The Blue Bird (1970 film)
The Blue Bird (Russian: Синяя птица, Sinyaya Ptitsa) is a 1970 Russian-language animated feature film, based on the 1908 play of the same name by Maurice Maeterlinck. It was the first American–Soviet co-production. Directed by Vasily Livanov and produced by Soyuzmultfilm studio, it features a mix of traditional and cutout animation.[1] The music was composed by Gennady Gladkov and was performed by the State Symphony Cinema Orchestra of cinematography, under the direction of Vladimir Vasilyev, along with the Moscow state chorus and the children's chorus "Sputnik". The sequel, also titled The Blue Bird (1976), was filmed in Moscow and Leningrad based on the same theme.[2]
| The Blue Bird | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Vasili Livanov |
| Screenplay by | Vasili Livanov |
| Based on | The Blue Bird by Maurice Maeterlinck |
| Starring | Liya Akhedzhakova Vladimir Kenigson Yury Yakovlev Rina Zelyonaya Lyudmila Gnilova |
| Music by | Gennady Gladkov |
| Edited by | Nadezhda Treshchyova |
Production company | |
Release date |
|
Running time | 53 minutes |
| Country | Soviet Union United States |
| Language | Russian |
Plot
The movie takes place in a modern capitalist city. While searching for food in the market, a boy rescues a homeless dog from a cruel vendor. Moved by his kindness, an old woman passing by gives the boy a "bluebird of happiness". The bluebird is impossible to sell or purchase and can only be given as a present. The boy hides the gift in the attic among other old things to show to his little sister.
Having climbed up to the attic during the night, he sees a vision of his grandmother and grandfather, who have been dead for many years. They explain to him that the bluebird of happiness takes all other happiness away from everyone and therefore, it has to be set free. At this point, it is too late to set the bluebird free as a cat has stolen both the bluebird and its cage.
Together with the rescued dog, the children search for the bluebird of happiness. They meet a rich man who is also looking for the bluebird of happiness and wants to use the bird to start and win World War III. The rich man tries to feed the children various delicacies so they forget about the bluebird of happiness. A fairy helps them avoid temptation and gifts them the aid of "eternal companions" — Fire, Water, and Bread. As the children chat with the fairy, it becomes clear that the cat stole the bluebird of happiness on the instructions of the hostess Night. Hostess Night sells the bluebird to the rich man. The eternal companion, Fire, burns the Night. Water drowns the cat, and the boy rescues the bluebird from the rich man. During the pursuit, the boy breaks the cage holding the bluebird from the Tower of Hours.
The next morning, the boy wakes up in his tiny apartment and realizes that everything was a dream. With his sister, he climbs into the attic and sets the bluebird of happiness free. The bluebird dies from the victory of battle wars.
Crew
| English | Russian | |
|---|---|---|
| Director | Vasily Livanov | Василий Ливанов |
| Scenario | Vasily Livanov | Василий Ливанов |
| Art Directors | Boris Sadovnikov Maks Zherebchevskiy |
Борис Садовников Макс Жеребчевский |
| Artists | S. Kuznetsov Anna Atamanova Stanislav Sokolov L. Chalaya Z. Zarb Alexei Solovyov Ye. Balabanova Dmitriy Anpilov |
С. Кузнецов Анна Атаманова Станислав Соколов Л. Чалая З. Зарб Алексей Соловьёв Е. Балабанова Дмитрий Анпилов |
| Animators | Kirill Malyantovich Yana Volskaya Gennadiy Sokolskiy Anatoliy Abarenov Yuriy Kuzyurin Iosif Kuroyan Yuriy Butyrin Valentin Kushnerev Oleg Safronov Nataliya Bogomolova Violetta Kolesnikova Boris Butakov S. Zhutovskaya Sergei Dyozhkin |
Кирилл Малянтович Яна Вольская Геннадий Сокольский Анатолий Абаренов Юрий Кузюрин Иосиф Куроян Юрий Бутырин Валентин Кушнерев Олег Сафронов Наталия Богомолова Виолетта Колесникова Борис Бутаков С. Жутовская Сергей Дёжкин |
| Camera Operator | Mikhail Druyan | Михаил Друян |
| Executive Producer | Lyubov Butyrina | Любовь Бутырина |
| Composer | Gennady Gladkov | Геннадий Гладков |
| Sound Operator | Georgiy Martynyuk | Георгий Мартынюк |
| Script Editor | Arkadiy Snesarev | Аркадий Снесарев |
| Voice Actors | Liya Akhedzhakova Vladimir Kenigson Yury Yakovlev (grandpa) Rina Zelyonaya (grandma) Lyudmila Gnilova |
Лия Ахеджакова Владимир Кенигсон Юрий Яковлев (Дедушка) Рина Зелёная (Бабушка) Людмила Гнилова |
| Editor | Lidiya Kyaksht | Лидия Кякшт |
References
- Lang, Walter (1940-01-15), The Blue Bird (Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy), Shirley Temple, Spring Byington, Nigel Bruce, Gale Sondergaard, Twentieth Century Fox, retrieved 2021-01-29
- "A Blue Bird (1970)". letterboxd.
External links
- The film at animator.ru
- The Blue Bird on YouTube (Russian)
- The Blue Bird on YouTube (Russian with English Subtitles)
- The Blue Bird at IMDb