im confused a little. How can so many people like this movie. He proposes to a girl. He is in love. Than he meets another one in a different city. He doesnt have the strength to turn around and run back home to his girl. Instead he forgets the girl that he was gonna marry and instead starts new relationship with a new one. Within 48 hour period he dumps his fiance for another one. thats not love.
shareYou speak as Ippolit in this film :) He said the same.
shareoh..i didnt even notice:) but still, im curious what other people think. Strong willed person can fall in love, but still have enough will power to pull himself out of this and go back. You give yourself to one girl, everything, only to take that away (ask it back) and give it within 48 hours to another.
shareMy mother doesn't like this film for this very reason. Well, the other reason is that she's not fond of Myagkov.
To me it doesn't matter. I like the film because of Ryazanov's wonderful soft touch, the witty screenplay, the song interludes, the women and the way Ryazanov evokes the feel of New Year's in Soviet Russia. The dialogue is possibly the part that doesn't come through in translation - this has superb dialogue.
I'm glad people are watching these, but, yes, not everyone loves this film. Either way I think it's refreshing that the film doesn't end predictably. Hollywood wouldn't allow for this type of ending.
Dont get me wrong I kinda liked this film in one way, it was very entertaining and different. I was sucked in. I guess i enjoyed watching it. But I just didnt understand why people thought so highly of this movie.
I was just thinking philosophically thats all. I guess you cant really say much about a man who falls in love with one woman only to forget, fall in love with another and dump the old one.
Its a fairy tale. A fantasy. It a movie. Don't think too hard about it.
shareI think there is a very good reason for this.
Ryazanov makes sure you can see the cracks in Zhenya and Galya's relationship. While one can assume that Zhenya was meek far before he met his fiancee, Galya is constantly calling him silly and stupid, further eroding his self-esteem. She's also emotionally manipulative, hinting that if Zhenya doesn't agree to her wishes to uninvite the Katyanovs, she might spend the New Year with another man.
Zhenya puts up with it because he thinks that this is his last chance to get married and be socially respectable. In fact, before they meet each other, Zhenya and Nadya ran their lives on the assumption that it is more important to be socially respectable than to be happy.
I realize that this might be a very Western way of looking at the movie. But to me the movie itself seems to be based in a more typically Western outlook. The protagonists in Ironiya Sudby eventually reject conforming to a social ideal and strive for individual fulfillment. I'm surprised the Party didn't jump all over the script. And I'm infinitely glad that it didn't, because I absolutely love this film!
i don't really agree with the whole 'socially acceptable' view. there was nothing in the movie to indicate that either zhenya or nadya were 'unhappy' or felt forced into their previous relationships. and even if they did, what right does that give them to break someone's heart and throw them aside in pursuit of something newer/better? i think if people feel forced into something or feel it's not right, they should get out of it and not drag someone else into their own irresponsibility instead of keeping them around until something better comes along.
i didn't like the ending of this movie. i think nadya had more guilt and realized what a *beep* thing she did until zhenya influenced her. that was her weakness as well (i also didn't like her character when she mentioned that she was with a married man for 10 years). as far as i'm concerned, people who only care about themselves and screw people over in the process don't deserve to be happy. call it what you will, but being a self-centered person who has no consideration for other people will never be 'socially acceptable' to me, and striving to pay no mind to the negative connotation that has is not something to be respected.
"Nothing's ever for sure John. It's the only sure thing I do know."-Charles (A Beautiful Mind)
I'm surprised you all think that, I'm of russian origins and I know that during this epoch reaching thirty and being unmarried was frowned upon. That's why many peoples settled with anybody despite their feelings or wishes. Jenia and Nadia fell in love with each other, why should they hide their love and mary peoples they don't care about? It pretty obvious they weren't in love with their respective fiancés. ( jenia found galia just beautiful and nadia though Ipolit was a strong protective man, nothing else....) They were afraid of loneliness and age. I love this movie it's so optimistic and heart melting and I hate when when peoples misinterpret the story . Sorry for my english I'm from Paris :)
sharewell if that's russian culture just to get married for the sake of getting married, it's a stupid mentality and anyone with a mind of their own shouldn't be dense enough to pay attention to such empty nonsense practices.
"Nothing's ever for sure John. It's the only sure thing I do know."-Charles (A Beautiful Mind)
Just as I wrote in my reply to the OP, it is a comedy and getting moral about it is kind of pointless :-P It is not supposed to be taken SO MUCH at face value, it's meant to be enjoyed.
shareDon't think so much, it's just a movie, a COMEDY! It's meant to be enjoyed in the first place.
Of course most people understand that this situation would not be possible in most cases, and men and women would not just turn around and dump their fiances/ees. To me, these little flaws do not diminish the movie's quality and the unique atmosphere it creates...
It's very simple. Zhenya was not in love with Galya. He proposed and she agreed because they were tired to be alone, were afraid that they will never find a true love and a right person for them, but they deeply wanted a family. The same with Nadya. They tried to convince themselves that they were in love, while they were not. It happens in real live, isn't it? Then Zhenya meets Nadya and founds true closeness, understanding of each other, love and inspiration.
Please do not forget that the film is not only a comedy but also a drama, drama of not finding a right person for you to be with. Those two were finally lucky to find each other.
There is a wonderful song on a poem of Yevgeny Evtushenko about this. Here is the translation (not mine):
"And thus this happens to me now –
My friend would not stop by somehow,
While needlessly I meet with such
Who mean to me, in truth, not much.
And he meets some and is aware
Of the absurdness that is there;
That discord can not be explained
Meanwhile we both remain in pain.
And thus this happens to me now –
A wrong one visits me somehow,
She clings to me till she is gone
And steals me from another one.
And that, another one, please tell me,
Whom she possesses to embrace?
If someone steals from her, she shall be
Just as abductive in that case.
She will not start with this, but rather
Shall vacillate indeed a lot,
And choose at last some distant other
By instinct rather than by thought.
Oh, how many ties and friendships
Are tinged with morbidness and tension!
I am indeed already raging!
Oh, someone come and break apart
The sad connectedness of strangers
And join together kindred hearts!" (http://www.stosvet.net/12/sokolovskiy/index.html)
My god, this is one marvellous translation of the poem! Where did you find it?
Thanks a lot for posting it :-) I wonder who did the translation...
You are welcome :)
The translation of the poem was made by Yevgeniy Sokolovskiy - http://www.stosvet.net/12/sokolovskiy/index.html
Wow, most talented translation! So accurate. Brilliant!
shareim confused a little. How can so many people like this movie. He proposes to a girl. He is in love. Than he meets another one in a different city. He doesnt have the strength to turn around and run back home to his girl. Instead he forgets the girl that he was gonna marry and instead starts new relationship with a new one. Within 48 hour period he dumps his fiance for another one. thats not love.