Automobile" is about the role of cars in people's lives. It was made at a time when it was not possible for everybody to afford cars. This is one reason why dishonest people were able to buy cars without great difficulty. It is in such an unethical climate that this film's hero decides to steal cars which acquired through illegal money. Director Eldar Ryazanov has directed his film in such a manner that viewers get the feeling that there is nothing extraordinary about this car thief and the cars stolen by him. This effect is created by portraying the hero as an ordinary man who has nothing to do with crime. The film begins with tightly constructed scenes of a heavily guarded car being stolen.This leads viewers to ask what would really happen when the thief is not recognized by other people ? On his part,the car thief is able to fulfill his wishes as he wants to make a wise use of money for poor people. Apart from drama about incidents of car theft,genuine comedy can also be found in form of comical situations witnessed during a Shakespearean play's rehearsal by the hero and his nemesis.Lastly,this film's moral message is conveyed immediately after a truly mind boggling car chase sequence.

An excellent movie

[Niffiwan · 10/10 · 14 April 2005]

This is one of my favourite comedies, and it's a real shame that as I write this there is no version with English subtitles available. This is truly one of the funniest movies that I've ever seen, especially the hilarious narrated car chase sequence.

This is quite a well-known movie in Russia so it seems strange that there is no English version yet. We can only hope that RusCiCo or KINO will eventually release something.

The movie's humour is gentle, ironic, and just plain wacky at times, and the main character is easy to identify with, even if he is technically a criminal (though not a criminal at heart); there are no actual "bad people" in the movie, and there are some pretty funny situations when the protagonist reveals through his own honesty how the morals of other people can be much more crooked than his (for example, the guy who desperately needs a ride and isn't at all put off after being told that the guy he's asking for a ride is about to steal the car).

Highly recommended (if you can understand Russian).

A popular Russian "black" comedy

[AndreiPavlov · 6/10 · 25 October 2005]

By current standards it is really ridiculous to call it a "black comedy". "Death Becomes Her" and "Pulp Fiction" are black comedies. And among the Russian ones "Deja vu" is a good candidate. So, here goes problem number one. Being rather light-hearted it lacks colour badly (suppose they could make it in colour back in 1966). And sometimes it lacks style (the background voice making wise comments in a "TV news" manner is a downer). This is very subjective fault-finding but quite decisive to me. There are no complaints regarding the actors' performance and the story is fine with its "Robin Hood" touch. There are many memorable scenes ("Hamlet" performance, the Soviet shopping, a funny monologue about "our" Shakespeare, etc.) and tons of enjoyable sayings. Most these things are, unfortunately (or fortunately), can be easily understood by older Russian people (especially of older generations) only. As to people from other countries (and even younger Russian audience) – there will be some problems in catching its tune. Just to expand on this matter: for Russians, the movie is one good piece of entertainment, nostalgia, and a historical lesson (clothes, relations between people during the Soviet era, first businessmen a la "spekulianti", Soviet "drama clubs", etc.). For the rest of the world... - hardly. If you live in some sort of USA, was born there, have been living there your whole life, have just watched this movie and ready to give it a 10 right away with a frank heart, post me a few lines please.

It is a good movie but not great. Upon the DVD box it is written: "popular videos". It really belongs to that class of movies - "Russian popular videos" that is.

If it were in colour and without that bumbling voice behind the camera, the mark from my side would have been better.

Quite objectively, it is 6 out of 10 (but there should be a place for this film in the national top 1000 of course). Thanks for attention.

Yes, dear viewer: Detochkin is a thief, yet an honest and selfless person

[vadim-berman · 9/10 · 19 February 2012]

"Beware of the Car" is one of the icons of the old Soviet cinema.

(Note: there will be spoilers because it seems that the viewers not familiar with the Soviet culture struggle to understand what the movie is about.)

The film is both a comedy and an over-the-top thriller parody. It follows a humble insurance agent Detochkin who uses the insider knowledge about his clients to steal their cars. Incidentally, Detochkin befriends the police detective who is in charge of the investigation of his cases.

The twist is that Detochkin does not steal to profit, but donates all the proceeds to the orphanages, and his victims are only crooks and corrupt officials. So Detochkin is essentially a vigilante thief.

The idea of an honest vigilante thief was unusual and original enough to carry the plot for most Soviet viewers. Otherwise, it is a light comedy, in the sweetly naive spirit of the times as expressed by a supporting character, Detochkin's fiancée: "You're thinking like a five-years-old child!" Much of the film is carried by mostly untranslatable jokes and comedic performances of the stars of the golden age of the Soviet cinema: Papanov, Mironov, Efremov, Aroseva. Smoktunovsky was undoubtedly one of the greatest actors who ever lived but seems to be miscast here.

A kind, and naive old movie.

[Timofey1980 · 7/10 · 19 April 2021]

This amazing story may well be considered fantastic. Modest and shy insurance agent, amateur theater actor Yuri Detochkin turns out to be an implacable fighter for justice. However, for justice, represented by the actor of the same theater, and in the world-the investigator Podberezovikov, this Robin Hood is a dangerous, cunning, inventive and elusive criminal...

Modern Robinhood

[alexanderhadams · 7/10 · 14 November 2019]

This movie, like most Soviet movies, is meant to have a message that couldn't get past the censors. It's about a man who steals cars from thieves to give to orphans. He wants to combat corruption in society as a vigilante (a bad one at that), and along the way ends up bringing almost everyone to his side.

It's a fun film, but isn't as interesting as it could've been.

How to steal a car in Russia

[Angel_Peter · 2/10 · 28 January 2018]

I saw this movie because I saw the praising reviews here on IMDB. What did I think then. The Actors did a fine job. Camera work was B&W but fine and nice enough.

Story? Well it is hard for me really to say a lot about the story without giving to much away. But we start finding out some insurance man that apparently are stealing cars. We much later in the movie find his motivation for stealing the cars and how he choose the victims. For me this came much to late. I saw really no logic in what was going on and when I finally found out it was kind of too late for me to be very interested anymore as I at this time just found the protagonist to be annoying.

Comedy: There are some funny moments I would say but for me this would never be classified as a comedy.

Who is this movie for? For me I can only see this movie being for people that use them as a time machine and see how the city and other stuff lokked like and was at that time.

If not that much into the historical aspect then you can watch the movie while eating or folding clothes. You can find many more interesting and funnier movies both from Russia and other places to watch instead. In same line of movies I would say Operatsiya 'Y' i drugie priklyucheniya Shurika (1965) is better.

Many Volga cars, very interesting scenes of Russian life in 1966

[d_cridland · 6/10 · 16 January 2022]

I just watched this movie online for free. I love old cars and have never been to Europe, let alone Russia so I jumped at the chance to see the old Volgas when new (nearly every car in sight) and the scenes of everyday life in a Russian city back then. No Volgas in Australia that I know of.

Movie contrasts the corruption in daily life at the time, with a local volunteer acting/playhouse project where the playhouse boss says the best actors are the ones that have another job (not professional actors).

The main character is employed in insurance sales (an industry that is virtually the worlds biggest corruption industry), he is funny because he is quite inept and comical, but keeps committing the car stealing crimes in an attempt to level the playing field of life in the community. His family are very confused by his actions.

I enjoyed the movie very much.

I hate this movie

[rossovich-51530 · 1/10 · 25 October 2017]

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

All the time I watched the movie on TV fragments and only recently (can a month ago) I have decided to look since the beginning and up to the end "at assessment" so to speak. and the movie should be told that still a hogwash.

we will begin with the fact that show us the certain red unpleasant insurer on a physiognomy who откудато has returned and has gone to insure the car to a mironov at once (it is unclear by the way Why to us further about him show. that even more questions have arisen?) and right there with the God's help defines that that thief. Yes, he for the first time sees the person. doesn't know at all from where he has a car, but draws a conclusion that he is a thief. and of course it is time to manage mob killings. yes the fascist the judge дредд is far more fair than this detochkin.

Further show as he with the accomplice hijack the car... and whom was that accomplice? why nobody catches him and about him further nothing is told? what for gang at this detochkin? how does he in general hire people in the sect of fighters?

Show as Mironov does to the aunt a margin on a foreign player. and what? so do everywhere and constantly. he doesn't force her to take this player violently? no. and her it isn't vital, can go and try to agree to other seller also as I arranged to him. in what then his crime? about what theft does the father-in-law constantly speak? and for what at the end of a mironov want to put? if on all this there are no answers, then why was in general to him to pay so much attention in the movie?

Further. pursuit. why the cop hasn't called the backup on the radio set? I understand that the first years the German tanks perfectly mowed clean t34 Izz of the fact that they had no radio sets and they acted isn't coordinated, but it was necessary to take out from this? for example the fact that the militia has to have radio sets. and if Detochkin delivers him so in the wood and has killed, then and all? end of investigation?

OK, all right. Court. for what reason the people in general support a detochkin? therefore чо he transferred money to orphanage? ever nobody robed these people чтоль? untamed all? though it will become easier for somebody if the person who has robbed him tells that he gave everything to orphans? Comparison of a detochkin with Robin a buzzing came across, but Robin stole from feudal lords who couldn't but peel the people, and деточкин robs the first comers because чтото it seems to him...

What morals at this movie? what sense? what message? if it seems to you that the person which you meet the thief and you want to achieve justice whether then check him the car you hijack?