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I feel compelled to start this review of the 1962 Russian film THE COSSACKS with a simple statement: it's a beautiful experience. If there was not a scrap of dialogue in the entire thing, the pleasure of looking at each scene would have left me satisfied; the beauty of the people and the scenery is stunning by itself...add to that a wonderful script and a stunning cast of actors, and you have a classic movie on your hands.
Leonid Gubanov as Dmitri Olenin THE COSSACKS is based on the 1863 Leo Tolstoy novel Young Manhood which was renamed to Казаки, or Kazaki, which is Russian for 'Cossack'. Apparently the story is semi-autobiographical, believed to be based on Tolstoy's experiences in the Caucasian war. I read the novel many years ago, so when I saw the movie was available, I leapt at the chance to see it. It was made in the Soviet era by Mosfilm, the studio responsible for such Russian classics as THE BATTLESHIP POTEMPKIN, ALEXANDER NEVSKY, and ANDREI RUBLEV. Interestingly enough, the iconic Communist statues in the Mosfilm logo of that time are lying dismantled in an unkempt warehouse, though the company itself has continued on...albeit with a different logo.
Boris Andreyev as Eroshka As the story begins, Young Dmitri Olenin, played by Leonid Gubanov, is a young aristocrat living an unsatisfying life. He has ended a romantic relationship for lack of love, and has come to the realisation that his entire existence is basically full of staid situations and obligatory conversation. In a brash move, he signs up as a private in the military, and requests a post 'defending' the remote border territories against incursions by the Chechens. His plan? To get as far away from that shallow life as he possibly can.
Though Dmitri has a servant, money, and status as a member of the aristocratic elite(his family knows the Tsar personally), life in the border regions is a rustic affair. The village he takes up residence in is populated by farmers and soldiers, and the wild ways of the Cossacks are in every aspect of life. These are the Grebensk Cossack tribe, who settled the region by the Terek river in the northern Caucasus. The Grebensk Cossacks adopted the ways of the Chechen and Nogai peoples in the area, and though they kept the Russian language, they also have the spoken Nogai language, which is a Turkic language, called 'Tatar' in the film. Dmitri is taught the Tatar greeting "Koshkildi" upon his arrival, which I was pleasantly surprised to recognise as comparable to the Turkish "hoş geldi", meaning, "pleasant arrival".
This is exactly what our young idealist had been hungering for; fresh air, freedom, and a chance to grow and to prove himself. He takes up his post with relish. He finds lodging with a old cossack named Eroshka, called "Daddy Eroshka" by the villagers, and they immediately form a father/son-type bond. Daddy Eroshka takes up the task of acclimating Dmitri to Cossack life. Very soon the beautiful Muslim village girl Maryana comes into the picture, as well as her Cossack suitor, Lukashka. Maryana is considered the most beautiful (and inaccesible) girl in the village; headstrong, impetuous, sure of herself and her self-worth. Dmitri is immediately drawn to her, even as he works to form a strong friendship with the brave fighter Lukashka...it's this love-triangle that defines the character of the story.
I loved everything about this movie. Zinaida Kiriyeno is amazing as the stunningly beautiful Maryana, and Eduard Bredun(who reminds me of a young Orson Welles), gave an excellent performance as Lukashka. They, along with Boris Andreyev as the melancholic Daddy Eroshka, were so charismatic, yet none of them overshadowed the others. Leonid Gubanov, more than any other actor in this type of role, really brought a genuine sense of youth and romantic vision to this character. I've met many young people like him, who have yet to taste the realities of life in any firm way, who see the future as full of limitless possibility. I found myself both feeling somewhat paternal about his naivete, and perhaps a bit inspired by that hopeful spirit.
Though Dmitri has a servant, money, and status as a member of the aristocratic elite(his family knows the Tsar personally), life in the border regions is a rustic affair. The village he takes up residence in is populated by farmers and soldiers, and the wild ways of the Cossacks are in every aspect of life. These are the Grebensk Cossack tribe, who settled the region by the Terek river in the northern Caucasus. The Grebensk Cossacks adopted the ways of the Chechen and Nogai peoples in the area, and though they kept the Russian language, they also have the spoken Nogai language, which is a Turkic language, called 'Tatar' in the film. Dmitri is taught the Tatar greeting "Koshkildi" upon his arrival, which I was pleasantly surprised to recognise as comparable to the Turkish "hoş geldi", meaning, "pleasant arrival".
This is exactly what our young idealist had been hungering for; fresh air, freedom, and a chance to grow and to prove himself. He takes up his post with relish. He finds lodging with a old cossack named Eroshka, called "Daddy Eroshka" by the villagers, and they immediately form a father/son-type bond. Daddy Eroshka takes up the task of acclimating Dmitri to Cossack life. Very soon the beautiful Muslim village girl Maryana comes into the picture, as well as her Cossack suitor, Lukashka. Maryana is considered the most beautiful (and inaccesible) girl in the village; headstrong, impetuous, sure of herself and her self-worth. Dmitri is immediately drawn to her, even as he works to form a strong friendship with the brave fighter Lukashka...it's this love-triangle that defines the character of the story.
I loved everything about this movie. Zinaida Kiriyeno is amazing as the stunningly beautiful Maryana, and Eduard Bredun(who reminds me of a young Orson Welles), gave an excellent performance as Lukashka. They, along with Boris Andreyev as the melancholic Daddy Eroshka, were so charismatic, yet none of them overshadowed the others. Leonid Gubanov, more than any other actor in this type of role, really brought a genuine sense of youth and romantic vision to this character. I've met many young people like him, who have yet to taste the realities of life in any firm way, who see the future as full of limitless possibility. I found myself both feeling somewhat paternal about his naivete, and perhaps a bit inspired by that hopeful spirit.
 Zinaida Kiriyenko as Maryana |  Eduard Bredun as Lukashka |
Dmitri...the Cossack Though this film is an oversimplification of the story in some ways, I think that it captures the essential spirit of it; everything is distilled into it's basic components to drive each aspect home. I was inspired by that desire for a new and fresh life, and I found myself longing for an earthier, more grass-roots culture to learn about and to grow into. The contrasting reality of the situation here was also a good warning against romanticising daily life; it made me wonder how things would have turned out if Dmitri Olenin had come with a more realistic set of expectations.
If you can find THE COSSACKS, and I hope that you can, prepare yourself for an experience equal to any of the equivalent Hollywood classics. I found myself wanting to watch it again, even as the final credits were rolling.
If you can find THE COSSACKS, and I hope that you can, prepare yourself for an experience equal to any of the equivalent Hollywood classics. I found myself wanting to watch it again, even as the final credits were rolling.
At the time of this writing, the film can be found on Youtube HERE
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