Filmmakers tried to film the famous Bulgakov novel many times. But not all attempts succeeded. Superstitious rumors shrouded the book "The Master and Margarita." The role of the Master at different times was played in the cinema and on the theater stage by outstanding actors. And according to some information, this literary image left an imprint on their lives. The same can be said of artists who performed other roles. Films and plays based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov are the topic of the article.
Background
In this article, we will consider four famous film adaptations created from the book “The Master and Margarita”. The role of the Master in the last film was played by Alexander Galibin. This is a picture of Vladimir Bortko, which, according to most reviews, is the best. But perhaps the fact is that viewers are little familiar with the work of other filmmakers?
Eldar Ryazanov dreamed of filming a book at one time. But for this it was necessary to obtain the permission of party officials. The director did not succeed. Then an attempt was made by Elem Klimov. This time, the Bulgakov plot could not be transferred to the screen due to lack of funding.
Prohibition of Widow Prose
An interesting story happened with Vladimir Naumov. The director already had a script ready, when the widow of the writer, Elena Bulgakova, unexpectedly appeared in a dream and demanded to interrupt preparations for the shooting. These and other cases from the life of filmmakers who took on the imperishable novel of Bulgakov, and generated a lot of rumors and speculation about the impossibility of creating the film "The Master and Margarita." The role of the Master was considered dangerous at all. Actors who dared to play the main role of the work of Bulgakov, or even worse - one of the participants in the diabolical retinue, were waiting for inevitable rock. That's what most artists thought. And they, as you know, are superstitious people. Nevertheless, some directors managed to bring what was started to the end.
1972 movie
In this picture there are characters and events that are not in the book. Maskudov - this is the name of the protagonist of the film "Master and Margarita." The role of the Master in this film adaptation was played by the Italian actor Hugo Tonyazzi. According to the plot of the film, created in 1972, the main character is a playwright. He writes a play that causes a storm of indignation among critics. Meanwhile, Woland arrives in Moscow, punishing everyone who does not recognize the genius of the Master.
Screen version of Maciej Wojtyš
The film of the Polish director received positive reviews in the West. But few Russian viewers liked this film adaptation of the novel "The Master and Margarita." Cast: Vladislav Kovalsky, Anna Dymna. These actors are little known in Russia. The plot in the 1989 film was maximally preserved. Nevertheless, the pictures of Russian directors, created years later, caused more positive feedback in the writer's homeland.
Screen adaptation of Yuri Kara
In 1994, the shooting of the next film in the book “The Master and Margarita” ended. The main role in this film adaptation went to Victor Rakov. Some critics believe that Yuri Kara managed to remarkably convey the mysterious and disturbing Bulgakov spirit. Rakov’s game was also noted. However, the trouble is that the film was released only seventeen years after its creation. The director for a long time could not find a common language with the producers. However, this situation served as further evidence that it is not so simple with Bulgakov’s book.
Anastasia Vertinskaya played the role of Margarita in the film Kara. In the novel “The Master and Margarita,” the central characters are Woland and members of his retinue. The success of the picture depends on who plays these colorful and contradictory roles. Fair Satan in the film adaptation of Kara was played by Valentin Gaft. Koroviev - Filippenko. The role of Azazello was played by Vladimir Steklov. And finally, Hippopotamus - Victor Pavlov. The film involved young actors whose names are known to everyone today. For example, a poet who is destined to learn about schizophrenia is played by Sergey Garmash. Gella - the maid of Woland - Alexander Zakharov.
The film of Vladimir Bortko
The premiere of the television series became a real event. It took place in 2005. Both positive and angry reviews received the series. The role of Woland in "The Master and Margarita" was played by Oleg Basilashvili. Other characters were played by the masters of Russian cinema: Alexander Filippenko, Kirill Lavrov, Alexander Abdulov, Vasily Livanov, Ivan Krasko.
The role of Margarita brilliantly, unlike her predecessors, was performed by Anna Kovalchuk. Masters, as already mentioned, are Halibin. However, he was voiced by the omnipresent Sergey Bezrukov, who also embodied the image of Yeshua on the screen. The employees of the variety show, who in the final chapters of the novel preferred to sit out in an armored iron cabinet, were perfectly played by such outstanding actors as Alexander Pankratov-Cherny, Ilya Oleinikov.
Bortko himself once succeeded in the best film adaptation of Bulgakov’s work (the novel “The Heart of a Dog”). Nevertheless, the film turned out, as one of the critics put it, empty, meaningless.
After the release of the television series on the work of Bulgakov, articles on the stories began to appear in the press and on the Net about how darkly this career had a negative impact on the career and actors: one fell ill, the other was left without a role, the third divorced his wife. However, all this is speculation and fantasy of people fascinated by Bulgakov's mysticism. And the troubles in the lives of artists with the prose of the great writer are hardly somehow connected.
Theater
The first to transfer the Bulgakov text to the stage was Yuri Lyubimov. More than thirty years ago, the premiere of the play “Master and Margarita” took place at the Taganka Theater. The role of the Master is played today by Dmitry Vysotsky.