Ambiguous impressions after watching. On the one hand, it’s a very good idea in the film, and on the other hand, it’s not the best way to put it into practice. George Burkova would put 9 out of 10, and the directors have questions. Let’s try to figure out what they were up to.
Without moving on to the main theme of the film, the first thing that caught my eye was a bad casting. In Soviet times, probably did not hear about this word, but there were people responsible for the selection of artists, given of course the dominant opinion of the director. So, throughout the picture before us a child, which by coincidence, a young girl left in the care of a soldier who came from the front. We learn from her mouth that it is a boy. And then something like a farce begins. Either they could not pick up the boy, as Kadkin calls him, or the make-up guys did not work well, but the fact remains that the whole film does not leave the persistent feeling that we are in front of a girl. The child is wrapped in women's clothes, a women's headscarf and a purely maiden face. But Kadkin calls him a boy, a man. How is that possible? The child in the frame is constantly and this ridiculous discrepancy completely kills viewing.
Keep moving. When Kuzma Kadkin returns from the front to his native Chikhachevo, he is in no hurry to go home, because he has a child in his arms. Afraid of his wife's wrath. But pardon me, he's a soldier, he's a hero, he didn't cheat on his wife in the end, and he's sloppy. How is that possible?
The next nuance, if I may say so. When he finally got up the courage and approached his home gate, what did he see? He saw his wife with four children. He looks at them, they look at him. Oil painting. Immediately recalls an interesting expression: "The picture of Repin sailed all night rowing, and the boat forgot to untie." To any person, this moment will seem far-fetched. You can immediately see that the director's setup, the director put them there, and they look at each other. Moreover, in the eyes of the hero Burkov there were stingy male tears at the same time with intricate sparkles. How is that possible?
These are the moments you can't go anywhere. Well, on the snack, of course, the wife's disbelief in the man's innocence. After all, the same villager Nyurka (Maya Bulgakova) tells her that it does not matter who would come, at least with one, at least with two or three children, if only alive. As Stanislavsky said, “I don’t believe it.” How is that possible?
Taking into account all the above, I will nevertheless give a positive assessment, both for the idea and out of respect for the merits of George Burkov. A good Russian actor and man. I recommend reading his memoir, The Heart Chronicle.
5 out of 10