User reviews

The 1950s were a decade of fantastic Hollywood musicals such as Singin' in the Rain (1952). Given the status of music and ballet in Russian society, it is no wonder that the Soviet Union made sure not to stay too far behind. They didn't have Hollywood budgets for this, nor the experience. But as happened so often, the creative minds found ways to work around this, and substituted imagination and natural talent for experience.

At least this is how this film feels for me. Watching this musical is a bit like watching an amateur production that turns out way better than anyone could expect -- almost on a professional level but with a few quirky reminders that everyone involved actually has a mundane day job. But this doesn't matter because this impression has perfect in-universe explanation in the film's setting.

The setting is the New Year's celebration (and preparations), of a palace of culture. Palaces of culture (or houses of culture) were cultural centers that provided infrastructure for cultural clubs and activities by people from all walks of life. It goes without saying that an annual variety show prepared by a palace of culture was likely to be better than one organized by the workers of a random factory. This is the in-universe explanation for how this film soon turns organically into a musical. At the same time, they are still amateurs, and this easily explains any quirkiness resulting from inexperience or budget problems. By the way, integrating music in this way was typical for the more expensive Soviet films. Even the Soviet versions of The Hobbit or The Three Musketeers had a lot of singing. (Skazochnoe puteshestvie mistera Bilbo Begginsa, Khobbita (1985), D'artagnan and Three Musketeers (1979))

The beginning of the film sets up the main plot around the new boss: a control freak, completely devoid of humor, doesn't understand the purpose of the New Year's variety show, and tries to turn it into a dry educational event. It also sets up the romantic subplot which any film of this nature needs.

The rehearsals of musical and dance numbers rejected by the boss give us an idea of what these amateurs are capable of. Then the greatest part of the film is the New Year's show itself, which of course turns out to be a great success despite (or because of?) having to work around and against a boss who scheduled items such as a 40-minute astronomy lecture, a melancholic solo song and the reading of a fable.

This film catches the atmosphere of an amazingly good amateur production so well that I think it would be very suitable for annual ritual viewing on New Year's eve. It's certainly better than most of the stuff they always show on German TV on the occasion.

Karnavalnaya Noch was the first comedy made by the Russian director Eldar Ryazanov. Filled with music, dances and singing it featured Ludmila Gurchenko in her first role and the renowned stage and film actor Igor Ilyinsky as Ogurtsov, an old-fashioned bureaucrat-stand-in director of the Culture Palace where the team of young people is trying to put together a musical programme to celebrate the New Year's Eve. Sergei Fillipov is particularly funny as a tipsy lecturer who is invited by Ogurtsov to read a lecture about life on Mars on the New Years Eve, and Yuri Belov is good as a shy electrician who is in love with Lena Krylova(Gurchenko) The film is a light "feeling good" viewing, it is ageless and can be watched over and over again.

Ryzanov is a master cardsharper. If you want to promote jazz to USSR, give this job to Ryazanov, and he will make it so in his movies, that the only alternative to glowing jazzy number is a "Life on Mars" lecture, the only alternative to gay clown number is pensioner's orchestra, and so on. For this habit of his "Karnavalnaya noch" leaves a bitter aftertaste, like you were double crossed but you can not understand where. For all this con gaming of Ryazanov a main character is made responsible - the new boss in the social culture club. Youths are preparing the cultural program for Happy New Year: songs, dances, numbers. And the new boss has set his task to poke his nose into every point of the program and mostly in the negative and prohibiting way. Finally he comes to conclusion that the program is mostly unacceptable and starts to prepare his own program by inviting quite inappropriate stuff: a scientific lecturer, a pensioner's orchestra, and the like. Youths see that he is going to ruin their Happy New Year and take measures which make the main сomedy of situations part of this movie: the absolutely serious and emotionally cold boss, somewhat nerdy and somewhat old fad, hectic, energetic, inevitable as any newly appointed boss, being tricked and played by youths in the atmosphere of Happpy New Year carnival. Well quite universal comedy situation, if not to pretend to be a social satire. The elements of social satire are thrown in just like you can not but have them, and have no good connection to the major comedy of the movie, quite according to the main hero's motto "And now we need something serious for our program". Bang, and there you are, a 40 minute lecture. Later they made a kind of sequel with the same boss appointed to run a tourist base, and some related characters like same scientific lecturer, the same secretary, same actors, and based it mainly on the social satire, and it was a complete flop that nobody hardly knows about the existence of the sequel. That is a good sigh that the "Karnavalnaya noch"'s message is not a simple sum of plot and action. Anyway an hour and a half of joyful watching and good laughs are guaranteed with "Karnavalnaya noch". The comedy was an instant success in the USSR and remains these days. Enjoy.

If you have Prime, the movie is included. It's in Russian, which I do not understand, but the music and production make it 100% watchable. The print is pristine, too.

Plot (from Wikipedia) It is New Year's Eve and the employees of a House of culture are ready with their annual New Year's entertainment program. It includes a lot of dancing and singing, jazz band performance and even magic tricks. Suddenly, an announcement is made that a new director has been appointed and that he is arriving shortly. Comrade Ogurtsov arrives in time to review and disapprove of the scheduled entertainment. To him, holiday fun has a different meaning. He imagines speakers reading annual reports to show the club's progress over the year, and, perhaps, a bit of serious music, something from the Classics, played by the Veterans' orchestra.

Obviously, no one wants to change the program a few hours before the show, much less to replace it with something so boring! Now everyone has to team up in order to prevent Ogurtsov from getting to the stage. As some of them trap Ogurtsov one way or another, others perform their scheduled pieces and celebrate New Year's Eve.

Comedy. The first work of Eldar Aleksandrovich Ryazanov, who, after the success of this picture, became famous throughout the great and mighty Soviet Union, and who would later shoot a whole galaxy of paintings that became classics of Soviet cinema. I confess to you that I wanted to see this picture for a long time, but only now, almost on New Year's Eve, I was able to do it. And after watching the impressions are extremely good. I didn't even find a single minus, which is extremely rare in movies. And here's my brief opinion for you - How the cultural workers furnished their director. And, since no minuses were found, I will tell you about the advantages of this New Year's comedy, without which it is impossible to imagine this holiday now (well, and without the "Irony of Fate" of course). Therefore, we will not delay.

So, the well-deserved advantages: 1. Scenario - the picture tells about the collective of a typical Soviet Palace of Culture of the mid-fifties of the last century, who are preparing to give a grandiose performance - a New Year's carnival. But a nuisance happens, they appoint a new director, Comrade Ogurtsov, who changes the program at the last moment, violating all plans and all the work of the team. But, there are witty comrades who are ready to bring down Ogurtsov's plans and still hold a carnival, as planned. The script does not shine with sharpness or originality, but its presentation pleases. Images, dialogues, the choice of actors - that's what the picture takes. I'm just not talking about quotes and phrases that have long gone to the people. You already know that. It is interesting to watch what is happening on the screen, and the timing is not very large (one hour fifteen minutes), so you do not have time to get bored or lose this very interest. Even the romantic line is written correctly and therefore it looks nice, and there is a "spark" between lovers.

2. Humor is a comedy, so there will be both jokes and a lot of funny situations. They ridicule here mainly the image of Comrade Ogurtsov, who is a typical sycophant, a hypocrite and a hanger-on of his superiors, and also in his image there is clearly a ridicule of censorship, which actually ruins art and does not allow it to develop (this does not apply to the Soviet one, in most cases). Comrade lecturer also turned out to be a kind of parody of the enlighteners of that time. Of course, now most jokes are not as funny as they were then, but they will definitely cause a smile, because the efforts of the creators and even love for this creation are visible, and this is the key to a good picture.

3. Songs - where are we without "A song about five minutes", "Tanya" and "A song about a good mood" and so on. Without them, it is impossible to imagine a New Year's feast (and not only that). The songs turned out to be sensual, soulful, uplifting, magnificent, iconic and legendary. I knew about the last two songs for a long time, but I didn't know where they came from, now I have filled this gap, for which I am grateful to this picture.

4. New Year's atmosphere - the picture is full of it from beginning to end. This very atmosphere with a touch of the fifties (you can't get away from it, so it's at least interesting within the framework of history), but even so, the picture smells of an upcoming holiday. Clowns, champagne splashes, cheerful mood, performances of artists, congratulations and so on. You can list it for a long time, but I won't bore you with it. Just know that if you want to immerse yourself in this atmosphere, then you are definitely here.

5. Rental - I am amazed how censorship allowed this picture to be rented, if we recall the image of Comrade Ogurtsov. But this image is not outdated, and even now it is reflected in real life. You know what I'm talking about. Various resources write about the frenzied popularity of this picture in the year of release. I conclude that Soviet censorship was correct, fair and adequate (in the vast majority of cases). Now oh, how lacking such an organization, oh, how lacking comrades!

A little about the main characters: 1. Lenochka Krylova performed by Lyudmila Gurchenko is the organizer of the New Year's carnival, who finds a way out of the difficult situation in which the team got into. Clever, beautiful and just a talent. The picture became the debut of the wonderful Soviet and Russian actress Lyudmila Gurchenko, and a fantastic debut. Bravo!

2. Grisha Koltsov performed by Yuri Belov is an electrician of the Palace of Culture, who is secretly in love with Lenochka Krylova, but is shy to admit it to her. A kind and resourceful guy who takes an active part in Lenochka's secret plan. Yuri Belov coped with the role perfectly. Bravo!

3. Serafim Ogurtsov, performed by Igor Ilyinsky, is the acting director of the Palace of Culture, who intends to redo the entire program of the New Year's Carnival based on his vision, and also with an eye on his superiors. Comrade Ogurtsov is a typical Soviet official, a hypocrite, a hang-on. Although in the picture he was shown more comical, and not devoid of his charm. Igor Vladimirovich was simply inimitable here. Bravo!

I also want to mention the small role of the lecturer, which was performed by the wonderful actor Sergei Filippov, Adelaide Kuzminichna Romashkina performed by Olga Vlasova and Tosya Burygin performed by Tamara Nosova.

I am sincerely glad that I was finally able to get acquainted with this classic of Soviet cinema, especially in a restored version with an improved picture and high-quality sound, which I advise you to do.

As a result, we have another masterpiece Soviet comedy, with a great script, vivid images, high-quality humor, great songs, and inimitable acting works.

My rating is 10 out of 10 and my recommendation for viewing!

P. S. I want to congratulate all movie lovers on the upcoming New Year. Wish happiness, joy, material and spiritual wealth, and most importantly - good health. May the New Year bring us all only joyful news and happy moments. Happy New Year comrades! Hurray!