Gentlemen of Fortune (1971) User Reviews

Good fortune to see it

[hte-trasme · 8/10 · 16 February 2014]

The Soviet prison system might not be high on many people's lists of good starting laces for humor, but this comedy winds up being often very funny nonetheless.

This basis is a classic fish-out-of-water premise, wherein a kindly kindergarten teacher happens to look uncannily like a a notorious criminal who has collaborated in stealing a priceless Macedonian gold helmet. The authorities' plan -- only just past the boundary of realism -- is to give him a wig and some false tattoos, and enlist him to help find the helmet. And this, of course, leads to all sorts of awkward situations, which are played for a deadpan absurdity that sets a great tone.

It's also interesting for its view (through a comedy lens) of the Soviet prison system and criminal life at this time, as well as its central Asian setting. Apparently, a good amount of actual contemporary underworld slang from the time was included (which our hero has to learn like a second language). Through the humor, criminals are nonetheless treated as human characters, who are wistful at having been divorced from a normal life and family, rather than completely villainous reprobates.

A very entertaining picture in all, with both likable cops and largely likable robbers as its characters. Recommended.

Worth its Weight in Gold

[reelreviewsandrecommendations · 7/10 · 28 December 2022]

In the early 1970's, archaeologists at a dig in the USSR make an incredible find: a golden helmet that once belonged to Alexander the Great. Almost immediately, the helmet is stolen and, while the trio of criminals responsible are captured; their loot is not found. In order to find it, authorities enlist the aid of a kindly kindergarten teacher named Yevgeny Troshkin. Troshkin looks exactly like the leader of the malcontents, and goes to prison undercover among his gang to try and source the helmet. Whether or not his deception is successful, and if the missing antiquity is recovered, remains to be seen in Aleksandr Sery's 'Gentlemen of Fortune.'

Written by Georgiy Daneliya and Viktoriya Tokareva, 'Gentlemen of Fortune' is a clever crime comedy sure to keep you entertained. The story is wildly engaging, with many unpredictable moments, and rockets along at a fast pace; providing laughs all the while. It is also a film of substance, and has a heart-warming message about the importance of brotherhood at its center. Daneliya and Tokareva's characters are all compelling creations, each with their own idiosyncrasies and charms, and spending time with them is a delight. The film is traditionally played in Russia come New Year's, and holds a special place in the heart of many-a-viewer; as it just may in yours.

'Gentlemen of Fortune' is shot by Georgiy Kupriyanov, who captured brilliantly the atmosphere and realities of then-contemporary Soviet Russia. His photography of the stark streets and battered buildings is couched in the traditions of realism, producing simple, striking images that linger in the mind long after the credits have rolled. As is the case with many 70's era movies from the USSR the film is now something of a 'time capsule' look at a fascinating point in history documented oft-too infrequently by sources outside of cinema.

Many viewers incorrectly assume the film is directed by Georgiy Daneliya, not just because the screenplay and witty dialogue bears his stylistic signature, as it were. Production designer Boris Nemechek worked on many of Daneliya's movies, and his muted, naturalistic approach (especially regarding the visual aspects of the affair) was consistent on all their outings. Here, his work in conjunction with Kupriyanov's cinematography makes 'Gentlemen of Fortune' seem nothing less than absolutely authentic and- like the directorial features of Daneliya- utterly unforgettable.

Also unforgettable are the performances from the cast, especially the great Yevgeny Leonov. One of Russian cinema's all time greatest actors, Leonov was always convincing, whether as a vodka-swilling mushroom-enthusiast in 'Autumn Marathon,' as a match-obsessed alien in 'Kin-Dza-Dza!' or here, in a dual role as Troshkin the kindergarden teacher and Docent the thief. His ease of performance is incredible, and he is utterly believable and charming as both, bringing to Troshkin much dignity, decency and depth. Leading the film wonderfully, his performance is one not likely to be forgotten or disliked by any who see it.

Also of note from the cast are Georgy Vitsin and Saveliy Kramarov, playing two of Docent's fellow thieves. Vitsin plays a man nicknamed Raspy- or Sad Sack, in some versions- and turns in a performance of surprising emotional weight that is most impressive. Kramarov, as Cross-eyes, is more of the comic foil, and his goofiness will have you frequently in stitches. Additionally, Erast Garin and Radner Muratov make the most of their roles, delivering fine performances all round.

A clever comic-caper, 'Gentlemen of Fortune' is thoroughly entertaining from start to finish. With a great screenplay from Georgiy Daneliya and Viktoriya Tokareva- in addition to fine cinematography from Georgiy Kupriyanov- the picture is hard to fault. Boasting strong performances from all in the cast- especially the incomparable Yevgeny Leonov- as well as deft direction from Aleksandr Sery, 'Gentlemen of Fortune' is worth its weight in gold.

Legacy of simple and kind people

[coolbd · 8/10 · 18 January 2017]

Soldeirs of Fortune is often regarded as masterpiece of Soviet Filmmaking. However, most western viewers usually miss out on the main point that this movie tried to make. Soviet Union has big population of ex-prisoners who viewed themselves as heroes of societies of their time. During early years of Red revolution, people who were released from jails were one of the strongest segments of the "iron fist" that were essential to communism forces. The majority (that was target of communism ideology) were simple penniless people who were craving for chance to get a piece of socially acknowledged and legitimate (comparing to rich aristocratic lifestyle) equal way of life. Gentleman of Fortune presents a rich and historically important blend of mix of Soviet propaganda and effort of filmmakers to relate to prevailing audience. I was the among last generation that bears the values of shattered society.

Filmmaking has made a colossal leap in recent couple of decades, from simple relation to the audience, to trackers of trends in popular culture and views. I truly believe that it is important that future film experts would be able to fully comprehend the essence of legacy that was left to us by older generations.

Majority of western viewers will not be able to understand the humor and subtle context references that reflect nowadays dissolved soviet society. Soldiers of Fortune was primarily a comedy movie that was aimed to aggravate feelings of warmth and happiness in their customers. This movie tackles the problems of humanity and affection between individuals inside "evil" world of burglars and thieves. However, foreign viewers will be able to comprehend these references only of they have knowledge of culture and habits of filmmakers time. Therefore, as this particular movie is freely accessible in YouTube, I insist that if someone wants to fully interpret this movie, it is important to create special description of context in scenes. I would happily be able to provide these commentaries with possible collaboration of other soviet and post-soviet film experts to allow full experience to viewers of this masterpiece.

A truly classic Russian comedy

[geosochi · 10 April 2002]

This is my favorite Russian comedy, and although it is 30 years old, people still enjoy it more than most other comedies today. A satiric and witty movie that revolves around an adventurous plot. The plot is basically that a convict (Dotsent) escapes from prison and the militia (Russian police) find the criminal's lookalike, a kindergarten teacher. He goes undercover and pretends to be a criminal to help the militia find the where the real convict has hidden a stolen mask. He makes a phony escape from the prison with two others, who think he is the real Dotsent. He eventually befriends with them and they become attached, but I won't reveal the rest. From my plot review it might seem as a violent movie or something like that, but actually it is good for the entire family. The movie is entertaining throughout and if you want to see a comparison with an American equivalent, it's like a lot like Seinfeld because it's a situational comedy. If you are a fan of Russian cinematography and haven't seen this one, watch it right away because this is a true classic with some of the greatest Russian actors (see cast).

Awesome

[chubarova · 10/10 · 9 January 2021]

As soon as the New Year comes, this film is immediately shown on all TV screens in Russia, and I have a strong association with this holiday. As for the plot, it is very interesting and even a little adventurous. The convicts in this witch are presented not as villains, but as simple and even good people. Of course, such an image would not have been possible without the brilliant performance of the actors playing the main roles. Alexey Leonov, Savely Kramarov and Georgy Vitsin brilliantly coped with their work. So, it's great soviet comedy.

You need to see this masterpiece

[reivjan · 10/10 · 19 January 2022]

The plot develops rapidly from the very beginning. An ordinary kindergarten teacher, a good-natured plump uncle who adores his pupils, finds himself in an unpleasant situation: he is exactly like a recidivist thief who recently stole Macedonian's golden helmet. Out of altruistic motives, the protagonist agrees to help the investigation in finding the criminal, pretending to be the villain. Further, I advise you to watch it yourself, because one review cannot convey even a little of the atmosphere of this film. Each scene makes the viewer experience a range of emotions and tune in a positive way.

Soviet slapstick

[lee_eisenberg · 8/10 · 25 June 2016]

Aleksandr Sery's "Dzhentlmeny udachi" ("Gentlemen of Fortune" in English) is one of those movies whose purpose is to be silly. Yevgeny Leonov plays a kindergarten director who get hired to pose as the leader of a criminal gang to find out the location of a stolen helmet. I understand that Sery had previously been in jail, and so he knew what the jail scenes should look like. But mostly, the movie consists of over-the-top acting and a couple of scenes that made me think "Wait...what?!" Some of the cast members also starred in Leonid Gayday's 1967 comedy "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style" (one of the zaniest movies that I've ever seen). Basically, any one of these movies is a good time. You're sure to love it.

PS: Savely Kramarov (Fedya) eventually moved to the US where he appeared in movies such as "Moscow on the Hudson".

Every New Year Gentlemen try their luck

[alekspredator87 · 10/10 · 16 July 2022]

The tradition of watching the best Soviet films on New Year's Eve is still alive. And by the way, the work of Alexander Gray "Gentlemen of Fortune" is the most suitable for the role of a chic movie to watch at the New Year's table. After all, this is not just a comedy. This is a film that makes you think about the difficult fates of the main characters, the events that led them to where they are now. And let the humor not confuse the viewer. "Gentlemen of Fortune" is a movie in which drama is in no way inferior to comedy, but rather even takes over.

The plot is extraordinary. An ordinary kindergarten teacher turns out to be incredibly similar in appearance to a criminal who can not find out where he hid the most important relic - the golden helmet of Alexander the Great himself. And in order to find out, the operatives come up with the idea of replacing a real bandit with an educator. The latter must find out from the accomplices of the criminal where the treasured artifact was hidden.

The situation is initially comical, but the development of the plot and the masterful play of the actors makes you immerse yourself in the whole story. Each phrase in the film is so valuable that it was disassembled into catch phrases back in Soviet times. Today, such words have not lost their relevance and recognition, which, in my opinion, is a sufficient test for time.

The actors' acting is a masterpiece. They don't seem to stand out in any way, they conduct ordinary dialogues, but each character is interesting in his own way and has a certain mystery in his past.

Oblique, he is, Fedya, a bully. He tries to follow the Associate Professor, criticizes everything, thinks about how to fix life for the better. Savely Kramarov masterfully presents us with a hero who is a typical thief with his own problems and troubles.

Hmyr, he is, Gavrila, a man with a sad past who stumbled and went downhill. He seems to have been sucked into a life of thieves, and once he was a good family man, but now he does not see a return to the past.

Ali Baba, he, Vasya, actually got into this tandem by accident, running along with the others. But he is also an excellent personality revealed in the film. A person who once broke the law, and then could not get out of a difficult situation.

Evgeny Leonov plays a key role in this company. More precisely, two at once. In one, he is an exemplary kindergarten worker who is adored by colleagues and children. In another, a ruthless bandit who is ready to go to great lengths, even murder, to get his way. And in each of these roles, he perfectly conveys his characters. I watched this movie for the first time as a child. And I was sure that the Assistant Professor and Troshkin were played by two different actors, twin brothers. They even appeared in the same frame. At that time I didn't understand that cinematographers could do such things with the combination of frames. But something else is more important. The fact that Leonov was able to show both characters in such a way that the child had no doubt that they were two completely different people. I think it perfectly shows the professionalism of the actor, the ability to get used to the role.

The shots that you watch the whole movie are also beautiful. The epoch of its time, the interests of people, the images of policemen, scientists, the life of citizens of the country are perfectly shown.

The title theme is guessed from two notes. This is also a kind of test of the quality of the film. After all, music evokes certain images: a camel, the phrase "I'll tear my mouth", "don't touch anything with my hands" and the rest.

As you get older, you realize that the movie "Gentlemen of Fortune" has become one of your favorite New Year's movies, because the characters are not so comical, they are each struggling with their own problems. In other comedy films, everything is much simpler. You don't understand it as a child. Growing up, on the contrary.

"Gentlemen of Fortune" is a bright representative of the best Soviet cinema, a film that rightfully took its place in the hearts of the audience, broke into catch phrases, showed what it means to be a man.

10 out of 10.

The romance of Soviet comedies, when "He stole, drank, went to prison", is shown very funny.

[afkdoma · 10/10 · 19 January 2022]

A certain helmet was stolen, there is a certain Associate Professor and there is a certain opposite of him, which is two drops of water similar to him. This is how the story of Troshkin's incredible adventures begins, and he gets into the gang, and becomes an Associate Professor, and what is there to retell the plot known to everyone.

The magnificent and rich comedy of Alexander Seroy took over all the best traditions of comedy, as directed by Leonid Gaidai, and the film became one of the most popular films of the USSR. As Yevgeny Leonov claimed in his interviews, "Yes, we thought we were just acting in a joke," this joke has become a story that, along with Leonid Gaidai's comedies, is the most frequently reviewed.

Especially curious and interesting adventures develop under unpretentious music.

Every accidentally, or not accidentally, spoken phrase in the film became winged, and to this day this picture cannot be overlooked and it is impossible not to love.

"I'll tear my mouth", "I'll blink out", "Don't make a fire" and many other phrases have become especially popular with the mass audience, everything stuck in my head and was remembered, loved.

Special thanks

There was a lot of trouble with the selection of cement mortar for filming. Radner Muratov recalled: "The day came when they began to lower us there. A tank with an ordinary bread starter, colored with bread onion essence, rolled up. The composition was so tart, sticky ... we got out of this solution after filming and washed faster, somehow scraped it off ourselves. We look, but there is no Vitsin. It turned out that he continues to sit in the tank, because he learned that this composition of 23 medicinal herbs and prolongs youth for 15 years."

The fact is that the actors themselves knew how to joke and treated their work with respect.

Udachi

[jack_o_hasanov_imdb · 6/10 · 23 August 2021]

Since it was a Soviet movie, I found the vhs-in at my grandfather's house. My Russian is not very good, but not quite my style.

it did not work for me

[Angel_Peter · 2/10 · 25 June 2019]

Story is the classical doubleganger comedy . This time a kindergarten helper is used by the police to get stolen and hid a golden helmet back from some criminals.

I have watched old Russian comedies before and liked some a lot and liked others less. This did just not work for me. I did not find anything in the movie really funny. But it seems like a lot like it. Maybe the movie is also more fun for Russian people, But I guess sometimes comedies are also very individual what people like.

Russian lookalike comedy takes a look at the prison system

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 16 February 2017]

GENTLEMEN OF FORTUNE is another broad slice of Russian comedy that proves an interesting watch just to see how it compares to common Western attitudes and ideals. Once again the plot is an old-fashioned one and seems indebted to the style of Hollywood cinema in the 1930s. The general theme is cops and robbers with a particular look at the Russian prison system of the time.

The narrative involves your usual 'lookalike' plot in which an innocent man - a teacher this time around - just so happens to be the exact double of a notorious imprisoned criminal. The criminal previously stole a priceless historical artifact but now refuses to reveal the location, so the teacher is sent out to involve himself with the man's contacts, pose as the criminal, and retrieve it. The rest of the tale goes from there. The story is full of the usual satire, slapstick, and unusual situations, and is well made for its time.