Georgian-Soviet Russian film-maker Georgiy Danelia is well
regarded for his distinctive characteristic of diffusing joy and sadness with a
touch of lyricism. Danelia’s protagonists are common men. His narrative focused
on simple truths rather than weaving explosive moral statements. Like many
auteurs of cinema, Danelia sought perfection, reworking each scene and immaculately
worked on the details placed in the frame. Danelia’s 1986 satirical
science-fiction Kin-Dza-Dza earned him the cult director status. Kin-Dza-Dza is
an exemplary movie which would certainly trigger one’s interest in the
director’s oeuvre (like it did for me). And, I have discovered little known, earlier
satirical masterpieces made by Georgiy Danelia. One of my most favorite among
the director’s tragicomedy is Afonya (1975). The central character in the movie
is a trouble-maker with a penchant for caustic remarks. Yet, director Danelia
approaches the character with enough compassion that we can see through the
protagonist’s clownish-acts to reflect on his inner emptiness. It’s a simple,
funny film with a tinge of sadness. Afonya also could provoke cinephiles interest to
watch other great Russian comedies (The Diamond Arm, The Irony of Fate, Office
Romance, etc).
Director Georgiy Danelia studied engineering, but later
embraced cinematography and joined the famous Mosfilm Studios (in the late
1950s). Danelia’s 1963 film Walking the Streets of Moscow was renowned at
Cannes Film Festival. In the 1969 comedy, Don’t Grieve, Danelia depicted the
picturesque beauty of Georgia (known as quintessential Georgian film). The
movie reminds us of Fellini’s works, especially in the way Danelia observes
life with all its intermingled layers of misery and jubilation. The director’s tragicomic character
study Afonya, predominantly takes place in an urban setting. Unexpectedly, the
film became immensely popular with USSR audiences that it went on to become one
of the highest grossing films in the Soviet Union film industry. Afanasy
Nickolaevich Borschov aka A.N. Borschov aka Afonya (Leonid Kuravlyov) is a
self-absorbed middle-aged guy, who works as a plumber. He has a tendency to
drink excessively and imagine ideal fantasies to root out the burgeoning
dissatisfaction in his mundane life.
Afonya brings home his new drinking pal Kolya (Evgeniy Leonov) and is confronted by the annoyed girlfriend. She declares that she has
wasted two years on him. She leaves Afonya for good, before throwing out Kolya.
Afonya Borschov as usual tries to dress up his emotional bruises with overly funny and
sarcastic behavior. Kolya returns back to Afonya’s apartment and request to
stay there for few days, since his wife had also thrown him out. Despite the
arrival of newfound pal, Afonya’s descent into darkness couldn’t be curbed. The
guy’s disposition to earn tips and indifference towards solving the plumbing
problems (however desperate the problem is he runs off immediately after his
working time) brings couple of severe reprimands. An evening trip to have fun
at a party ends up in a fight. Life seems to be slipping away from Afonya. But
his acquaintance with two attractive women reinstates some hope. A young nurse
named Katya (Evgeniya Simonova) is one of the women. The way Katya’s face
lights up when looking at Afonya tells she has some feelings for him. Nevertheless,
Afonya entrapped by his fantasies or wrong dreams stays frustrated.
On the first look, A.N. Borschov confirms to the typecast
character of good-for-nothing, cynical drinker. We expect that comedy may rise
from his unsteady gait and misbehavior. But Aleksandr Borodyanskiy’s script
gradually reveals the character’s depth, allowing the space for incorporating
subtle social commentary. The narrative slows up a bit in these portions, but
we get a profound look at his urban life with all the missed opportunities of
the past. It depicts how Afonya needs the fake jolliness to stop the mudanity
of city life from getting at him. This further reveals the emotionally rich
life Afonya once experienced with his beloved guardian/aunt in the idyllic village.
The nostalgic yearning for expansive & peaceful, rural setting as opposed
to cramped urban quarters could be easily related by all those who have faced
the social phenomenon of urban migration. But, writer Borodyanskiy or director
Danelia doesn’t make a bland statement about the need to return to one’s roots or
incriminates wider urban Soviet society for the emotional numbness. Apart from
brilliantly portraying 70s USSR city life, the movie proposes the need to have
right dreams and to reciprocate the true love showered on us, so as to not
worry later about the lost opportunities. Director Georgiy Danelia conveys this
simple, universal truth through his distinguished, poignant lyricism.
Formally, ‘Afonya’ may seem simpler (amongst Danelia’s
oeuvre) compared to the visual brilliance of the movies like Kin-Dza-Dza.
Nevertheless, there are many interesting visual insights to subtly reveal the
protagonist’s nature and about the society he lives in. The movie opens in a theater stage as group of angelic ballet dancers carry out their rehearsals,
which is disrupted by A.N. Borschov’s drinking pal (he walks to the center of
stage). Borschov before trouble-shooting the plumbing problems in the theatre’s
toilet walks out, remarking that his work-time is over. The guy’s mere presence seems
to invoke disruption, unrest, and half-measure actions. Georgiy Danelia directs
these character set-up scenes in a rapid pace and with broad humor. He employs
the same dose of humor even when establishing Afonya’s kindness.
For instance, the scene he allows Kolya to stay with him; only after opening the
house and spending few minutes in conversation with previous night drinking
friend Kolya, Borshov questions who the guy is. Borschov is also jovially
generous and compassionate with Katya. Amongst the well-directed comic
sequence, my favorite is Borshov’s slippage into fantasy world, where he dreams
of living in idyllic rural life with a beautiful wife and sons.
As a master craftsman, Danelia shows strict control over
deciding the mood of the film. He inserts little elements or gestures to
provide depth to certain simple scenes. For example, there’s a recurring
establishing shot of the apartment block, where a body-builder is seen
weighting lifts. This guy’s presence could be interpreted as a show of external
strength, lacking genuine contentment. Even if we are in no mood for
interpreting, the guy seems a strangely funny addition to the frame. The
dance-hall patrons with their little quirks are also absolutely hilarious. Although
the gags wane in the second-half, I liked it the best as compared to
fast-moving, funny first-half. By the
time Afonya descends into regretful mood, the director allows his simple
visual set-ups to fully draws us into character’s idiosyncrasies (and care for
him). Afonya’s journey back to the village was brilliantly shot, which didn’t
just depict vast, lush green fields, but also reflected on the guy’s
unexpressed frustrations. The external beauty of the land becomes obsolete
(with passing of Aunt Frosya) and it once again manifests his lack of human
connection. The ending is definitely unbelievable, but I don’t have any
complain about it. And, Afonya finally discovers how a genuine, little strand
of human connection could cast off the possible gloominess in his life. Leonid
Kuravlyov offers an astounding layered performance as the titular character, a
man who boasts love/hate attitude towards human relations. Evgenia Simonova is enchanting as the young
nurse. From the graceful flirting to showcase of her desperate love, Simonova
keeps us in a spell.
Afonya (88 minutes) is a simple, yet incredibly directed
& performed character study of an urban dweller. It observes a common USSR
citizen’s life with all its messy and happy parts. It also could serve as
introductory point to explore the great works of Georgian film-maker Georgiy
Danelia
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