Alexey Balabanov is a Soviet and Russian film director, screenwriter and producer. He is called the most truthful, controversial and mysterious director of Russian cinema. Balabanov’s films cause delight or protest, many of them even became prophetic. Such cult works of the director as “Brother”, “Brother 2”, “War”, “Zhmurki”, “I also want” and after the death of Balabanov did not lose their relevance. And "Cargo 200", "About freaks and people" still cause shock among the audience. But many are sure that this strange and unsociable person "is not of this world" - a genius.
early years
Alexey Oktyabrinovich Balabanov was born on February 25, 1959 in the city of Sverdlovsk (now Yekaterinburg). His parents are ordinary Soviet people who had nothing to do with cinema. In 1976, Alexei graduated from high school. In school years, the future director dreamed of distant countries and travels, was interested in foreign languages. After graduating from school, Alexei enters the Gorky Institute of Foreign Languages, after which he receives the profession of translator. After graduating from the institute in 1981, the young man was called up for service in the ranks of the Soviet army.
While serving in the army, Alexei, who served in the airborne forces, visited many regions of Africa and Central Asia. He also took part in hostilities in Afghanistan. Experience and experience, after participating in the Afghan war, were reflected in the film "Cargo 200". After military service, Balabanov got a job in the Sverdlovsk film studio as an assistant director. In 1990, Alexei completed the experimental course of the directorial department of "Author's Cinema" under the guidance of L. Nikolayev and B. Galanter.
Directorial activity
His first short film "It used to be a different time", Balabanov shot in 1987 in the Urals. The film was a term paper, the script for it was written in one night. Due to lack of funds, the picture was shot in a restaurant. To attract people to shoot in the crowd, the director asked his friend, Vyacheslav Butusov, to speak to visitors. The music of the group "Nautilus Pompilius" with its leader Vyacheslav Butusov will be heard more than once in the subsequent works of Balabanov. After the successful debut of the "short film", Balabanov often removed non-professional artists in his paintings, achieving the most truthful and natural images.
In 1990, Balabanov moved to St. Petersburg. Together with his friend and producer Sergei Selyanov, Alexei becomes the founder of the STV film company. In 1991, a novice director shot his first full-length art house painting, Happy Days, in St. Petersburg (based on the work of Samuel Becket). The main character of the picture was the aspiring actor Viktor Sukhorukov. The film won the prize for the best feature film at the Moscow film festival "Debut".
Two years later, the director removes the film version of Franz Kafka's unfinished novel "Castle". In the "Castle" Balabanov wants to show a model of the political structure of our country in his interpretation. Kafka's mood is conveyed by the director’s non-standard vision, the wonderful play of the actors (Svetlana Pismichenko, Viktor Sukhorukov), music and scenery.
The director received all-Russian fame and recognition after the release of the film "Brother" (1997). This film almost instantly became a cult and spread into quotes. The picture shows the life of the period of the 90s, where the crisis was in everything: from politics to human relations. Then Balabanov could not have imagined that “Brother” would bring such popular popularity, and the main character of the picture, Danila Bagrov, would become the most striking image of a Russian man of the nineties. The film "Brother" received the Grand Prix of the festival "Kinotavr" and many prizes at international film festivals.
This picture was the only film made for money. Balabanov needed funds for his next author's project in the style of an art house: "About freaks and people." The film tells about the first creators of pornography who lived in pre-revolutionary Russia. In the film, the director brilliantly combined two things: beauty and abomination. Balabanov considered "About Freaks and People" his best film.
In 2000, Alexei Balabanov removes the second part of the legendary "Brother". Filming takes place in Moscow and America. "Brother 2" also proved worthy to wear the title of a cult picture about the "dashing" nineties. After showing the film in America, many Americans said it was the most honest film about their country.
Then Alexey Balabanov takes on a more serious project called "War", which was released in 2002. The picture shows the events of the Second Chechen War in the North Caucasus. The film turned out to be extremely real and tough. The director was accused of politically incorrect and utter naturalness. The film was awarded the Golden Rose Prize at the Kinotavr festival.
In the fall of 2002, a tragedy occurs in which the director will blame himself for his whole life. His best friend and colleague Sergei Bodrov, Jr., with the crew of Balabanova sets off to shoot his own film "The Messenger". Alex suggested Sergei go along, but Bodrov refused. On the advice of Balabanov, the shooting took place in the Karmadon Gorge in North Ossetia. Suddenly, an ice collapse began and in a few minutes covered the entire gorge with a 60-meter layer of ice and stones. It was not possible to save anyone. The entire crew of Balabanov and Sergey Bodrov died.
This tragedy greatly influenced the director’s future life and work. He became depressed, began to abuse alcohol and simply did not want to live.
Further work of the director is represented by very controversial films. In 2005, Balabanov takes off in a style that no one expected from him. The black comedy "Zhmurki" includes several genres at once: it is both an action movie and a comedy, and to some extent a thriller. But first of all it is a wonderful satire.
A year later, a melodrama with Renata Litvinova, “It Doesn’t Hurt, ” comes out. It is unexpected for all a very kind and bright film about friendship and sincere love.
I would especially like to note the most shocking and scandalous, controversial and criticized film "Cargo 200". Balabanov said that his picture is based on real stories that happened to him during his military service. He invited famous Russian actors to the casting. After reading the script of the film, Sergey Makovetsky and Evgeny Mironov refused to shoot. The film had a large number of scenes of violence, with the help of which the director demonstrates the wrong side of the Soviet society of the Russian hinterland. In many Russian cities, the picture was not allowed to view. The main characters were played by the young actress Agnia Kuznetsova, Alexei Poluyan, Leonid Gromov and Alexei Serebryakov.
Last years and death
In 2012, Alexei Balabanov was already seriously ill. Due to alcohol abuse, the director discovered a liver disease. Despite this, he continued to work and made the film "I Want To Also." In it, the director comprehends the problem of a person’s death. The plot of the picture tells about the journey of five dissimilar people who move towards the mystical "bell tower of happiness." In this picture, Alexei Balabanov assigns an episodic role to himself - the role of the director. His hero dies at the end of the film, and the film becomes prophetic.
This picture was the last work of Balabanov. On May 18, 2013 at about 16:00, while working on the next script, a talented director and screenwriter Aleksey Oktyabrinovich Balabanov had a cardiac arrest.
On the building of gymnasium No. 2 in Yekaterinburg, where Balabanov studied, a memorial plaque was erected in his honor. Evaluations of his work can be found in many paintings by contemporary filmmakers. The famous director Yuri Bykov dedicated his film "The Fool" to the memory of Alexei Balabanov.
