Warkies are free people, not what you think. Warkies are free people, and not what you think.
Prince Maruch. The Road of Courage dir. H. Daurov
The first steps of each national cinematography, as a rule, are marked by a specific film about the beauties of nature and a documentary review of national history. With the first game pictures there are options. It happens that young cinematography wants to immediately make a catchy statement on the world stage, takes a foreign manufacturer as a companion and releases a blockbuster, the main element of which is exotic. One “Great Albanian Warrior Skanderberg” is worth it! A second (and more frequent) young movie is made for domestic use. To comprehend the historical path and the present day of a small people within the family, and only then to bring the national exotic to the public. For example, the cinema of Yakutia, being already recognized throughout Russia, is still in this state in most production units. On the all-Russian screen is 5 percent of the filmed in Yakutia, and all the rest is watched only by residents of the republic. The main goal is to present our people with their customs, traditions, values, their history to all mankind. Show yourself and see yourself through the eyes of others.
The fact that the history of the Basmachi movement and the struggle against it, a resident of Tallinn began to perceive as his native, is a great merit of the Uzbekfilm film studio. And remember how quickly burst into the glossary of Russians the mysterious word “abrek” immediately after the premiere TV show of the Georgian series “Breek”. And I'm not talking about the word "fazenda." “Prince Maruch. The Road of Courage is, strictly speaking, not the first Adyghe film. The first attempt was made three decades ago. But there was a false start. And here is a more thorough and fundamental test to show the Adyghe character and pages of the native history.
Given the huge time intervals in the creation of national films, director Hussein Daurov tried to use his chance to the maximum. To make a picture interesting both for residents of the republic and for those who live from the Caucasus in the distance. For this historical episode from the beginning of the 19th century, he tries to decorate in the style of the genre of popular culture. Prince Maruch is a classic road movie with elements of western and melodrama. The road of courage is the path of Prince Maruch who returned from Egypt along Bzhedugia and Abazinia. Why is this trip alone necessary for a silent and sad prince? What was he looking for? Only the people of Adygea will understand this. The fact is that two centuries ago the Adygei-Circassian society was in a feudal state. The fragmented clans were ruled by princes, who were in extremely difficult relations with each other. The European rule “the vassal of my vassal is not my vassal” is an example of simplicity and logic against the background of the social structure of the Adygs of the Middle Ages. Tfokotli, Warki, Shaotligus, Dizhinugo, Tlekotleshi, Pshi - this I found on the Internet on request "social statuses of the inhabitants of Adygea and Circassia of the 19th century." Half of these words I saw in the credits of the film, and then felt about the same as when reading the description of modern computer games, that is, a moron. But the relationship between all these tophokotleys and Shaotligus was extremely complicated. Who is a slave for whom, who is an enemy for whom, who can order whom, and who is not – all this entanglement resulted in a unique Caucasian etiquette – an unwritten code of honor, when it is impossible to kill even a sworn enemy if he is not armed. And against this historical background goes on his journey on a crow horse Prince handsome widower.
They will try to kill the prince, not because he has disturbed anyone, but because the code of honor requires it. Those who have killed him will eventually take care of him. The prince will fall in love with a commoner and this will become another challenge to medieval society. But there are options in which love can be preserved, and society not to split.
This film was shown at the closing of the Days of Adyghe cinema in Moscow in the White Hall of the Cinema House. And it was full. I think the Russian subtitles were just for me that night. In any case, the room burst into laughter or exhaled amicably two seconds before me when I first started reading the new subtitle. The Kabardino-Adygei-Circassian diaspora of Moscow came to listen to their native speech. Every time a hero on a horse, a hero with a sword, a hero with a gun, a heroine with a jug, a heroine with a musical instrument unknown to me appeared on the screen, it became light in the hall: everyone recorded this beauty on their phones. No one was forbidden to shoot in the hall. During all two hours of the show, people got up, went out, came in, brought coffee from the buffet, transplanted from one group of acquaintances to others to discuss what they saw with new interlocutors. And this is not out of boredom or disrespect for the creators. There are different ways to recognize a work of art: somewhere there is complete silence, and in the Caucasus there is a live speech parallel to a movie. And “Prince Maruch” is made taking into account this specificity: the action is in no hurry, like Prince Maruch, who moves on his wonderful raven horse along the roads of Bzhedugia and Abazinia not by gallop or trot, but by slow walking.
Humor is for your own. What's so funny about the phrase: "He's not a Kabardian." The Kabardians are all such darts - I don't understand! But the audience was laughing. What does the phrase of a girl mean: "And if I meet you in a girl's slippers?" - for me - a mystery. But the expression of the girl’s interlocutor and a sigh in the hall hinted that the meeting in slippers was worse than the statement to the prosecutor’s office. In short, the film definitely found a way to the heart of the indigenous peoples of the Caucasus. For outside observers, fights. Hand-to-hand, saber, pistol. Daurov’s professional directorial skills have not yet reached the level to create installation attractions from them. All duels and fights, for the most part, are filmed with a minimum of mounting glues, mainly on general plans. From the costumes of the heroes by a mile blows the exhibits of the ethnographic museum, not everyday clothes. The Egyptian episode is a flashback and is completely beyond good and evil and resembles a carnival in an amateur theater studio. These are the first steps of a young film. And no one canceled childhood diseases. And Usain Bolt didn't immediately run a hundred metres in 1 minute. But in the eyes of his parents, the stumbling and clumsy baby was already a champion. And this mission: the first film about the national character “Prince Maruch” performs honestly. In any case, the audience accepted him and loved him. It is too early for viewers of other nationalities to learn the words “telekotleshi” and “diginugo”. Time must pass and professional skill must come.