"Kutuzov aka 1812" Topic

Very old but still interesting film.
Also that the principal actor was a politic prisioner by Stalin.

"Aleksei Dikij (also spelled "Dikiy") does an excellent job of portraying Kutuzov. Having appeared on stage since the age of 6, Dikij had been accused of anti-Soviet activities in 1937 and exiled to a Gulag prison-camp in Siberia. After his release in 1941, he began acting again and was cast in the title role of Kutuzov. His performance so impressed Joseph Stalin that he became something of a favorite of the dictator. Dikij went on to play Stalin in a number of Soviet films, and was awarded the Stalin Prize five times. He died in 1955.
Given that he was the chief bad guy in the film, Semyon Mezhinsky gives a brooding and thoughtful performance as Napoleon. His resemblance to the Emperor is near perfect, and though his screen time is limited, he effectively conveys Napoleon's growing realization that invading Russia may not have been that great of an idea. Seymon Mezhinsky had a distinguished career on stage and appeared in a handful of important films. He had also made a name for himself as a theater critic. He died in 1978.
Kutuzov opened in American theaters in September 1944, and received a favorable review by Albert Goldberg in the Chicago Daily Tribune for November 7, 1944. Goldberg described the film as being of absorbing interest, and one not to be by-passed by any student of history. He concluded his review by noting that "the restraint with which the picture avoids the obvious and omits distasteful propaganda is noteworthy. While the photography and production as a whole do not compare with the best American standards, the battle scenes are impressive and the acting of A. Dykki as Kutuzov, of N. Okhlopkov as Barclay, and of S. Mezhinsky as Napoleon, is distinguished."
To the extent that modern film audiences are familiar with Napoleon's invasion of Russia at all, their exposure to the events on film has been mostly through the various versions of War and Peace. Kutuzov tells much of the same story, but without the soap opera elements of Tolstoy's great work. Kutuzov solely tells the military side of the story, and there is no room for romance. But even so, it is at least a minor classic, and has been unjustly neglected"

From
link

Hope you enjoy!.

Amicalement
Armand

Armand

Enjoyed the video clip. I wish someone would make these old films more easily available, with subtitles or not. Let's hope, since this year is the anniversary of 1812, there will be some 1812 surprises on the way.

I hope it too my friend!.

Amicalement
Armand