Neokonchennaya pesa dlya mekhanicheskogo pianino (1977)

Early in the 20th century, family and friends gather at the country estate of a general's widow, Anna Petrovna. Sofia, the new wife of Anna's step-son, recognizes Misha, the brother-in-law ... See full summary »

Director:

Nikita Mikhalkov

Writers:

Aleksandr Adabashyan (as A. Adabashyan), Anton Chekhov (play)

Stars:

Aleksandr Kalyagin, Elena Solovey, Evgeniya Glushenko

2 wins & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
Aleksandr Kalyagin	...	Mikhail Vassilyevich Platonov
Elena Solovey	...	Sophia Yegorovna
Evgeniya Glushenko	...	Sashenka
Antonina Shuranova	...	Anna Petrovna Voinitseva
Yuriy Bogatyryov	...	Sergey Pavlovich Voinitsev
Oleg Tabakov	...	Pavel Petrovich Shcherbuk
Nikolai Pastukhov	...	Porfiry Semyonovich Glagolyev
Pavel Kadochnikov	...	Ivan Ivanovich Triletsky
Nikita Mikhalkov	...	Nikolai Ivanovich Triletsky
Anatoliy Romashin	...	Gerasim Kuzmich Petrin
Natalya Nazarova	...	Verochka
Kseniya Minina	...	Lizochka
Sergey Nikonenko	...	Yakov
Sergei Guryev	...	Petechka (as Seryozha Guryev)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
S. Bachkyrova

Storyline

Early in the 20th century, family and friends gather at the country estate of a general's widow, Anna Petrovna. Sofia, the new wife of Anna's step-son, recognizes Misha, the brother-in-law of one of the widow's admirers: a few years before, they had been idealistic lovers and now she can't believe he has settled for a dim wife and a job as a teacher. Amidst parlor games and idle talk of women's rights and peasants' capabilities, Sofia and Misha rekindle their love. Will they flaunt convention, abandon families, and run away to pursue lost dreams? Rescue comes from an unexpected place.

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Plot Keywords:

love | russia | upper class | old love | thirty something | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

5 September 1977 (Soviet Union)

Also Known As:

Platanov

Company Credits

Production Co:

Inter Allianz Film, Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Goofs

In a scene towards the end of the film where Platonov storms down a hallway, he walks past a person just to his right who is clearly a crew member wearing modern clothing and holding a piece of equipment.

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Connections

Version of BBC Play of the Month: Platonov (1971)

User Reviews

One of the top-ten masterpieces of all time

Ask any moviegoer worth his or her bread (and I mean REALLY worth it!): "Unfinished Play for Mechanic Piano" is definitely one of the best ten movies ever made (I knew a very competent and cultured actor, the late Vistrian Roman, who declared it THE BEST of it all - and I could find no arguments to contradict him... Only a matter of personal taste makes me place on the top Tarkovsky's "Stalker"). Fact is that, as a few other admirers stated above, this Tchekhovian masterpiece IS INDEED PERFECT. Every detail is at its place, the structure is admirably built, the pervasive reality of the estate gradually grows to become unbearable, the characters are incredibly complex and deep (and, of course, played by a crew of genius actors!), and the photography is simply an ongoing series of paintworks.

I saw it for the... seventh time? Or maybe was it the eleventh?... a few days ago - and it made me laugh MORE than even, in the beginning, only to make me cry WORSE than ever in the end. It was hard for me, then, to hold the cinematographic culture course, and talk to my pupils, with a dry knot in my throat... This movie's emotional power is simply irresistible, and the philosophic content, abysmal... Once you see it, once you UNDERSTAND IT, your world will never be the same.