“Was there love?” Review of the movie “Love of the Soviet Union”

On November 7, the film “Love for the Soviet Union” starring Angelina Strechina and Roman Vasiliev was released. And although the creators assure that the images of the heroes are collective and only partially inspired by the biographies of real personalities, namely the star of “Hearts of Four” Valentina Serova and the most famous poet of wartime Konstantin Simonov, the similarities are sometimes so obvious that it is clear why this commercial trick was needed not. And perhaps fewer questions about the plot may arise, as in a biographical film or investigation about the life of the intelligentsia in Soviet times. Because the film contains all the good and bad that exists in Russian cinema.

The picture begins promisingly; With a parade that looks like something out of a glossy Soviet-era postcard. The authors spared no expense in depicting how cheerful the people of that period viewed the present and the future. In general, Lokshin’s retrofuturism in the spirit of “The Master and Margarita” and the game Atomic Heart with zeppelins and monumental buildings (by the way, it is expected to be based on a series) are fascinating. It may even create a phantom nostalgia for the younger generation for an era they never experienced but have irrevocably lost. However, when we turn from heaven to earth, we understand that such a Moscow, where the main action takes place, is seen by no more than 2% of people – party elites, bohemians and heroes of the Soviet Union. Moreover, this was 1938; The pre-war period when Stalinist repressions intensified with all their might.

At the center of the plot is the young and talented actress Galya, who, despite the intrigues of envious people and tragic events, will easily and even advantageously get out of any ups and downs with the grace of a Mary Sue. First, the girl is accused of contact with a disgraced playwright, an enemy of the people, and envious colleagues are trying to push the first actress of the theater from her pedestal, but she comes – a man in a formal suit, with a bouquet of flowers. The flowers are ready to solve all her problems. He is not just a fan, but also the Hero of the Soviet Union, the public’s favorite, Stalin’s favored pilot Anatoly Kovrov (played by Kirill Kuznetsov). Kovrov proposes to the girl, which instantly saves her reputation. The modest girl becomes a superstar, whom he spoils with gifts, drives around Moscow in a Spanish car and entertains with plane flights over the Kremlin.

The couple shine at their reception with Stalin (Alexander Ustyugov), who first scolds them in a fatherly manner and then gives them a servant-staffed apartment in an exclusive building. Leaving aside all these incredible events, it is clear that the husband of this ideal man is none other than the pilot Anatoly Serov, the second (and in the story, the first) husband of the famous Soviet actress Valentina. his surname. The man also died tragically, but in reality, four months after his death, the actress had a son. And if in life Anatoly Serov was clearly the great love of the artist, then in the movie there is no such chemistry. One gets the feeling that the heroine is bowing to the pressure of an intelligent man who is her savior, but that’s all.

Her relationship with playwright Kirill Tumanov, whom she married to escape gossip and loneliness, is completely different. He will become the great love of her life from a suitable option who clearly does not reach her level, but she realizes this much later. In reality, the relationship between Serova and Konstantin Simonov, on which Tumanov was based, was not at all simple: she loved him more, she was betrayed, and the actress herself suffered from unrequited love for Marshal Rokossovsky.

And, as expected, the real fate of Valentina Serova is much shorter than what the authors of the film suggest. It so happened that, despite all the dramatic events that took place, the story of great love turned out to be neither romantic nor tragic. You don’t want to empathize with the heroes because they are just a function. Of course, you can evaluate everything that happens to the heroine differently – the death of her husband, slander, illness, attempted rape.

But compared to ordinary people of that time, Galina lived a wonderful life.

The woman was surrounded by first-tier men who were ready to throw everything under her feet, the people adored her, the state and personally the leader of the country granted her privileges. Why was he so lucky? What was the main element missing from this story that made her different from other actresses? Perhaps this is designed so that every girl imagines herself in her place and believes that “everything is possible”, but against the background of events this naivety looks alien. Because the story does not rise to the level of a fairy tale, but at the same time, it does not have the sympathy of being a drama, biography or historical film. Perhaps this is the real disappointment – there was not enough love in “Love of the Soviet Union”.

On the one hand, all heroes visually correspond to their time types. Angelina Strechina perfectly fits the image of Soviet-era movie stars. Some contemporaries considered Valentina Serova cold and calculating, others reckless and passionate. Even in moments of joy and happiness, Galina looked cold and indifferent.

True, this type of woman is often found in Russian cinema – even beautiful, rich, famous and beloved heroes look offended and sad. Proof of this is the scene of Galina’s meeting with the heroine Sofia Ernst, for whom another film icon of the era, Lyubov Orlova, is guessed. It would seem that these women are on equal footing – folk artists who are admired by men, the leader and the whole country in general. They have nothing to share but still compete with each other. Moreover, they were both neighbors, but they almost never talked to each other.

We are shown the country’s most successful women who, despite their beauty, popularity, wealth and attention, remain unsatisfied and hostile. And despite all the privileges, I don’t want to be in their shoes. I don’t want to be around them. Why can’t we find an example of female friendship in Russian cinema? A sincere friendship based on interests, not just on the search for a man or the desire to have a friend to look advantageous given his background. After all, women do not live their lives just by gossiping about men and visiting fortune tellers. There are certainly happy and cheerful women in Russia.

At the same time, the most attractive thing in the film remains the relationship between the main characters Galina and Konstantin.

With the beginning of the war, they became really close to each other. Here the audience will experience heart-warming moments such as the reading of the poem “Wait for Me”. If at first the heroine of Strechina clung to him so as not to be alone, then in separation she begins to appreciate her second husband more. In general, their love story is very reminiscent of the duet of Edward Norton and Naomi Watts in the film adaptation of The Painted Veil. Unlike her first husband, whom Galina met when he was already a Union hero, Konstantin was not so famous. He had to change a lot about himself, starting from the way he dressed, and he had to experience the hardships of war in order to grow up. Perhaps this gives hope for a happy future, despite the fact that the fate of their prototypes was completely different.