Dauria | |
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Directed by | Viktor Tregubovich |
Written by | Konstantin Sedykh |
Starring | Vitali Solomin Petr Shelokhonov Yefim Kopelyan Vasily Shukshin Yury Solomin |
Cinematography | Yevgeny Mezentsev |
Music by | Gennady Portnov |
Production company | |
Distributed by | RUSCICO |
Release date |
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Running time | 182 minutes |
Country | Soviet Union |
Language | Russian |
Dauria (Russian: Даурия) is a 1971 Soviet historical adventure drama set in Siberia, Russia. Adapted from the novel of the same name by Konstantin Sedykh[1] and directed by Viktor Tregubovich.
While the movie was criticized by some Soviet critics for its historical inaccuracies, its epic scope and intense battle scenes won wide praise and has been credited with affecting the political landscape of Siberian Russia.
Epic film about traditional life of Cossacks in the Siberian province of Dauria at the time of the communist revolution. Focused on a Cossack village that is living like one big family under the guidance of a strong leader - Ataman (Kopelyan).
Young Cossack Roman Ulybin (Solomin) is in love with beautiful Dashutka (Golovina). Roman is asking his father, Severian Ulybin (Shelokhonov), to send a Matchmaker (Shukshina) before it's too late. But father Severian has no money, while wealthy crook has already hired the Matchmaker, and his son gets married at the lavish traditional wedding with singing, dancing and drinking in the Russian style.
So, frustrated Roman Ulybin leaves his father's home to follow his big brother Vasili, a Communist leader who promises happiness after the revolution. But, after the revolution, people suffer a cascade of troubles. Good old traditional life is destroyed by chaos, lawlessness and crime. Greed and envy blinds many people, and they forget their good traditions and life as good neighbors. Cossack leader Ataman is brutally beaten and humiliated by executioner. Roman's father, Severian, is murdered in a wrongful dispute, and Roman is too late to reconcile with his father.