Viy
Short description
A theology student named Khoma Brut kills a witch during a trip with his classmates. After the encounter, he is summoned to a remote village to pray over the body of a young woman for three consecutive nights. He soon discovers that the deceased woman is the same witch he previously attacked. Locked in a church, Khoma must use his faith to survive supernatural encounters and avoid the forces of the underworld, including the demonic figure known as Viy.
The film was co-directed by Georgi Kropachyov and Konstantin Ershov, who later directed Stepan's Remembrance in 1977. The screenplay was written by Kropachyov, Ershov, and Aleksandr Ptushko. The movie stars Leonid Kuravlyov as the student and Natalya Varley as the witch, with supporting roles played by Aleksey Glazyrin, Nikoloy Kutuzov, Vadim Zakharchenko, and Petro Vesklyarov. Produced in the Soviet Union by Mosfilm and Luch, the horror fantasy has a runtime of 76 minutes.
The film has been generally well received by audiences, holding a rating of 7.1 on IMDb based on 12,000 votes and a 6.9 on TMDB from 290 votes.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on the eponymous story by Nikolai Gogol.
- Alexandra Zavyalova, initially approved for the role of the Maiden, fell seriously ill immediately after the start of filming. As a result, the actress's future husband, director Rezo Esadze, demanded that she refuse the role.
- Viy’s costume was very heavy, and none of the actors could move normally in it, so this role had to be played by a specially invited weightlifter.
- The idea of filming "Viy" belonged to the famous Soviet director, at that time the director of the Mosfilm film company, Ivan Pyryev. Due to an acute lack of time, he suggested that two students of the Higher Directing Courses of the Union of Cinematographers of the USSR, Georgy Kropachev and Konstantin Ershov, direct the film.
- During the filming of the flight scene, Natalia Varley fell out of the coffin. Only Leonid Kuravlyov's reaction, managing to catch the actress, saved her from injury. Nevertheless, this incident gave rise to rumors of Varley's death.
- The film featured 50 crows (caught in the studio area) and 9 trained black cats.
- According to Georgy Kropachev's idea, Viy himself was supposed to look more anthropomorphic – as a gigantic, feeble old man supported by all sorts of infernal creatures.
- Three coffins were prepared for Pannochka. One real one, for filming scenes of Natalia Varley lying in it. The other two were for the flight scenes through the church: a small, closed one, and an open one, with a special stand equipped with a harness worn by stagehands to prevent the actress from falling, secured in a suspended state by six metal cables.
- The rooster crowing in the film had previously been used by Ptushko in the filming of "The Tale of Tsar Saltan."
- Filming took place in the Bohorodchany district of the Ivano-Frankivsk region. However, the footage shot on location disappointed the management of Mosfilm, proving to be "too realistic." As a result, the renowned fairytale filmmaker Alexander Ptushko was brought in to work on the project. Consequently, a large portion of the material shot by Yershov and Kropachev was cut, and a number of ideas remained unrealized. The appearance of Viy was also altered.
- The Witch's flight on Khoma was filmed in a studio. A pole, disguised as a broom with a horizontal plank on which Nikolai Kutuzov sat, was secured at a low height. Leonid Kuravlyov, who played Khoma, also hung on this plank and pedaled his legs in the air, imitating running.
- Initially, Mikhail Kokshenov was considered for the role of Khoma Brut.
- When the heroine Natalia Varley shakes with anger during one of the final scenes, the actress stands on a special vibrating platform.
Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
