In the times of the Soviet Union there were lots of well-done and durable movies, many of which were supported by the ever-watchful propaganda and censorship Machine. But! there were some that didn't actually stand out as glorious fame-bringers - they just were HITS. Some were immediate, some took time to win the hearts of Russian audience for decades to come.
One of the instances of such quick undoubtful success was a 1975 film by Viktor Titov "Hello, I'm Your Aunt!" (Russian: Здравствуйте, я ваша тётя!). It was a dashing low-budget piece based on the Brandon Tomas's play "Char
ley's Aunt". It is arguably one of the best musical comedies our cinema ever produced. Mostly, thanks to the magnificent A-class actors (Aleksandr Kalyagin, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, Valentin Gaft and many more) and their amazing improvization skills. The whole film is a sparkling, impetuous, witty farse that takes the viewer by surprise around 20 minutes into the movie and doesn't let go till the end credits. It feels like you're watching a "cross-dressing" type stage play and a fast-paced independent musical at the same time (the set is basically the same in both acts). Superbly talented cast+ the best dialogue you could ever wish for - no wonder 2/3 of this film's quotes became aphorisms. The lively silent-movies-style music mingles with funny plot twists creating wonderful dynamics. The humour is all in the unfastened and inspired acting and in fact is very modern, that's why the whole thing is still hilarious nowadays. Such films never get old-fashioned.To my mind, this is a rare Russian movie that could appeal to the whole world audience. It is absolutely brilliant, also it's a great opportunity to meet some of the finest actors of Soviet screen.
If you have nothing against subtitles I suggest quick-glancing at the film on YouTube in this playlist. Or you can have a look at the bits video (not subtitled but still very funny) below. Enjoy.
