This man showed his remarkable talent in several roles at once. He became famous as a screenwriter, and as a director, and as a cameraman. Mikhail Kalatozov was awarded prestigious awards, being also the owner of “high-profile” regalia. A lot of articles and essays have been written about him, as many as two documentaries have been shot about the vicissitudes of his life. What was the maestro’s career like? Let's consider this question in more detail.
Curriculum Vitae
Kalatozov Mikhail Konstantinovich was born in the capital of Georgia on December 28, 1903. His ancestors were representatives of the ancient princely family Amirejebi. The uncle of the future director served as a general at the king himself. It should be noted that the Kalatozov estate was often visited by representatives of the local intelligentsia, who liked to talk about the fate of the country. But then the October Revolution broke out, which made adjustments to the future fate of the boy.
Start of work
Already in 1917, Mikhail Kalatozov, whose biography, of course, deserves a separate consideration, began to earn his living. He worked as an auxiliary worker, and a worker, and a driver.
In 1923, the young man went to work for the capital's film studio, first as a driver, and then as a projectionist. Young men soon noticed the diligence and responsible attitude to the matter, and now Mikhail Kalatozov assists on the set. After some time, he was approved for the position of editor and operator. During his work at the Tbilisi film studio, the young man began to understand several professions at once, which were directly or indirectly involved in cinema.
The test ball of Kalatozov as a screenwriter was the film "The Case of Tariel Mklavadze", shot by Ivan Perestiani in 1925. After some time, Mikhail Kalatozov was already involved as a screenwriter and as an operator in the films “Gully” and “Gypsy Blood”. In fairness, it should be noted that the creator of the famous film “Cranes Are Flying” did not earn huge popularity as an actor, despite his impressive appearance, but his directorial work was filigree and workshops. Mikhail Kalatozov, whose films, undoubtedly, entered the treasury of domestic cinema, first tested himself in a new quality in the late 1920s.
Director's career
The maestro's debut work was the film "Their Kingdom", which he co-authored with Nutsa Gogobiridze. Already in this picture, Mikhail Kalatozov began to show directorial individualism, creating unique effects and angles of lighting, seeking from actors the maximum realism in characters. In the 1930s, the young man was already making a silent film called “Salt of Svaneti”, which tells about the specific life of the community.
When filming, Mikhail Konstantinovich used ethnographic material of the documentary genre, he was able to withstand some kind of expression in the change of plans, which is why this work was evaluated by film critics as excellent.
Temporary Vector Change
The era of silent cinema gradually came to naught, and the maestro was far from immediately able to catch new trends in art. In 1932, Mikhail Kalatozov creates the film “Nail in a Boot”, however, this work remains unnoticed by the viewer. The failure of the film was very painfully experienced by the Georgian director. He decides to leave work on set for a while. The maestro enters to study at the State Academy of Art Studies and subsequently becomes the head of the Tbilisi Central Film Studio. While in this position, Mikhail Kalatozov (real name is Kalatozishvili) is implementing reforms in the filming process, modernizing the equipment and working space for viewing.
However, such innovations were not liked by all representatives of the authorities, and after some time the maestro was accused of “planting bourgeois modernism”. Kalatozov goes to the city on the Neva.
Return to Director
In the late 30s, the maestro got a job at Lenfilm, where he began filming the film Courage. In 1941, another film by the director, “Valery Chkalov,” was released. Both of these films tell about the exploits of the pilots of the USSR, therefore they are a stunning success with the viewer. The film about Chkalov will be liked by film critics, and the image of the protagonist performed by Vladimir Belokurov will become a model for imitation.
Mikhail Kalatozov, whose photo after the release of Valery Chkalov will be published by all the central newspapers, invited eminent actors Serafim Birman, Arkady Raikin, and Mark Bernes to work in films about pilots. The maestro was no less popular with the film “Invincible”, which he shot together with the famous director Sergei Gerasimov in 1942.
Work abroad
In 1943, director Mikhail Kalatozov will be transferred to an administrative post and temporarily sent to the bourgeois USA. Here he will serve as the authorized representative of the Soviet Film Committee. It was abroad that fate would confront him with eminent lyceum of the XX century - Charlie Chaplin, Jean Gabin, Henri Matisse.
From the USA, the maestro will bring modern equipment for filming a movie and will already work at the Mosfilm film studio. Subsequently, he will occupy the post of head of the Directorate for Artistic Cinematography, and then the responsible post of Deputy Minister of Cinematography of the Soviet Union. However, Mikhail Konstantinovich will pay great attention to the director's activities.
Continuing to work as a director
In the 50s, Kalatozov’s next film entitled “Conspiracy of the Doomed” based on the play by N. Virta was shown on Soviet screens. For this work, the maestro was awarded the Stalin Prize. Then he shot the film "Hostile Whirlwinds", which is filled with serious political overtones. In 1954, the director finished work on the satirical comedy "Faithful Friends", which is still loved by the domestic audience of the older generation. And, of course, it is worth noting separately the Soviet cinema masterpiece “Cranes are Flying”, the creation of which Mikhail Konstantinovich worked in 1957.
This humanistic story about the struggle for peace has become a classic of Soviet cinema. In 1964, the viewer saw the film "I am Cuba," a script for which Kalatozov wrote together with the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko. The maestro's last film was Red Tent (1969). In the center of the plot is the story of the rescue of the polar expedition of Umberto Nobile.
Personal life
The famous director, who received the title of People's Artist of Georgia in 1965, and in 1969 - the title of People's Artist of the USSR, was married to the daughter of Italian Consul Jeanne Valaci. Their acquaintance took place during a vacation in Batumi. In the late 1920s, the maestro had a son, George, who subsequently continued his father's dynasty. The spouse shortly after birth received the citizenship of the Georgian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic. However, the marriage union of Mikhail Konstantinovich with a foreigner after some time broke up: the director left Georgia, and Jeanne and her son remained in Tiflis.
According to the recollections of his grandson, Kalatozov, despite a difficult break with his family, was a happy person, because he was able to achieve everything that he wanted from life. While in the Northern capital, the director passionately fell in love with actress Elena Junger, but they were not destined to be together. Mikhail Konstantinovich died on March 26, 1973, and he was buried in the Novodevichy cemetery of the capital.