You know it`s a man`s game The plot is based on the story of the confrontation between two athletes, experienced, honored decathlete Andrei Burov and his young rival, the recent winner of the junior championship Viktor Aseev. Moreover, the authors were interested not only in the purely sports vicissitudes of this confrontation, but also in its psychological content. Where is the line between permissible and unacceptable means of struggle to achieve the goal?
Already at the very beginning of the film, Andrei shows an irritated and jealous attitude to a young successful rival. Upon learning that the documentary filmmakers are going to make Victor the hero of the future film, he scornfully remarks: “You are from the dirt, but to the princes!” Andrey behaves incorrectly during the race for three thousand meters, deliberately "holding" Victor in front of the barriers. However, after a while, he suddenly offered his “friendship.” An extremely aggressive Victor unambiguously suppresses this attempt at rapprochement: “Don’t get into my soul!” Your days are numbered... No baton transfer. I'll just ... kick you off the saddle."" In this shocking rudeness, an obvious count on the psychological trauma of the opponent. The calculation is correct. Losing to Victor one kind of decathlon after another, Andrey becomes more nervous, irritated and in the end, while throwing the disc with fury throws his disk towards the opponent. In a conversation with his wife, shocked by this, to put it mildly, unsportsmanlike act, Andrey calls Victor a "snotty" and "a loose boor." It is all the more surprising that immediately, going down with Tanya in a cafe and meeting Victor there, the rivals become friendly and affectionate and Victor, whom we managed to recognize as a rude and embittered person, charmingly smiling, offers to "arrange an evening of open hearts." And then Victor “opens his heart” to Tanya, trustingly telling her that his beloved girl left him, because he simply beat her. That’s why, Victor explains, he’s “angry at the world, especially women.” And starts to talk about “first love”. Just as inexplicable is Tanya’s behavior at times. For example, in the first scene of the film, she frantically pleads with the coach: “We need to save Andrei!” Let him lose, but let it all end soon. Well, help him get away! However, at the next meeting, Tanya with proud confidence tells the coach: “He does not think to give up.” No way! Why Tanya suddenly found such a firm confidence in the ability of Andrei not only to continue to participate in the competition, but also to win, remains unclear.
These unexpected spiritual metamorphoses, these sharp changes in positions and moods testify, alas, not to the complex contradictions of the inner world of the characters, but only to the shortcomings of the script. The dialogue is also clearly underwhelmed, for example, Tanya during a frank conversation with her husband gives the following tirade: “You forget that I am your wife – the wife of an athlete!” Fighter's wife! Always with you! In hotels, in dining rooms... You're on the stage of fame, and I'm with you! You fall down and I'm with you!
Obviously aware of the flaws of the script, the director and the cameraman inventively play the “facture” of sports. Creating a temperamental, dynamic, vivid spectacle on the screen with unexpected angles. Also, the film is interesting because real Soviet athletes starred in the main roles, in the role of shameless big guy-blonde Viktor - Anatoly Grachev, curly mustachioed Andrei was played by Mikhail Bariban, and a funny, insecure Kostya - Viktor Gruzenkin. All of them are very good for non-professionals and give the story a little more organic, after all, real athletes. In female roles Baltic actresses; wife of Andrei Tatiana - "steel magnolia" Aquelina Livmane, a young filmmaker - charming cheeky Inessa Saulite, in small roles of the director and his assistant popular handsome Gunar Cilinsky and Ivar Kalnins. Not to mention the bright soundtrack of Ivars Wigners, then drive and neck, but lounge relaxed.