''True Friends'' (

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

: ''Верные друзья'') is a 1954 dramatic comedy film directed by

Mikhail Kalatozov Mikhail Konstantinovich Kalatozov ( ka, მიხეილ კალატოზიშვილი, russian: Михаил Константинович Калатозов; 28 December 1903 – 26 March 1973), born Mikheil Kalatozishvili, was a So ...

Plot

Alexander, Boris and Vasily are three old friends, who now barely see each other as they are busy with their professional life. They embark on long-planned voyage on a raft down the Yauza river, which turns into a series of comical accidents but also strengthens their friendship.

Cast

* Vasili Merkuryev as Vasili Nestratov * Boris Chirkov as Boris Chizhov * Aleksandr Borisov as Alexander Lapin * Alexey Gribov as Nekhoda * Liliya Gritsenko as Natalya Sergeyevna *

Lyudmila Shagalova Lyudmila Alexandrovna Shagalova (russian: Людмила Александровна Шагалова; April 6, 1923 – March 13, 2012) was a Russian film supporting actress, active during the Soviet era. She was named a People's Artist of Russia ...

as Katya * Aleksei Pokrovsky * Ludmila Genika-Chirkova *

Mikhail Pugovkin Mikhail Ivanovich Pugovkin (russian: Михаи́л Ива́нович Пу́говкин; July 13, 1923, Rameshki, Chukhlomsky District of Kostroma Oblast — July 25, 2008, Moscow) (aged 85) was a Soviet and Russian comic actor named a Peopl ...

as club entertainer

Production

''True Friends'' was made in the aftermath of the death of

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...

, when political control over Soviet cinema relaxed considerably. Josephin Woll wrote that "his death liberated director Kalatozov... ''True Friends'' was his first Thaw project."Josephine Woll. ''The Cranes Are Flying: The Film Companion ''. . Page 23. Its script was submitted for approval in 1952, but it was only authorized for filming after Stalin's passing away.Miera Liehm, Antonin J. Liehm . ''The Most Important Art: Soviet and Eastern European Film After 1945.'' . Page 71.

Reception

With 30.9 million tickets sold, ''True Friends'' was the seventh highest-grossing Soviet film of 1954. Together with '' Salt of the Earth'', it was ''

Ex aequo ''Ex aequo et bono'' (Latin for "according to the right and good" or "from equity and conscience") is a Latin phrase that is used as a legal term of art. In the context of arbitration, it refers to the power of arbitrators to dispense with conside ...

'' awarded the Crystal Globe in the 1954 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. The ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' critic wrote that the film "makes for a surprisingly relaxed and sometimes infectious adventure." Mira and Antonin Liehm commented that "it is almost incredible how fresh and new this film seemed, with its tame satirical theme." John Wakeman regarded it as a "subtle and often very funny satire". David C. Gillespie opined that it is "an important, largely successful attempt... in addressing the legacy of Stalinism and its effects on the psyche and behaviour of people."David C. Gillespie. ''Russian Cinema''. . Page 45. Josephine Woll concluded that ''True Friends'' "broke little new ground", reflecting the slow start of the Thaw in 1954, but that it satisfied the audience's "hunger" for films that, "banal plot and schematic characters notwithstanding, portrayed their life with some veracity."

Plot

Cast

Production

Reception

References

External links