A film adaptation of Sholokhov's story "The Fate of a Man". Actors and roles

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

In 1956, Sholokhov's story "The Fate of Man" was published in the Pravda newspaper. The work caused a wide resonance. A stormy reaction was caused not only by the touching plot, but also by the very image of the hero. A former prisoner of war in the post-war years was automatically ranked among the "enemies of the people." In just three years, the situation in the country has changed. During Stalin's lifetime, Sholokhov would not have published the story. And, of course, the film "The Fate of Man" would not have been released.

Actor Sergei Bondarchuk in 1956 was already quite famous. Popularity came to him thanks to the paintings "Young Guard", "Taras Shevchenko". But after taking off in his career, there was a lull. Then the actor decided to take up directing. A sensational story about a man who knew all the horrors of war,became a good material for the debut work.

Film "The Destiny of Man" (1959)

Actor Sergei Bondarchuk at first did not inspire confidence in the Soviet classic. Sholokhov doubted that this polished, urban man would be able to embody on the screen the image of Andrei Sokolov, a simple village dweller. But when the lead actor in the film "The Fate of a Man" - the actor Bondarchuk - once during filming, dressed in the clothes of his hero, knocked on the door of the writer (the film was created in the native land of the prose writer), he, having opened the door, did not immediately recognize him. Then he smiled and showed no more distrust.

The script for the film was written by Yuri Lukin. It was co-authored by Fyodor Shakhmagonov. Two years before the premiere of the film "The Fate of a Man", actor and director Sergei Bondarchuk presented the script to the artistic council. And almost immediately got the go-ahead to shoot.

"The fate of man": actors and roles

The director initially decided to play the main character in the adaptation of Sholokhov himself, without even considering other candidates. The desire to fulfill this role became for him for some time the main goal of life. Andrey Sokolov's wife was played by Zinaida Kiriyenko. A year before the release of "The Fate of a Man", the actress played in another adaptation of Sholokhov - "Quiet Don".

The role of Lagerführer Muller was decided to be entrusted to Yuri Averin. Sokolov's neighbor - Pavel Volkov. For the roles in the film "The Fate of Man" the actors were selected mostly quickly. Problems arose in the search for a young artist,capable of playing the protagonist's adopted son.

Pavlik Boriskin

Bondarchuk reviewed a large number of candidates, but not a single boy was suitable for the role of Vanyushka. Once the director went to the Cinema House during a demonstration of a children's film. There he hoped to see a boy who could create a touching image of an orphan on the screen. Sergei Fedorovich was not mistaken. Even before the start of the film screening, he drew attention to Pavlik Polunin, who came to the Cinema House accompanied by his father. On the same day, the director spoke with the boy's parents and received their consent.

Pavel Boriskin was born in 1953. Parents divorced in 1958, during the filming of the film "The Destiny of Man". The actor was raised by Yevgeny Polunin, who a few years later married the boy's mother and gave him his last name. The performer of the role of Vanyushka played in several more films: "Annushka", "First Date", "Towards Dawn". Several times I tried to enter VGIK. However, unsuccessful. Pavel Polunin changed several professions, today he lives in Zheleznodorozhny, works as a taxi driver.

Sokolov and Muller

The culminating scene in the story, according to critics, is not Sokolov's meeting with Vanyushka, but his moral duel with Muller. The camp commandant summons a Soviet prisoner and invites him to drink to the victory of the German army. Sokolov, who before the war, as the audience knows, abused alcohol, replies: "Thank you, but I'm not a drinker." And after whenthe lagerführer invites him to "mark" his own death, without hesitation, drinks a glass of vodka.

This scene, like no other, characterizes Bondarchuk's hero. But it is worth saying a few words about the actor who played the negative character.

Yuri Averin

The actor played a few roles in the movie. At the same time, until the beginning of the 60s, he mainly played Germans. The actor made his film debut in Immortal Garrison. Then he played in the films "History Lesson", "Daughter of Stration". In each of these paintings he embodied the image of a German officer. Later played on the screen, as a rule, images of negative characters.

Other actors

Pavel Vinnik and Yevgeny Teterin played in the film about a simple Soviet man who grabbed "goryushka up to the very nostrils". The first embodied on the screen the image of a Soviet officer. The second played the writer. Pavel Vinnik made his debut in the film "Brave People", played more than a hundred roles in films. Evgeny Teterin has played many different characters over a forty-year career: Soviet soldiers, Germans, and Shakespeare's hero.

Lev Borisov played the role of a platoon leader in the film "The Fate of a Man". Viktor Markin, Evgeny Ivanov, Vladimir Kudryashev, Andrey Puntus, Nikolai Pechentsov, Nikolai Oparin played the Soviet prisoners.

The film caused great delight among the audience. He entered the golden fund of national cinema. A few decades after the release of the film about the veracity of Sholokhov's book, and therefore the reliability of the film shoton it, began to argue. But such doubts did not extinguish the love of the audience. "The Destiny of Man" has been and remains one of the most heartfelt stories of resilience, heroism and mercy.