This is in fact the best film that Georgiy Daneliya, one of the most famous Soviet film makers has ever made. The paradox is that this the most "Georgian" film not only among Daneliya's but among many other films made in or about Georgia is based upon a purely French story -- Claude Tillie's novel "My uncle Benjamen" (there is even a French film with the same title, which was shot around the same time). Revaz Gabridze (previously director at the famous Tbilisi Marionette Theatre) has changed the scenery to a small Georgian town in the end of the XIXth century. Music for this film was written by Gia Kancheli, famous Georgian composer who always accompanies Danelia in his projects.
Danelia invited the best Georgian actors to take part in this film and each of them is like a separate page in the history of Georgian cinema: Vakhtang Kikabidze (Benjamen), Sergo Zaqariadze (doctor Levan), Sofiko Chiaureli (Sofiko), Gogi Kavtaradze (Luka), Dodo Abashidze (prince Vamekh Vakhvary), Ariadna Shengelaya (princess), Veriko Andjaparidze (bitchy old lady), Sesilia Takaishvily (another bitchy old lady - Levan's housekeeper), Ippolit Khvichia (Sergo), Abessalom Loria (chemist), Karlo Sakandelidze (advocate), Zurab Kapianidze (butler), Kote Daushvily (priest), Baadur Tsuladze (deceived husband), Lia Gudadze (deceiving wife) and he also invited famous Yevgeniy Leonov (soldier Egor), young Anastasia Vertinskaya (Mery) and the incomparable, big-nosed Frunzik Mkrtchyan (prisoner).
Probably it is not fair to emphasise anyone, but late Sergo Zaqariadze as Levan Tsintsadze cannot be left unmentioned. It is hard to imagine another actor to replace him in this film and this role is certainly the peak of his career (however others point at a role of Georgiy Makharashvily in the "Father of the Soldier").
The film provides with about 90 minutes of superb acting, famous Georgian polyphony, soft humour and sad but wise story of life and death, love and friendship, decency and honesty. And if you are trying to get the very soul of this country, the very spirit of life in a small piece of land enclosed among Black Sea and Caucasian Mountains, the very nature of the nation and its people, here it is...
