35 years ago, back in 1981, a very kind and even instructive film “Once 20 Years Later” was released on Soviet screens. The actors who starred in it, in the morning woke up not only famous, they woke up famous. Of course, many before that were already very popular, but it was after these shootings that the audience fell in love with them even more. The main characters were the characters of Natalya Gundareva and Viktor Proskurin, but even Elena Borzunova (one of the pillars of dubbing Russia), who at that time was still a child, made a contribution to the creation of this picture.
Story line. A meeting...
After the last bell rang, as many as twenty years passed. And once, on a telecast about graduates, there are former classmates of the main character - Nadezhda Kruglova.
These were the first shots of the amazing, simple, but emotionally filled film “Once Upon a Time 20 Years Later”. The actors that make up the team were of different ages, but this made the story only more interesting.
Many of the graduates of this class have achieved amazing successes during this time: they became scientists, naval sailors, musicians, major bosses, avant-garde architects, television presenters, astronomers ... But “smart, excellent student and warden” Nadyusha Kruglova simply created a strong family and gave birth ten daughters and little sons. And it is about her, about her family that will be discussed in the film Once Upon a Time 20 Years Later. The actors and the roles played by them in this film reflected the relationship between adults and children, as well as the attitude of the public towards large families.
Story line. How to answer a question?
Each of the graduates should give short answers to two seemingly simple questions about what was most important in his life and what else they all expect from their life. The same is asked of Nadezhda. But she, a large mother-heroine with ten children, cannot unequivocally answer, because she is firmly convinced that her life does not consist of non-principal moments.
This is how viewers see the film Once Upon a Time 20 Years Later. The actors and the roles played by them in the film were loved by everyone from the very first minutes.
The story is made up of touching memories of the main character - Nadia, who is trying to find the answer to her questions. And these memories contain both the experiences of daughters and sons, when they reached adolescence, and the worries of parents about the upbringing of younger children. But the main thing in the film is a look at the world of a woman who gave birth to so many children, at her mental reasoning, memories, experiences. And although in her life there are many problems associated with the upbringing of each of them, she remains a Woman, beloved, caring and desirable.
Real life and movie set
Knowing almost by heart every replica of the main characters - Kruglov, every on-screen minute of this story, it seems amazing how the actors were able to play all this, because these images are very far from their real lives. And still the picture “Once 20 Years Later” turned out to be very sincere. Actors were able to convey all the emotional intensity and sincere warmth of the main characters.
In the film, Natalia Gundareva and Viktor Proskurin were husband and wife, who lived together for many years. In real life, they never had one family for two. In the film, they are engaged in raising ten children. And behind the screen, they went through six marriages for two and there was only one child. But the screenwriter Arkady Inin was not at all embarrassed by such a difference, because in the role of Nadi he initially saw only Gundareva. True, the director secretly conducted tests of other applicants, but it soon became clear that Inin was right.
This is how the casting took place in the film Once Upon a Time 20 Years Later. The actors employed in it, and many years later with special warmth, remember the time spent on the set.
But two questions still remain unanswered: whether the actress looked like her prototype and how, without children, she played a mother with many children in such a beautiful and touching way. Yes, indeed, Nadia Kruglova, her husband and their on-screen children had a prototype. This was the Kuchin family, whose story Inin took as the basis of the script. And here is the second question ... Once upon a time, she was too curious about her childlessness, too curious journalist and asked directly in the forehead. For Gundareva, the children's theme was always painful, but she passed the test with honor, explaining that children just need to be loved and sincerely show this love on the screen.
The theme of motherhood in Soviet cinema
This film with special ease can be attributed to the category of paintings about Soviet motherhood and childhood. You watch and quite realistically feel the honey flowing through your lips, with which the authors of the film heartily endowed the tape itself and all the characters. They didn’t do it on purpose, it was the usual style of filming Soviet cinema of that period: a little truth, a little life difficulties - so that everything could be overcome if you wanted and tried.
Mother, especially with many children, always and everywhere was not very easy. But the main character of this film, Nadezhda, has always been firmly moving towards her goal (the next baby), with great love and quite consciously. It may seem strange today, but her constant, every minute support was her honest, modest, non-drinker and very kind husband Kirill. Actors of the movie Once Upon a Time 20 Years (Natalya Gundareva and Viktor Proskurin) managed to convey that sincere love, touching concern for each other to this married couple, who were able to carry their feelings through the years of marriage and certain difficulties of life.