An Unfinished Piece for Player Piano

MOSFILM

AN UNFINISHED PIECE FOR THE PLAYER PIANO

Based on the works by A.P. Chekhov

Written by A. ADABASHIAN, N. MIKHALKOV

Directed by Nikita MIKHALKOV

Director of Photography Pavel LEBESHEV

Production Designers:

Alexander ADABASHIAN Alexander SAMULEKIN

Music by Eduard ARTEMYEV Sound by Valentin BOBROVSKY

Cast:

Mikhail Vassilyevich Platonov - Alexander KALYAGIN

Sophia Yegorovna - Yelena SOLOVEY Sashenka - Yevgenia GLUSHENKO

Anna Petrovna Voinitseva - Antonina SHURANOVA

Sergey Pavlovich Voinitsev - Yuri BOGATYRYOV

Pavel Petrovich Shcherbuk - Oleg TABAKOV

Porfiry Semyonovich Glagolyev - Nikolai PASTUKHOV

Ivan Ivanovich Triletsky - Pavel KADOCHNIKOV

Nikolai Ivanovich Triletsky - Nikita MIKHALKOV

Gerasim Kuzmich Petrin - Anatoly ROMASHIN

Verochka - Natalya NAZAROVA Lizochka - Xenia MININA

Yakov - Sergey NIKONENKO Petechka - Seryozha GURYEV

Do you remember the Kalitins?

Ksyusha Kalitina, that plump girl...

I had an affair with her which was even more annoying.

I kept calling on them,

putting her mother to great expenses in terms of coffee.

We took walks on shady paths. I was young and timid then.

So once they made me stay for the night.

Well, I stayed for the night. I went to bed.

And in the middle of the night, you know...

The door opens, and an old woman appears in my room.

She was about eighty, absolutely deaf, and with an enema bag in her hands.

And, pardon me, she gave me an enema.

I didn't resist. I decided it was a custom at their house.

And in the morning I found out that she just got the wrong room.

After that, of course, I stopped visiting them as a suitor.

- And what's even more funny... - It's neither funny, nor proper!

Thank you! My flesh is yearning for a smoke. I haven't smoked today yet.

Last winter at the opera

I saw a young man cry under the impact of beautiful music.

- Do you think it's good? - It's very good.

Then tell me, please,

why the ladies and gentlemen around him were smiling?

Smiling at what?

- Porfiry Semyonovich. - I'm listening.

It's them, simple people like him, are the keepers of morality.

In them is the salvation of our idea.

You're stepping on his foot.

In our time people lived differently, they loved differently.

We loved women like gallant knights.

We treated them differently, we saw in them the best person.

And the woman, Sergey Pavlovich, is the best person.

Why cheat? How did that pawn get here?

You put that pawn here.

- Oh, yes, pardon. - That's right, pardon.

In our time one was ready to go into fire for one's friends.

And what do we have now?

Now we have firemen to go into fire.

Let's get serious, however. What I was talking about the other day...

I see the national idea as a kind of cloud

filled with a life-giving moisture ready to irrigate the fields of

culture sown with the seeds of progress.

Maman doesn't like it...

Poor Russia, our kind country.

Come here, nice dog. Come here, my little doggie.

Oh, how she whistles, my God! Just like a mouzhik.

An amazing woman.

Are you going to make your move?

I'm bored, let's finish it later.

When she's winning, she wouldn't budge.

As soon as she begins to lose, she's bored.

Anna Petrovna, it's not fair, let's continue.

Or I'll consider you the loser.

Well, you may consider so.

In that case, you owe me 3 rubles. With your previous debt, 10.

When may I have the honor of collecting that money, good woman?

When will the Gypsies be here at last?

Nikolai Ivanovich, I... I don't like it!

Maman, tell him!

Shall I consider you my debtor or you'll pay right away?

Sergel, give to this God's fool ten rubles.

But, maman...

I don't know... When father was alive...

I don't know...

I'd better go and drink some wine.

The gentry! They're worse than paisants.

No hygiene! Drowning a chair!

So the woman is the best person, Porfiry Semyonovich?

The best.

You're a great lover of women, Porfiry Semyonovich.

Yes, I love women. I worship them.

It's enough to know only one woman, you,

to worship all of them.

Oh, God! The Platonovs are coming!

Well, at last!

- By the way, what do you think of him? - Michel is a clever man.

I lost my cuff-link while mowing. Where on earth could I lose it?

I'll go look for it.

One cannot but respect Michel. Talking to him is a pleasure.

He's a nice man.

Though too hot and captious... Too young.

God gracious, our Mikhail has swollen like a devil! A real bull!

His wife has put on weight, too. Small and round, like a bun!

Would you like some tea? Come to the table, please.

At long last we're not at home. This winter has been endless!

For 6 months we haven't seen parquet, or high ceilings, or even people.

How are you? Are you good to your stepson?

Of course, I am! He's calling me maman now, instead of stepmother.

And we were so much bored throughout the winter.

We ate, we slept, and read to each other... Too bad...

Why bad? It was a little dull, but we lived well.

My goodness, they both grew so stout! Happy people!

We're having Gypsies today, and a wonderful surprise.

Porfiry Semyonovich, I can see you! Hello!

But Sergel! Is that really him?

Where's your long hair, your blouse, your small tenor? Say something!

- I'm a nincompoop! - A basso!

A perfect basso!

- It's so stuffy! - I guess there will be a rain.

Misha! Mishenka!

Dammit, Sergey Pavlovich!

Why didn't you tell me, my dear? You've got married, and not saying it!

Well, how do you like me? I did it fast and neat!

I fell in love and got married.

Congratulations! I wish you all the best!

Now you'll know the best side of life.

She wouldn't be pleased until you marry. She's crazy about weddings.

It's not weddings, I just like everything to be right.

I'm so pleased! Thank you!

I'm happy, very happy!

What? What?

What? Oh, no, nothing.

- What is it? - I just wanted some milk.

You know, in Syzran a blue-eyed raven was caught by maiden Tereshchuk.

In Syzran!

But where's Sophie?

Sophie and Porfiry Semyonovich went to the pond. They'll be back soon.

I'm not some Oriental sovereign to hide my wife from you.

Salute to the enlightened Slavs! Long live the relatives!

Hurray to the General's wife!

Ah, the lousy physician, good to see you!

Hale and healthy, shining and ruddy, reeking of wine from early morning!

Trying to be clever? Don't bother.

Who was it shooting? Kolka?

- At whom? - At me.

- Did he miss? - No, on the spot!

Oh, my dear!

Papa, you're already here!

Colonel Triletsky's lucky constellation! How are you, my dear?

You're saluted from a Krupp cannon! Oh God, it's too bad.

Sashenka, my darling! I haven't beholden you for ages.

Sit down! Sit down, I said! I order you!

Are you in good health, Sashenka? Me, I have never been ill in my life.

Though my heart sometimes ached on the account of the weaker sex,

but that ailment is delightful, no need for pharmacopoeia.

Who put the broom here? Was it Mitka? Stupid.

- How is my grandson? - He's fine. He bows his regards.

He already knows how to bow?

- That should be taken figuratively. - Yes, of course, figuratively!

Anna Petrovna, my dear!

You know, I... Leave me alone! You know, I bought a new double-barrel.

We'll go and hunt snipes!

My divine Diana! I adore such creatures.

That's what women's emancipation is all about.

You kiss her shoulder, and it smells of gun-powder.

Your Excellency! Alexandra of Macedonia!

You've already had a shot in the morning, Colonel?

Now I see why you're clucking so boisterously.

I was here as early as 8 o'clock.

Everybody was still asleep when I came here

and began stomping my feet.

Then she appeared, laughing.

We split a bottle of madeira. Diana had 3 glasses, and I, the rest.

Is it necessary to tell about it?

And here I am! Hello!

Hello, sis!

What is it? A hat? And this?

And who is that over there? How are you, Your Excellency?

Well, how you doing, Michel?

It's a long story, and not very interesting.

Excuse me...

Nikolai Ivanovich, I don't like yourjokes!

Maman, tell him!

Nikolai Ivanovich, I don't like...

- Is your Kolka all right? - Yes, he's all right.

- Has he grown a big boy? - A big boy.

- Very, very big? - Very, very big.

Father!

Colonel!

Nowadays they give only Greek names.

Don't sleep, Colonel! Don't sleep, I said!

I'm awake.

Stop it, I beg you. Papa, you mustn't sleep here.

I'm not sleeping, daughter. Everything's all right, thank God...

A comic, a clown, an ataman. He's all that.

Once he sewed up the pockets of his tunic...

Then he filled his snuff-box with salt...

Ladies and gentlemen, this is my wife, Sophia Yegorovna!

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!

You've stolen my wife, haven't you?