The movie "June 31": review and interesting facts

This movie has been seen by every domestic viewer - and not just once or twice, but very many times (most of the time). And every time, this movie brings us adults back, fairy tale, makes you feel some childlike joy in your heart, comfort and faith in miracles ... "June 31." - one of the most interesting masterpieces of Soviet cinema. Everything is curious here - from the cast of dancers to the plot inspired by the work of the English writer John Boynton Priestley.

Alas, but after its release, this movie was shown only once. And then it went "dust on the shelf". From the very beginning, this movie was predicted a hard fate, and they were not wrong. We offer to talk about how the cast was selected, what difficulties the director faced during filming, as well as the fate of the main characters. But first - a little review by FUZZ MUSIC.

A movie that transports you to a fairy tale

Movie "June 31." is considered one of the most colorful in the history of Soviet cinema! And also in the career of its director, Leonid Kvinikhidze. Inspiration came from the novel of the same name by writer John Boynton Priestley, though - some episodes were competently reworked and presented in their own way. Nevertheless, almost no one in the audience was dissatisfied with it.

When it comes to this movie, adults start smiling like children. It is understandable: the picture really takes the viewer into a beautiful romantic fairy tale, unfolding on the bridge of two completely different eras. In the opinion of many viewers, it is one of the most beautiful love stories - despite the fact that throughout the entire movie, the main characters never once didn't kiss.! But what a game... There is no need for kisses - tender feelings and devotion are obvious. And it's a perfect example of how opposites attract. After all, the main character 12th century princesswhile her lover, a sophisticated resident. of our time.

Heroes have to go through many trials and obstacles to protect their love. Still, loving someone from another era is not an easy task long-distance love! We will not disclose the plot - we will devote a separate article to this aspect. But we will emphasize that the cast was selected perfectly (in our opinion). And this is despite the fact that the main roles got... dancers! Leonid Kvinikhidze took huge risks for this movie, but it was worth it.

We would like to emphasize music: almost all the songs became classics for centuries, and music lovers enjoy listening to them to this day. The compositions have perfectly complemented many iconic scenes, and the contribution of the Alexandra Zatsepin it's hard to overemphasize.

To some, the story presented in "June 31st" may seem like a bit much fantastic - But therein lies the charm of the movie. There is no time for the viewer to get bored and watch ordinary things - every scene is exciting and entices you to watch this romantic tale and find out how it ends. This is not the kind of movie you want to rewatch. Yes, a lot of things here are fictionalized, and nothing like this would ever happen in real life. But this is the zest that takes us all into a fairy tale, gives us warm emotions and a feeling of joy, kindness, lightness....

Some users have noted that this is their favorite childhood movie. We are sure - the modern generation will not let this classic fade into oblivion. It is simply impossible - this motion picture is unlikely to ever become obsolete. Yes, it looks not so modern, but the plot, the play of actors, music - all these things are eternal. Well, now about what difficulties the creators had to face in the process of work ...

"Oh those dancers" - why the movie "dusted" on the shelf for 7 years

Despite the ingenious (let's not be afraid of that word) idea, from the very beginning the movie was foretold hard fate. And so it turned out: it was shown only once, after which it was "shelved" for a full 7 years. The reason? The most important is the cast. Initially, the list of candidates consisted of such names as Alla Pugacheva (Lady Ninette), Andrei Mironov (court musician), Irina Alfyorova (Princess Melicenta). However... Kvinikhidze saw quite different people in these roles. ballet dancers.

Thus, he invited Lyudmila Vlasova, Alexander Godunov and the beautiful Natalia Trubnikova - the most enchanting princess in the history of cinema. And he was right: they all played their roles brilliantly! But only dancers directors were afraid of - too often with their names were associated with scandals. Alas, but they often became non-returners... Kvinikhidze knew about it firsthand: his wife, a ballerina Natalia Makarovaand stayed in London on tour in 1970. I knew, but I took a chance.

Believe it or not, the whole movie was shot in a month and a half! Dancers are busy people, with extremely tight schedules. So the director had to adjust to their summer vacation and work in two shifts. Another headache. film management: the artists' outfits are too revealing, the songs are suggestive... So, in a harmless "A World Without a Loved One." saw a hint of the departed! Yes, some of the grievances were frankly absurd, and got on the creators' nerves....

When the movie came out - as expected, all the predictions came true: he was rejected. Largely because of Alexandra GodunovaZatsepin, who played the role of a court musician who, during a tour of the Bolshoi Theater in New York, sought political asylum from the American authorities. Zatsepin soon followed suit, leaving the country and settling in France. As for Kvinihidze, success was ahead of him with the "Mary Poppins, goodbye." - but he was careful not to do business with dancers from now on. And in that he was understandable.

The fate of the lead actors

Alas, but for obvious reasons, the movie career of the beautiful Melicenta never materialized. After the "June 31" fiasco, none of the directors wanted to step on the same rake as Kvinikhidze, and so ballet dancers - even as beautiful and talented as she was, she was not called. Subsequently, Natalia had several roles of a purely episodic nature, but her whole life was spent under the banner of ballet. And, in her own words, she does not regret it at all. Trubnikova was successfully married - also to a dancer, a ballet soloist Anatoly Kulakov. The couple has been together for over 30 years! Except they've never had kids. haven't - and that's the one thing Natalia truly regrets...

Regarding Nikolai Eremenko Jr.who played the role of Sam, then in the '90s, he went into the up-and-coming "crime" genrewhere he achieved certain heights. But if everything was fine with his career, the artist's personal life was not so good. Vera Titova was his only wife, with whom they lived for more than 20 years and had a daughter - but only officially. Nikolai loved women, and they reciprocated him. He often had affairs on the side, which Vera preferred to turn a blind eye. Then it became known about his illegitimate daughter, and it turned into a big scandal and divorce. After the divorce, Nicholas drank a lot - so much so that sometimes even ashamed of himself (according to his second common-law wife). In 2001, he passed away.

Another actress we'd really like to mention is. Lyubov Polishchuk, she is Ms. Queenie. After appearing in "June 31" she was dubbed one of the most beautiful Soviet women! Even at the ripe age of 50 Lyubov conquered hearts and admired others. But one traffic accident divided her life into two. before and after. Polischuk's back was severely damaged - later the actress even had to have part of her spine removed. Treatment did not help, painkillers too... I wanted to act, but how? From the last strength Polischuk appeared in the series "My Fair Nanny.".

She passed away in her sleep at the age of 57. One of the most brilliant and admirable women of the national cinematography...