The first Soviet blockbuster action movie was directed and directed by Boris Durov in a creative alliance with the famous screenwriter and playwright Stanislav Govorukhin. Thanks to their professionalism, the domestic audience was able to see the picture “Pirates of the 20th Century”. Actors involved in the filming process became popular in no time.
The highest grossing and most criticized
The best indicator of the popularity of the picture is dry statistics. According to experts, only in the first year of rental, the film was watched by 90 million inhabitants. Which is not surprising, because the unhampered Soviet audience was surprised. The action of the tape famously unfolds in the vast oceanic expanses. Pirates attracted attention with their exotic appearance and possession of martial arts unprecedented in the USSR.
In fact, the actors of the film “Pirates of the 20th Century” were exclusively Soviet artists, and the filming process took place in the waters of the Black and Azov Seas. The movie was shot and edited back in 1979. Representatives of the censorship of the Komsomol Central Committee called the film "ideologically harmful" and sent it "on the shelf." But by a lucky chance, a daredevil was found who sent the film directly to Brezhnev's cottage. He was so inspired by the idea that he ordered a movie to be released on a wide screen. The audience tumbled into the cinema. So the triumph of the action movie “Pirates of the 20th Century” took place. Actors, photos of which were adorned by the leaders of Soviet print media, became recognizable and loved by the viewer.
Based on real events.
The plot of the action movie was based on real events. Before the premiere of the film “Pirates of the 20th Century”, the Soviet cinema viewer did not see such drama, intensity of passions, tense moments and action scenes (fights, shootings, stunts).
The actors and roles of the picture were perfectly matched:
- the captain of "Nezhin" the severe sea wolf Ivan Ilyich performed by Peter Velyaminov;
- senior mechanic, brave brave man Sergei (actor Nikolai Eremenko Jr.);
- boatswain Matveevich (Tadeush Kasyanov) ;
- charming barmaid Masha (actress Natalya Khorokhorina);
- librarian Aina, embodied on the screen by Maya Eglite.
Actors have become idols of hundreds of thousands of residents of the USSR and neighboring countries.
Without understudies and stuntmen
Despite the colorful casting in the film “Pirates of the 20th Century” (the actors did not deny this fact), the main face of the film was the senior mechanic Sergey - a character embodied on the screen by the wonderful actor Nikolai Eremenko. The senior mechanic appeared before the viewer as a real exemplary Russian peasant, able to stand up for the Fatherland, the entrusted ship and his chosen one.
After the release of the picture for hire, Nikolai steadily gained fame for the domestic superman and sex symbol. The actor performed absolutely all the stunts on his own, because of this recklessness he almost died. During the shooting of the episode in which the hero jumps from a cliff to the deck of a ship, Eremenko almost pulled under the screw blades. So, due to desperate courage and ardor, the film “Pirates of the 20th Century” could not be completed. Actors involved in the movie sometimes did not think about the consequences of their own folly.
Film opponent
Another confirmation is actor Talgat Nigmatulin, who played the role of the brutal pirate leader Saleh. The artist was born in Kyrgyzstan, but due to the fact that his facial features were graceful and sophisticated, he was quite similar to a native of foreign eastern countries. It was Nigmatulin who perfectly demonstrated the art of karate in the cinema, which he studied from early childhood, and became the champion of Uzbekistan in his youth. Talgat and Nikolai in reality were bosom friends, but in the film they were film opponents, so they really fought. The consequences are still having an effect. During filming, the elbow joints were knocked out from the actors, and the pelvic bones were injured. Unfortunately, the starring role of the bloodthirsty pirate was the first and last in the career of Nigmatulin. 5 years after the release of the film, he died tragically.
Tadeusz Kasyanov, a recognized master of oriental martial arts, became a combat director and a consultant to the film “Pirates of the 20th Century” (the actors implicitly obeyed a professional). He played the role of boatswain.
The first Soviet action movie “Pirates of the Twentieth Century” serves as the clearest proof that a good film does not need a lot of special effects. Enough quality directing, full dedication of the actors and wonderful music.