Screenwriter, playwright and prose writer Eduard Volodarsky: biography, creativity

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Eduard Volodarsky is one of the most talented screenwriters of the domestic film industry. Stanislav Govorukhin, Alexei German and Nikita Mikhalkov, together with Volodarsky, presented the audience with more than one masterpiece.

Author's legacy

Eduard Volodarsky, whose books will decorate any library, has created more than 80 works, they have become not only favorite books, but also films and performances. Although not all films by Eduard Yakovlevich were released, because in the Soviet Union "non-standard" cinema was hardly perceived. Many films were gathering dust in the archives for a long time and were released only after the “perestroika”. It was when one of the films was banned from showing that the writer began to collaborate with theater directors.

As a playwright, Volodarsky made his debut with the play "Our Debts". It was first staged by Oleg Efremov in 1973 at the Moscow Art Theater. Later, the audience of more than 120 theaters of the country could appreciate this work.

The first feature film screenplay was "White Explosion". The next work that Volodarsky Eduard Yakovlevich presented to the public is “Among strangers…”. After the releasemore than 23 million people have watched this movie.

People and roles

Volodarsky's work is always a struggle. Man's struggle with himself, first of all. It is important for the author to reveal the character of the hero, his attitude to life, to his environment. There is no falsehood and pretense, while watching any film it seems that you know a person a long time ago, you understand what he thinks and feels. Behind every role is a destiny. Eduard Volodarsky endows all his works with some kind of tragedy, in each story he makes us empathize with the heroes, we are completely immersed in events and live them to the end.

In step with the times

Film production of the 21st century is also not complete without the participation of this screenwriter. Eduard Volodarsky took part in the filming of the films "Inhabited Island", "Passion for Chapay", "We are from the Future" and many others, which were released not very long ago, but immediately won the love of film viewers. The most sensational, which caused a lot of reviews (both positive and negative), was the series "Penal Battalion". Released in 2011, it overtook such masterpieces as "The Brigade" and "The Idiot", also filmed according to Volodarsky's script, in terms of popularity and number of views.

War movie

Eduard Volodarsky created "Penal Battalion" based on historical sources, but, nevertheless, this series was seriously criticized by military experts. For an ordinary viewer, who does not delve into military subtleties, who does not attach importance to the historical authenticity of events, the film is trulyinteresting. "Penal Battalion" is, first of all, life from the inside, each hero, despite the fact that, by definition, should be a negative character, is interesting in his own way. Many from the very first minutes of the film become loved. A great cast helps to watch the film without breaking away. The game is so professional that you begin to live with these images.

The image of the Father, brilliantly brought to life by Dmitry Nazarov, makes the plot even more dramatic. Although, for the sake of truth, it must be said that the film has a he althy dose of humor. Jokes, funny situations that the characters find themselves in do not let the viewer go and immerse them even more in the atmosphere of the film.

The main characters, who at first glance should evoke negative emotions, after all, criminals, raise a wave of emotions, mostly positive ones. It is especially touching to observe the relationship between the nurse Svetka and the young penal Saveliy. Looking at them, you understand how difficult it was to love at that time.

History is everywhere

War and everything connected with it is one of Eduard Yakovlevich's favorite topics. In his works, the viewer can see the atmosphere of that time. The events of the middle of the last century provide the scriptwriters with valuable material, immersing the viewer in the life of Soviet citizens.

Big Small Town Tragedies

Another film written by Eduard Volodarsky fully meets the classics of the genre - "It all started in Harbin". The story abouthow life can change in a very short period of time, regardless of social status, marital status and talents. And the point is not only in the crippled destinies of a single family, but also in the fact that there were millions of such destinies. Many viewers did not like the film. The fate of all the actors is too tragic. Yes, the main character played by Danila Kozlovsky remained alive, but his life is almost over, the only thing you can hope for is a modest position on the railway, from which, in general, it all started. But the author makes it clear that the years spent in the camps are nothing compared to the trials that awaited him in freedom. The struggle for survival, constant humiliation and fear of choice can break any person.

“It all started in Harbin” is also based on real events. The railway on the border of the Union, China and Japan has long been a bone of contention. As a result, about two thousand crippled destinies.

Yard punks

All the works of the screenwriter are about difficult destinies. This is what attracts the viewer. Many scenarios are based on real stories.

For example, the story "Farewell, riffraff Zamoskvoretskaya". Based on this story, a film of the same name was shot, which the public was able to appreciate in 1987, and in 2010 the film was released as a series under a different name. Volodarsky Eduard (“Everyone has his own war” - a tape that he considers an autobiography), who grew up in the post-war period, understands how difficult it was not justsurvive, but at the same time remain a person true to his principles.

The plot of the film takes us to one of the Moscow communal apartments, where the main characters are trying to cope with the difficulties of that time. The heroine of Polina Kutepova - Lyubasha - is the embodiment of a real Russian woman - persistent and courageous, but at the same time kind and loving. Other roles are no less characteristic, for example, the hero of Igor Petrenko. The actor appeared before the audience in a completely new role, he perfectly fit into the role of a hardened criminal.

The main character, of course, is present, but Eduard Volodarsky filmed "Penal Battalion" in such a way that the plot develops not only around the central image. Each character takes his place, making the picture complete.

Of course, as always, there were many critics who were dissatisfied with the film, some comparing the two adaptations, which is basically wrong. The films were shot at different times, and not all the ideas that the authors of the picture embodied in the new film adaptation could be voiced at that time, but in general the audience is satisfied. Everyone found something of their own, familiar. For the younger generation, this is palace romance and sincere feelings, for the older generation, memories, sometimes sad, sometimes funny. Either way, the movie deserves to be seen.

Instead of an epilogue

This script was the last work of Eduard Volodarsky. You can criticize his work as much as you like, looking for historical inaccuracies, and scold the master for excessive drama, a desire to discredit the Soviet government, but we,our children and grandchildren, we will watch our favorite films for a long time, reliving the events again and again with the characters. All films are watched in one breath, you look forward to each new series, you catch every phrase so as not to miss the most important thing. Perhaps there is not a single life situation that would not have been touched upon in his works. Watching the film, you involuntarily try on one or another act of the hero, trying to understand how you would act if you were in his place. Volodarsky's films make you think, which is very good.