Yuri Detochkin - Robin Hood of the Soviet era

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

Legendary meter of Soviet cinema Eldar Ryazanov gave his audience more than one wonderful movie. But, probably, one of the most beloved is the legendary comedy "Beware of the car".

Storyline

In this picture, Ryazanov tells the story of an unremarkable State Insurance worker named Yuri Detochkin.

Despite his apparent greyness, he manages to live a double life. During the day he diligently works in the service, and at night he steals cars. Soon, the police became seriously interested in his activities and the investigation was entrusted to the investigator Maxim Podberezovikov. Looking for a clever hijacker, the investigator does not even suspect that he is very close. Indeed, in their free time, Maxim and Yuri play in an amateur theater. And in it they recently decided to stage Shakespeare's play "Hamlet" and the main roles went to Detochkin and Podberezovikov. Working together on the play, the hijacker and the investigator become friends. Throughfor some time the investigator begins to suspect Detochkin and he manages to find evidence of his guilt. However, before arresting his friend, he decides to have a heart to heart talk with him. During the conversation, it turns out that Yuri stole cars only from crooks, and sent the proceeds for their sale to orphanages. Taking pity on his friend, Podberezovikov let him go and, having hidden all the evidence, refused to conduct the case, but soon Detochkin nevertheless falls under arrest. He is tried and sent to prison, but taking into account his noble deeds, the term is given less than it should be in such cases. The film ends with Yuri returning home from prison.

Who is Yuri Detochkin: the story of the appearance of the character

The idea to make a film about modern Robin Hood came to Ryazanov when he heard the legend of an unknown car thief stealing cars from people who live on money from bribes, dishonest deals and other "unearned income".

Being interested in this story, the director made inquiries to the police, but this story did not find real confirmation. However, Ryazanov nevertheless decided to make a film based on it. Having written the script together with Emil Braginsky, he created an amazing character named Yuri Detochkin (photo from the film below).

The authors of the script almost from the very beginning decided to abandon the traditional image of a brave hero, who does not care about anything and who steals cars with ease. Instead, they tried to make their Yuri Detochkin evoke twofold feelings: and condemnation,and compassion. On the one hand, he is a criminal who systematically breaks the law and deceives everyone, even his relatives. But on the other hand, this is a sincere, vulnerable person, incredibly inventive and with a heightened sense of justice. Faced daily with people who use their position for personal enrichment, and suffering from such subjects himself, at some point Yuri Detochkin decides to fight back against social injustice and “punish” these bloodsuckers on his own.

In the mid-sixties, when the film "Beware of the car" was filmed, there was an unspoken tradition that the main positive character should be an exemplary family man and serve as an example to follow. However, Ryazanov and Braginsky decided to make their character more realistic and complex, since, as everyone knows, in most cases people who actively care for the public good rarely have strong families and children. In this regard, Detochkin's family in the film was his mother and beloved woman.

Yuri Detochkin: the actor who played him - Innokenty Smoktunovsky

At first, the script of the film and the image of the protagonist were purposefully written for the popular film and circus actor Yuri Nikulin, perhaps that is why the hero was named Yuri (there are legends that it was Nikulin who gave Ryazanov the idea of this film). However, circumstances developed in such a way that Nikulin could not take part in the filming, so he had to look for a replacement. Among the contenders for the role of a noble hijacker was Oleg Efremov, who later played in the film an investigator and Detochkin's best friend. As a result, the rolereceived by Innokenty Smoktunovsky. It is thanks to him that the image of the main character turned out to be so sincere and multi-layered. Yuri Detochkin evoked a whole range of feelings in the viewer: sympathy, empathy, pity, condemnation, fear, shame and many others.

Thanks to the skill of this actor, his hero from a brave cowboy, as they said in urban legends, turned into an ordinary tired intelligent person with an unsettled personal life, unable to adapt and get out.

Interestingly, to participate in the film, Innokenty, at the insistence of the director, passed on the rights and, although an understudy participated in many scenes, the actor felt quite confident behind the wheel.

It is worth saying that Innokenty Smoktunovsky played Hamlet in the TV movie of the same name a few years before this project.

So his Prince of Denmark in an amateur performance in the TV movie "Beware of the Car" caused the audience a slight effect of deja vu.

Noteworthy facts about the TV movie "Beware of the car"

The name "Beware of the car" was given to the film later, the working title of this project was "Stolen car" at first.

In addition to Smoktunovsky, actress Olga Aroseyeva, who played the protagonist's lover, also had to pass the license.

True, she had to drive a trolleybus.

Investigator Podberezovikov was originally supposed to be played by Yuri Yakovlev, but in the end, the role went to Efremov.

To show how much his character loves the theater, a portrait of Stanislavsky was hung in his office instead of the traditional portraits of leaders.

The long-suffering car, which Yuri Detochkin tried to steal for so long, starred in several more films. It was he who was the "taxi to Dubrovka" in "The Diamond Hand" and the taxi in the television movie "Three Poplars on Plyushchikha" (it is noteworthy that Oleg Yefremov played the role of the driver in this film).

The main character of the picture has gained such popularity that a monument was even erected to him in Samara. Here Yuri Detochkin (photo below) is pictured at the time of his return after serving time in prison.

Also, the name of the Detochnik is the Moscow Museum of theft, which opened in the early 2000s.

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the film "Beware of the car". During this long period, much has changed in the lives of its viewers. That's just the problems that were raised in the film, remain as close as ever. And today, many people secretly dream of the noble Robin Hood or Yuri Detochkin, who will come and punish the thieves and bribe-takers, and also return the stolen goods to honest people.