Conversations around Ursulyak's film “The righteous man” started long before its official release. The reason was the participation in the picture of the unfriendly policy of our country Chulpan Khamatova. Rumors were circulating in the press about, that Ursulyak's film can repeat the fate of Empire V that never appeared in the domestic box office (due to the participation of a strongly opposition (and recognized by a foreign agent) Oxymironically) or "Simple Man" (with the same intolerant fighter against the Chulpan regime). But, to the delight of the fans, military dramas and creativity of Sergei Ursulyak "The Righteous" still knocked out his way to the big screens of our vast Motherland.
Here it is worth adding, that the role of Chulpan Khamatova in this film, unlike the same blocked "Common Man", as tiny as possible. Russophobic actress appears in the frame for literally one minute, playing the role of a Jewish mother, forced to choose, which of her eight children will be given a chance at survival. (Yes, hello Meryl Streep and her Oscar-winning Sophie's Choice). And it would be even more fair to note, that she looks like a Jewess Khamatova in "Righteous Man", like Nonna Mordyukova on a black woman. But these are casting questions..
The main events of the military drama film "The Righteous" unfold in 1942 year, during the Great Patriotic War. Red Army soldier Nikolai Kiselev receives the task of doing the almost impossible at that time: forests, behind enemy lines, withdraw from the occupied Belarusian village of Dolginovo more than 250 Jewish women, old people and children.
A photo: © frame from the film "Righteous" / Central Partnership
The film "The Righteous" is based on real events and real heroes. Then, in August 1942 of the year, Soviet political instructor, guerrillas of the Belarusian detachment "Avenger" Nikolai Kiselev and seven of his assistants from the same detachment really received the task of withdrawing more than 200 Jewish. Even then it was clear to everyone, how small is the chance of success of this mission. More than a thousand kilometers had to lead Kiselev through the German rear completely unprepared for any marching, nor to the military life of weakened people, among which there were almost a quarter of children under the age of 10 years.
The transition took several weeks., German detachments met twice on the way of refugees, Kiselev's team had to get provisions on their own in the forest or barter in villages and villages located along the route. The squad didn't have medicine.. Despite all the difficulties, the squad still managed to complete their mission.
For his feat, Kiselev was awarded the title of Hero of the USSR, and after the Second World War, the Israeli institute Yad Vashem awarded him the title of "Righteous Among the Nations". Since that transition has already passed 80 years, but the descendants of those, who then escaped thanks to the feat of Kiselev and his comrades (and ten years ago there were already more 2000 human) Every year 5 June gather in Tel Aviv, to express my respect and gratitude to Nikolai Kiselev.
A photo: © frame from the film "Righteous" / Central Partnership
Many real events from that transition were also used in Sergei Ursulyak's "Righteous Man". for example, the epic of saving the boy's hand from gangrene with the help of sugar, exchanged by Kiselev in the nearest village. Or a heartbreaking scene with a sobbing two-year-old girl, which the parents, who had fallen into a stupor from fatigue and despair, tried to drown in the river, so that with her crying she would not betray the location of the entire detachment to the Germans passing by.
Then two-year-old Berta Kremer survived solely thanks to Nikolai Kiselev, who snatched the child from the hands of the parent literally a second before the irreversible. According to eyewitnesses of those events, Kiselev was not only able to calm the sobbing baby, but for more than ten kilometers he carried the child in his arms. Berta currently lives in the USA, but every year she herself, and her two daughters and five grandchildren 5 June on the day of the liquidation of the Dolginsky ghetto, arrive in Tel Aviv, to honor the memory of Nikolai Kiselev.
They filmed the film "Righteous" in Russia, Belarus and Israel. Filming took place in those places, where the battles described in the film once took place. The first scenes started filming in July 2021 of the year, and the final - in the fall 2022 of the year.
A photo: © frame from the film "Righteous" / Central Partnership
People – main value
One of the main advantages of Ursulyak's "Righteous Man" is the cast. Alexander Yatsenko is simply perfect in the role of Nikolai Kiselev. Non-heroic hero, soft on the outside and tough on the inside.
Did a great job in another central role – Jewish boy Moshe Tal 20-year-old Mark Edelstein, which, after the sensational series "Monastery" with Nastya Ivleeva, journalists dubbed the Russian Timati Chalamet. Really, very similar. by the way, Mark Edelstein is expected to have another high-profile premiere this year - a new adaptation of The Guest from the Future by Kira Bulychev, in which Mark got the role of a simple Soviet schoolboy Kolya Gerasimov.
Frighteningly convincing and reliable in "The Righteous" is the "true Aryan" Dietmar Koenig in the role of the chief persecutor of the Jews, the German officer Schmucker.
A photo: © frame from the film "Righteous" / Central Partnership
And here is Fedor Dobronravov as a partisan commissar, by feeling, and continues to play his Ivan Budko from "Matchmakers". Only Valyukha is not enough for him.
Beautiful and very reliable Jewish mother, actress Natalya Savchenko, who lost her sons during the cleansing of the ghetto. A very colorful Jewish headman, Reuben Yankel, also came out with Sergei Makovetsky. But otherwise, of course, a group of Jews here looks more like a crowd of stereotypes, than real people.
Happy end
And a little more the film lacked the ending. A kind of fat and spectacular point, completion of the campaign. Nikolai Kiselev's crossing at Ursulyak ends with a large-scale shootout on the bridge, which should lead the detachment to the location of the Red Army.
In real life, Nikolai Kiselev was arrested by the NKVD at the place of deployment of our troops.. The heroic partisan did not have his documents with him, they were lost during a shootout at the Surazh Gate, in which Kiselyov literally took disoriented and frightened people out of the fire by the hands. For lack of documents, the political instructor was accused of desertion.
A photo: © frame from the film "Righteous" / Central Partnership
But from the imminent arrest of Kiselyov, the Jews he led out of the encirclement saved him.. All 200 the people he saved, tired and ragged, rushed to the hut, Where is the Special Branch located?. They surrounded her and began to demand that the detainee be released.. They got a meeting with a representative of the NKVD and convinced him, that the detained Kiselev is not a deserter. Nicholas released. He saved their lives, they saved his freedom.
Ursulyak's painting turned out to be large-scale, touching and monumental. Almost three hours of screen time look really in the same breath.
But along with truly sincere and sincere moments, there is a lot of stereotypical and cliche. From the appearance and behavior of the Jewish group to the expected, but no less from this tragic death of the beloved of one of the partisans.
Anyway, "Righteous" by Sergei Ursulyak is good. Despite, that in the final does not leave the feeling, that part of the footage was forced to be cut, in order to fit the film into the already immodest 140-minute running time.
There is some confusion about this ending.. But the overall impression of the film does not spoil.
The expectation rating of "Righteous" on the vastness of our Internet is great: 95% visitors to the largest domestic film site are waiting for its premiere.
Alena Zhirikova
