Big School-Break | |
---|---|
Created by | Gosteleradio |
Written by | Aleksei Korenev Georgy Sadovnikov |
Directed by | Aleksei Korenev |
Starring | Mikhail Kononov Aleksandr Zbruyev Yevgeny Leonov Rolan Bykov Lyudmila Kasatkina |
Theme music composer | Eduard Kolmanovsky |
Country of origin | Soviet Union |
Original language | Russian |
No. of episodes | 4 |
Production | |
Cinematography | Anatoly Mukasei |
Running time | 268 min |
Original release | |
Release | 1972 1973 | –
Big School-Break (or Big Break translit. Bolshaya Peremena, Russian: Большая перемена) is a Soviet 1972 TV miniseries in 4 episodes. It was known in the US as The Long Recess, and it is loosely based on Georgy Sadovnikov's novel Walk towards people (Иду к людям).
Nestor Petrovich Severov, a student preparing to start his PhD in Russian history, has his ego bruised by his girl-friend, who beats him on their entrance exam. He starts working at a night school, having had his spot at a graduate program taken away by the young woman. He soon finds out that teaching adults can be very hard, especially when they aren't willing to learn.
The film was shot in Yaroslavl (Central Park, Kotoroslnaya embankment, Damansky Island etc.)[1] and Moscow (Moscow State Pedagogical University).[2]
External videos | |
---|---|
Black and White |
The main song of the film is Black and White (Russian: Чёрное и белое, lit. 'Chyornoe i beloe'), sang by Svetlana Kryuchkova, written by Eduard Kolmanovsky and Mikhail Tanich specifically for her.[3][4]
In the wake of the huge film success, this song became associated with Kryuchkova for many years.[5][6][7]
Despite critical reviews, the film is considered a classic[8] and is often shown on Russian TV channels.
Mikhail Kononov was skeptical about the film. In his memoirs, he wrote: "In the multi-series "Big School-Break", the full spectre of four generations of actors was collected, ranging from popular folk to those who had just graduated from theater schools. I had to justify phantasmagoric situations and an absurd script. A lot has been written about the "Big School-Break", and it was successfully held abroad. Such was the strength of talents in Russia at that time. Any nonsense in their performance looked cute and charming, and most importantly — sincere".[9]