Director Yuri Grymov called PR scandals around the new film based on Bulgakov
Photo: Evgenia GUSEVA
The scandals surrounding the new film based on Bulgakov are nothing more than a public relations campaign to recover a lot of money, the famous artistic director of the Modern Theater, Yuri Grymov, spoke about this on Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda.
SUCH PEOPLE AND WITHOUT CENSORSHIP
– Remember, Yuri, Gorky: “Who are you with, masters of culture?” Did you have to impose any restrictions when the SVO started?
– My restrictions are from my parents. Education and tact are dictated by the family. The creator sets limits. Nobody else.
– Do you censor yourself?
– You can call it whatever you want. I don’t see any restrictions. I have been directing the state theater “Moderno” for many years, for several years I have been doing the trilogy “Antichrist and Christ”, “Peter the Great”, and now “Judas” has been released. And I didn’t receive any recommendations…
– So there are no instructions from above? But are there songs that you could play before and now you can’t?
– An acquaintance fought in the Northern Military District, unfortunately he died, but in his letter there are surprising words: “now is not the time for fun, but for joy.” Joy is like happiness. If we talk about happiness, we will talk about family and the health of loved ones. Therefore, we discuss any of our performances for a long time, what joy we want to share.
-And you stage “Judas” in dangerous times, when there are many spectators with religious sensitivity. You are not afraid?
– I sincerely believe in what I do. We were probably the first to tell the historical truth about Peter the Great: not a romantic hero, but a tough man. He united the state and the church, personally executed his son… But none of the spectators were offended by the performance. Famous priests came to see Judas. There was a theologian Pavel Velikanov. He said: Take a deep bow for what you showed: Christ is not a myth, he is not a beautiful fairy tale, but a man.
– There was another bold work “We Don’t Need Flowers” about the Nuremberg trials.
– The first act of the play ends with a prayer service in Spandau prison (where Nazi criminals were imprisoned). Captured Russian, French, American and even German guards are praying for deliverance from the Cuban missile crisis. If you watch the performance, you will understand what people go through in their desire to prevent a major disaster, for example, so that neither the United States nor Russia press the atomic button.
“NUDE UNDER THE ROYAL TUNIC”
-How do you feel, an artist, about the possibility of being sentenced to prison for your spoken word?
– 15 years ago I made the film “Aliens”, about how the Americans, in the style of “Doctors Without Borders”, interfered in the life of the Muslim world of Africa. The film was banned in the USA because I raised a forbidden topic: I showed how history can be distorted, broken over the knee… Napoleon said wonderful words: “I want to surprise Parisians so much that I am ready to get married. Nª Sª.” Do you understand that this is impossible to say in the mouth of a Russian? But, on the other hand, can we blame Napoleon for this?
– You once said that there is nothing more banal than putting on “The Master and Margarita” in the theater.
– (with horror) Did I say that?!
– Yes. Now a film has been made based on Bulgakov.
– Now your PR campaign is underway…
– Is all this noise around the film just a public relations campaign?
– Certainly! That’s a lot of money. Do you remember the phrase: any mention that is not an obituary is already good? Public relations for a film are very important, because cinema is a fleeting commodity and deteriorates quickly. If you don’t raise money the first weekend, it’s all over.
– The first weekend “The Master and Margarita” took first place.
– Do you know who took it? Bulgakov. They went towards him.
– Artist and State Duma deputy Nikolai Burlyaev said that the film based on Bulgakov is dangerous for Russia; this is a statement of satanism… I remember something similar happened with the movie “Matilda”.
– “Matilda” made me very angry! We very scrupulously prepare performances on historical themes: letters, facts, no jokes… And there, Matilda lies naked and, she remembers, what is she covered with? Ermine mantle. A symbol of power! It couldn’t be like this! The emperor was raised on spiritual ties, after all, on faith. A naked woman cannot lie under a royal cloak! The fact that there is demonic behavior in The Master and Margarita is 100% certain, but it is a question of balance. The question is: where is this movie going?
“RUSSIA IS MERCIFUL. “MANY WILL RETURN”
– What good Russian things have you seen lately?
– The film “Varava”. Very well done. I’m glad that movies like that also exist, and not just “The Boys.”
– Do you notice a revival of Russian cinema?
– Quantitatively it is increasing many times, but qualitatively, unfortunately, it is growing more slowly. It is necessary to produce more than 250 films a year for good cinema to appear, and quantity becomes quality. Now maximum 150…
– What do you think of the cultural figures who left the country?
– I’m sure many will return. Someone today is cynically happy: there is less competition, that’s bad! She is very important. Who do you compare yourself to? When I watch a brilliant Russian film or performance and am impressed and inspired, I definitely find my colleague’s phone number and call him. Then, out of the blue, the great animator Harry Bardeen called me after watching my film “The Kukotsky Affair”: hello, I wanted to congratulate you on your victory, it’s an incredible job. Do you think I was satisfied?
– Yes to you. But will Russia be able to accept those who left?
– Russia is merciful. And there is a law of Christianity: a repentant sinner is no longer a sinner.
– Are they sinners?
– In a different way. Those who leave and allow their compatriots to be insulted in their speeches are wrong. The left is your right. History will put everything in its place. But you don’t have the right to humiliate people. And the words of politicians that culture can be put on pause are nonsense. It is impossible to erase culture, including Western culture, from Russia. Russian Peredvizhniki worked in France and Italy. Just as it is impossible to separate Russian ballet from world ballet and Russian theater from world theater. Simply impossible!
