Charodei

{{Short description|1982 television film by Konstantin Bromberg}}

{{Infobox television

| image = DVD-Charodei.jpg

| caption = DVD cover

| writer = Arkady Strugatsky
Boris Strugatsky{{cite web |url=http://www.bookol.ru/dokumentalnaya_literatura_main/dokumentalnaya_literatura/20554.htm |script-title=ru:Off-line интервью с Борисом Стругацким |trans-title=Off-line interview with Boris Strugatsky |website=Bookol.ru |language=ru |date=13 June 1998 – 26 December 2000 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130416151723/http://www.bookol.ru/dokumentalnaya_literatura_main/dokumentalnaya_literatura/20554.htm |archive-date=16 April 2013}}

| director = Konstantin Bromberg

| starring = Aleksandra Yakovleva
Aleksandr Abdulov
Yekaterina Vasilyeva
Valentin Gaft
Yevgeny Vesnik
Valery Zolotukhin

| music = Yevgeni Krylatov

| country = Soviet Union

| language = Russian

| producer = Lyudmila Pozdnyakova

| cinematography = Konstantin Opryatin{{cite news |last=Veligzhanina |first=Anna |url=https://www.kp.ru/daily/23190/25748/ |script-title=ru:На съёмках фильма над киногруппой кружил НЛО! |trans-title='Charodei': UFO circled over the film crew during filming! |newspaper=Komsomolskaya Pravda |language=ru |date=9 January 2004}}

| editor = Nadezhda Yavorskaya

| runtime = 160 minutes

| company = Odessa Film Studio

| network = Soviet Central Television

| released = {{Start date|1982|12|31|df=yes}}

}}

Charodei ({{langx|ru|«Чародеи»||Enchanters, Sorcerers, Magicians}}, {{langx|uk|«Чарівники»}}) is a 1982 Soviet romantic fantasy musical comedy television film directed by Konstantin Bromberg.{{cite web |url=https://www.domkino.tv/news/9846 |script-title=ru:9 интересных фактов о фильме «Чародеи» |trans-title=9 Interesting Facts About the Film 'Charodei' |language=ru |publisher=Dom Kino |date=22 December 2017}} The film premiered on Soviet Central Television on 31 December 1982.{{cite news |last=Veligzhanina |first=Anna |url=https://www.kp.ru/daily/24617.3/784004/ |script-title=ru:«Чародеи»: Гафт чуть не придушил Яковлеву, а группа устроила ей бойкот |trans-title='Charodei': Gaft almost strangled Yakovleva, and the group boycotted her |newspaper=Komsomolskaya Pravda |language=ru |date=29 December 2010 |access-date=27 January 2025 |quote={{lang|ru|В ночь на 31 декабря 1982 года Центральное телевидение показало премьеру – новогоднюю комедию «Чародеи», ставшую одной из любимых у советских зрителей}} |trans-quote=On the night of 31 December 1982, Central Television showed the premiere – the New Year's comedy Charodei, which became one of the favorites of Soviet viewers}}

Plot summary

Ivan Puhov (Abdulov) is in love with a very kind and friendly girl, Alyona (Yakovleva). Alyona works as a witch in a research institution that researches magic called NUINU (Scientific Universal Institute of Extraordinary Services, a NIICHAVO subsidiary in Kitezhgrad; for NIICHAVO see Monday Begins on Saturday). The couple are about to get married when Alyona's jealous and scheming co-worker, Sataneev (Gaft), tricks Alyona's boss, Kira Shemahanskaya (Vasilyeva), the institute director, into putting a spell on Alyona. The spell makes Alyona undergo a severe personality change, become unable to control her actions, and forget about Ivan. Alyona's colleagues, Viktor and Foma, notice a changes in her behavior and try to figure out a way to break the curse while simultaneously protecting the institution's latest research development, a magic wand.

Cast

Aleksandra Yakovleva as Alyona Igorevna Sanina "Alyonushka"
Aleksandr Abdulov as Ivan Sergeevich Puhov "Ivanushka"
Yekaterina Vasilyeva as Kira Anatolyevna Shemahanskaya (vocal by Zhanna Rozhdestvenskaya)
Valentin Gaft as Apollon Mitrofanovich Sataneev
Yevgeny Vesnik as chairman of the commission
Valery Zolotukhin as Ivan Stepanovich Kivrin
Emmanuil Vitorgan as Viktor Kovrov
Mikhail Svetin as Foma Ostapovich Bryl
Roman Filippov as Yuliy Tsezarevich Kamneyedov
Anna Ashimova as Nina Puhova, Ivan's sister
Semyon Farada as The Guest from South
Leonid Kharitonov as Amatin, Ivan's boss

Production

The film was initially written by brothers Boris and Arkady Strugatsky as adaptation of their 1965 science fantasy novel Monday Begins on Saturday. But Bromberg turned down the script due to its serious tone and social commentary, and the Strugatskys had to rewrite their script as a light-hearted romantic comedy. As a result, the movie bore almost no resemblance to the book besides the setting and several characters' names. History later repeated itself with another film by Sokurov Days of Eclipse (Dni zatmeniya).

The film became a classic Soviet New Year's Eve romantic comedy, similar to Irony of Fate (Ironiya sud'by) and The Carnival Night (Karnavalnaya noch).

Film soundtrack

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| video1 = [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_88vbnWAOg Don't Believe What They Say]
("Говорят, а ты не верь")}}

Film soundtrack includes many classical Soviet songs (some of them romantic), written by Yevgeni Krylatov and Leonid Derbenyov, including:

"A woman's Enigma" ({{langx|ru|Загадка женщины}}) performed by {{ill|Irina Otieva|ru|Отиева, Ирина Адольфовна}}
"Three White Horses" (Три белых коня) performed by Larisa Dolina
"A Song About A Snowflake" (Песня о снежинке) performed by {{ill|Olga Rozhdestvenskaya|ru|Рождественская, Ольга Сергеевна}} and VIA {{ill|Dobrie Molodtsy|ru|Добры молодцы}}
"Witch-River" (Ведьма-речка) performed by Irina Otieva
"A Song About a Suit" (Песенка про костюмчик) performed by Emmanuil Vitorgan and Mikhail Svetin
"Imagine That" (Представь себе) performed by Aleksandr Abdulov
"Time to Sleep" (Спать пора) performed by Mikhail Svetin
"Serenade" (Серенада) performed by original cast members
"Centaurs" (Кентавры) performed by Dobrie Molodtsy
"By The Mirror" (Подойду я к зеркалу) performed by Zhanna Rozhdestvenskaya
"You Can't Command Your Heart" (Только сердцу не прикажешь) performed by Zhanna Rozhdestvenskaya and Vladislav Lynkovskiy
"Don't Believe What They Say" (Говорят, а ты не верь) performed by original cast members