"Seventeen Moments of Spring" - Soviet classic film. The film consists of twelve episodes. He starred for almost four years, and his show was dedicated to Victory Day 1973.
Plot
The picture is based on the novel by Julian Semenov. In the film Seventeen Moments of Spring, the actors embody both real historical characters and fictional ones.
The action takes place within a month and a half in 1945. The protagonist is the Standartenfuhrer Stirlitz, a Soviet intelligence officer, rooted in the highest circles of the German government.
Some members of the Security Service suspect Shtirlitsa, and surveillance begins. At this time, the scout fulfills the task of the Soviet leadership, finding out which of the German elite is negotiating with the United States on reconciliation.
Stirlitz radio operators fall under fire in their own home. Erwin Keen dies on the spot, and his wife Catherine is taken to the hospital, where she starts giving birth. At this time, she gives herself out. Being unconscious, screaming in pain in Russian. She is immediately arrested.
Stirlitz is looking for other ways to transmit information to Moscow. He also has to solve several of the most important tasks: firstly, to ward off suspicion, secondly, to complete the mission entrusted to the Soviet Union, and thirdly, to save Katherine.
Casting
For the film "Seventeen Moments of Spring" the actors were selected very carefully. Despite the fact that most of the artists were already recognized masters, they passed tests on a par with everyone. So, L. Kuravlev and L. Bronevoy claimed the role of Hitler, however, they failed.
As a result, the first played the role of Kurt Eisman, and the second - the gruppenführer Müller. Hitler was played by German actor Fritz Diez.
Many actors in the film "Seventeen Moments of Spring" were not like their original characters. This, however, did not concern Oleg Tabakov, who was a copy of Walter Schellenberg. He even received a letter from the relatives of the German with gratitude for the role played.
Faina Ranevskaya was invited to the role of Frau Zaurich, who, after reading the script, refused indignantly.
Main roles
Most of our compatriots call the Seventeen Moments of Spring the best war film. The actors and their roles are so loved by the viewer that it is difficult to imagine the absence of this picture on television.
The main roles in the film were:
- Vyacheslav Tikhonov. His character, Stirlitz, is a Soviet intelligence agent operating behind enemy lines.
- Leonid Kuravlev. He played Aisman, who had long worked with Stirlitz hand in hand and did not even suspect that he was hiding something.
- Yuri Vizbor. His hero was Martin Bormann. The one to whom the scout goes for help.
- Nikolai Prokopovich. He played Himmler, who is the initiator of negotiations with the United States.
- Mikhail Zharkovsky. His character Kaltenbrunner was the first to suspect Stirlitz of treason.
- Vasily Lanovoi. He played the delegate in the negotiations of Karl Wolf.
- Ekaterina Gradova. Her heroine radio operator Kat nearly ruined Stirlitz.
- Leonid Bronevoy. He played the role of Mueller.
- Oleg Tabakov. His Schellenberg was the immediate superior of the Russian intelligence. He owns one famous phrase that has already become popular: "He knew too much."
- Rostislav Plyatt. He played pastor Schlag, the new connected Stirlitz.
- Evgeny Evstigneev. His character Pleischner died during a scout mission.
In the film "Seventeen Moments of Spring", the actors were under the strict guidance of the director of the picture Tatyana Lioznova.
Minor roles
It should be noted that the cast of the picture was quite large. In the film "Seventeen Moments of Spring" the actors of even secondary roles were recognizable and already loved in the country. Participation in such a large-scale project only improved their reputation. An example would be:
- Valentine Gaft. Played Gevernitsa, an employee of Dallas (negotiating from the United States).
- Nikolay Gritsenko. He played the general with whom Stirlitz is talking on the train. An interesting fact is that during the filming, the actor had memory problems, he could not remember his text. He read it from the sheet that was behind Stirlitz. Therefore, Gritsenko and Tikhonov are practically not visible in one frame.
- Lev Durov. Played an agent named Klaus.
- Svetlana Svetlichnaya. Played by Gaby Nabeul.
The film "Seventeen Moments of Spring", the actors and roles in which were brilliant, became for the USSR and Russia a real classic of war cinema.