The film "His Excellency's Adjutant": actors and roles, plot, director

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

The adventure mini-series "His Excellency's Adjutant", whose actors and roles are known to many fans of Soviet cinema, was released in 1969. It was one of the first films in which the description of "whites" and "reds" was primarily about character, upbringing and origin, rather than the political views of the characters …

How the painting was made

The film "His Excellency's Adjutant" (1969) was based on the novel by Soviet writer Igor Bolgarin. His own work was based on the memoirs of a real adjutant - Pavel Makarov, who during the civil war was a personal assistant to General Mai-Maevsky.

The novel was popular in the USSR. It was re-released many times, and after the war, some directors made attempts to make a film.

However, only Evgeny succeededTashkov. His Excellency's Adjutant is a 1969 film. Although it was completed a year earlier, due to the many censorship of those times, it was not immediately released to the screen.

The thing is that in the picture the White Guards were shown from a very favorable side, which was unusual for that time. And when the finished version was viewed by Goskino officials, they called it nothing more than "the anthem of the White Guard." The film went to the archive shelf.

But the director of "His Excellency's Adjutant" did not give up and achieved an audience with one of the KGB chiefs Tsvigun. He liked the picture, and a few days later the film received the right to life.

Storyline

"His Excellency's Adjutant" (actors and roles are described below) refers to spy movies with exciting and tense plots. The action takes place in 1919 on the territory of Ukraine. The scout of the Chekists is sent to the headquarters of Denikin's army for subversive and reconnaissance activities. For this, he has a legend and a name - Captain Koltsov.

The spy's problems start from the very beginning. The train in which he was traveling is attacked by a gang of the local ataman Angel. Koltsov and several other officers are captured, where the commanders of the Red Army are already.

Thanks to Koltsov, everyone manages to escape. The captain receives additional benefits from the escape - he is categorically believed in the white headquarters, and he becomes the personal assistant to the commander - General Kovalevsky.

Koltsov, risking his life, passes a series ofimportant information in the Cheka. They try to bring him to clean water, but the captain miraculously escapes exposure.

When Koltsov finds out that a train with English tanks is arriving in the city, and this will be a decisive factor in the main battle, he decides to destroy the train… Even if at the cost of his own life.

Of course, there is a love theme in the picture. Koltsov meets the daughter of General Shchukin - Tatyana and is fascinated by her from the first minute. The girl is also delighted with the manners, character and principles of the captain. But this love was not meant to be by definition…

In parallel with the main plot, the film shows the life and struggle for the idea of ordinary residents of different social levels.

Main characters

Captain Pavel Koltsov had a real prototype. It was Pavel Makarov, who was an approximate person of the combat general Mai-Maevsky (according to the plot of Kovalevsky).

But Makarov was far from his on-screen image in terms of upbringing and intelligence level. He completed only four classes of the school and left to serve. Makarov got to General by denunciation of officers dissatisfied with the authorities.

In the film, Koltsov is an example of a smart, prudent officer. He alone is playing a very dangerous game with a whole staff of enemies.

Confrontation with General Kovalevsky adds even more intrigue.

Each hero of the film is interesting because it has a character and a specific goal. The actors and roles of "His Excellency's Adjutant" by the efforts of the director sought toreal display of the events of that time.

Actors

The role of Captain Koltsov was originally planned for actor Mikhail Nozhkin, who already had experience in spy films - "The Fate of a Resident", "Village Detective". But at the last moment, Mikhail decided to act in another picture. Then the director began to review the photos of the actors and realized that only Yuri Solomin should play the main role. Prior to this, the actor was approved for the role of Osipov.

But the film management did not want to agree with Tashkov's choice. It seemed to them that the hero should be broader in the shoulders and have bright charisma. Only after 6 screen tests and Tashkov's statement that he would shoot Solomin under his own responsibility, Yuri was approved.

Vladislav Strzhelchik was perfect for the role of Kovalevsky. The smart, ironic, imposing general was played flawlessly by the actor.

Tatyana Schukina was performed not by a professional actress, but by dancer Tanya Ivanitskaya. The director saw in her "genuine purity and modesty", which should have been inherent in the general's daughter.

Viktor Pavlov was supposed to play the Red Commander Sirotin. But after replacing the actor who played Osadchy, Pavlov performed the scene with Oksana in such a way that Tashkov immediately approved him for the role of Miron.

Anatoly Papanov had a small but expressive role of Ataman Angel. The great actor did a great job with her.

Director and crew

Evgeny Tashkov beforefilming the picture has already managed to win its place among film professionals. Before starting directing, Tashkov participated in several films as an actor.

He became the main on the site in 1957. After 5 years, a cheerful picture "Come Tomorrow" about a village girl who dreamed of singing was released.

In 1967 Tashkov made the film "Major Whirlwind" - a military drama about Soviet intelligence officers. So the director already had experience shooting films about spies.

The screenwriters of the pictures were the writer Igor Bolgarin and Georgy Seversky. Pyotr Terpsikhorov stood behind the camera lens. Composer Andrey Eshpay was assisted by the USSR Cinema Symphony Orchestra.

Truth and fiction

Some details of the film are based on real events, others are just made up. Here are the most important ones.

Ataman Angel, played brilliantly by Papanov, was actually only 22 years old.

In the film, Koltsov is expected to be shot for his activities. The real adjutant Makarov lived to a ripe old age, although his entire family died.

The prototype of Kovalevsky - Ivan Zenonovich Mai-Maevsky - was a dashing commander. But his craving for alcohol ruined him. Whereas in the film Kovalevsky (played by Vladislav Strzhelchik) is indifferent to strong drinks.

Film rating

The actors and roles of "His Excellency's Adjutant" were appreciated not only by movie lovers, but also by certain structures.

In 1971, at the film festival in Belarus, the picturereceived an award and a Grand Prize. Tashkov, both screenwriters, Yuri Solomin and V. Strzhelchik received the title of laureates of the State Prize of the RSFSR.

The series will not leave anyone indifferent after watching. And the point here is not only in the professional work of the actors and the team, but in the sincerity of the images themselves, it doesn’t matter whether they are white, rebels or red…