An episode from Western life. Made in the USSR. A tense thriller-catastrophe from the distant 1960s, when Soviet people were attracted to Western life, a magical, sparkling world of comfort and comfortable things, a world of dangerous temptations and a frightening grin of capitalism, a world of supermarkets where there is everything you want, but also a world of exploitation of workers and racial oppression.
In the wake of interest in the frightening and alluring world of the West in the 60s and early 70s, several paintings were shot recreating, rather than imitating, foreign cinematic reality, or rather a peculiar idea of it by Soviet filmmakers. Of course, American and European films were in the Soviet box office, but it was much more interesting to shoot such films themselves (bright examples: To Kill a Man 1960, Coin 1962, Trap (1965), Chronicle of the Night 1972, etc.).
These paintings were anti-bourgeois in nature, showing society as full of unhealthy contrasts, but there were decent people who could be sympathized with. However, all this is the background, and the first was: a sharp plot, beautiful actors, unusual surroundings and costumes, cool music. Such is the “713th”, it has all the above, and a tense story with political notes (writers Leontiev-Donatov), and a stylish black and white picture (operators Levitin-Wexler), and a pleasant jazz soundtrack (George Portnov), and of course a good cast. From the motley audience gathered on board the plane, I will highlight: the elegant handsome Otar Koberidze (a loser lawyer), the textured Efim Kopelyan (a salesman-pharmacist), the wrinkled Oscar Linda (a shy label collector), the young Lev Krugly (a cinematographer), and even younger Vladimir Vysotsky (an American sailor). How good are actresses! Beautiful for every taste! Mysterious Lyudmila Abramova (screen star, incognito), lovely Nonna Ten (Vietnamese student), doll Irina Gubanova (with a fashionable babette), plump Lyudmila Shagalova (eccentric fifa in furs), fashionable Estonian Eve Kivi (stewardess).
The film still looks hurried, I blame the creators only some fragmentary in the presentation of the material, there is a feeling that something was cut out, and a little clamped with anti-capitalist pathos.
Bottom line: "713 asks for a landing" is a stylish black and white hello from the naive 60s. A beautiful piece in the mosaic of our great Soviet cinema.