The Chairman (1964 film)
{{short description|1964 film}}
{{Infobox film
| name = The Chairman
| image = The_Chairman_(1964_film).jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| director = Aleksei Saltykov
| producer =
| writer = Yuri Nagibin
| narrator =
| starring = Mikhail Ulyanov
Ivan Lapikov
Nonna Mordyukova
Vyacheslav Nevinnyy
Valentina Vladimirova
| music = Aleksandr Kholminov
| cinematography = Vladimir Nikolayev
| editing =
| studio = Mosfilm
| distributor = Soyuzkino
| released = {{Film date|1964|12|28}}
| runtime = 166 minutes
| country = Soviet Union
| language = Russian
| budget =
| gross =
}}
The Chairman ({{langx|ru|Председатель|Predsedatel}}) is a 1964 Soviet drama film directed by Aleksei Saltykov and starring Mikhail Ulyanov, Nonna Mordyukova and Ivan Lapikov.{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema|author=Peter Rollberg|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|year=2009|place=US|ISBN=978-0-8108-6072-8|pages=131-132}} This film was honored with a Second Prize at All-Union Film Festival in Kiev (1966).{{cite web|title=The Chairman.|url=http://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/movie/sov/5576/annot/|publisher=kino-teatr.ru|language=Russian|accessdate=October 29, 2009}}
After World War II ends, soldier Yegor Trubnikov comes back to his native village to restore the ruined collective farm facilities. Rebuilding the kolkhoz is as hard for him as fighting the war. Becoming chairman, he charges himself with the burden of responsibility not only for the collective farm business, but also for the destiny of the people who are so close to him.
Plot
After returning from the battlefields of the Great Patriotic War, veteran Yegor Trubnikov comes back to his native village to rebuild the devastated kolkhoz farm. The village is in ruins, populated primarily by widows and women who have lost their husbands to the war, and the community is grappling with extreme poverty. Determined to restore normalcy, Trubnikov takes charge as the kolkhoz chairman, applying his military experience to the challenges of post-war rural life.
Trubnikov leads the kolkhoz with a commanding and sometimes controversial approach. He pushes the villagers to work tirelessly to revive the farm, often treating the effort like a military campaign. He is forced to make tough decisions, including whom to send to study in the city and whom to keep in the village, creating conflicts within the community. His methods, though harsh, aim to uplift the kolkhoz and prevent further despair.
Amidst the struggles, Trubnikov faces resistance from bureaucratic authorities and skepticism from his own people. Despite these challenges, he perseveres, transforming the kolkhoz and inspiring hope in the villagers. His leadership becomes a symbol of resilience and determination in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Trivia
The film (quite unusually for a Soviet movie) contains performance of a Christian religious hymn, Nearer, My God, to Thee (at 32nd minute).
Cast
- Mikhail Ulyanov as Yegor Trubnikov
- Ivan Lapikov as Semyon Trubnikov
- Nonna Mordyukova as Donya Trubnikova
- Vyacheslav Nevinny as Pavel Markushev
- Valentina Vladimirova as Polina Korshikova
- Kira Golovko as Nadya
- Arkadi Trusov as Ignat Zakharovich
- Vladimir Gulyaev as Ramenkov, District Party Instructor
- Antonina Bogdanova as Praskovya
- Aleksandr Kashperov as Shiryaev, Blacksmith
- Aleksei Krychenkov as Alyoshka Trubnikov
- Larisa Blinova as Liza
- Nikolay Parfyonov as Klyagin, First Secretary of the District Party Committee
- Aleksandr Galchenkov as Boris
- Vladimir Etush as Colonel Kaloyev
- Sergei Kurilov as Kochetkov
- Sergei Blinnikov as Serdyukov
- Mikhail Kokshenov as Misha
- Yelizaveta Kuzyurina as Motya Postnikova
- Varvara Popova as Samokhina
- Vitali Solomin as Valyozhin, Physician
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb title|0058489|The Chairman}}
- [http://www.kino-teatr.ru/kino/movie/sov/5576/annot The Chairman. Kino-teatr.ru] {{in lang|ru}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chairman, The}}
Category:1960s Russian-language films
Category:Soviet black-and-white films
Category:Soviet World War II films
Category:Russian-language drama films
Category:Films set in the 1940s
Category:Films based on works by Yuri Nagibin
Category:Films directed by Alexey Saltykov
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