their cages and scare people. And you start thinking—those were Russian people living back then, during the Red Troubles. And they really weren’t all that different from us. Except that almost all of them were atheists.
I take a look to see what the others are watching: the Chinese— River Factories , that makes sense; but the lady…oh-ho, now that’s interesting— The Great Russian Wall . I would never have said by her looks that she’d like that sort of film. The Great Russian Wall …It was made about ten years ago by our great director Fyodor Baldev, nicknamed “Fyodor-the-Bare-Who-Ate-the-Bear.” The most important movie in the history of Russia’s Revival. The film is about the plot hatched by the Ambassadorial Department and the Duma, the construction of the Western Wall, and His Majesty’s battle; about the first oprichniks, heroic Valuya and Zveroga, who perished at the dacha of the traitorous minister. The whole affair went down in Russian history as the plan to “Saw and Sell.” What a hullabaloo that film caused, how many arguments, how many questions and answers! How many cars and faces were bashed in because of it! The actor who played His Majesty entered a monastery afterward. I haven’t watched it for a very, very long time. But I remember it by heart. For the oprichniks it’s a kind of textbook.
I can see the face of the minister of foreign affairs on the blue bubble, and his accomplice, the chairman of the Duma. They’re composing the terrible agreement on the division of Russia at the minister’s dacha.
CHAIRMAN OF THE DUMA: So, we take power. But what do we do with Russia, Sergei Ivanovich?
MINISTER: Saw it up and sell it.
CHAIRMAN: To whom?
MINISTER: We sell the east to the Japanese; Siberia goes to the Chinese; the Krasnodarsk region—to the Ukies; Altai—to the Kazakhs; Pskov Oblast—to the Estonians; Novgorod Oblast—to the Belorussians. But we’ll leave the center for ourselves. Everything is ready, Boris Petrovich. We’ve not only hand picked all our people, they’re already in place.
(A significant pause. A candle burns.)
Tomorrow! What do you say?
CHAIRMAN ( looking around ): It’s a bit scary, Sergei Ivanovich…
MINISTER ( breathing hot and heavy, embracing the Duma chairman ): Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared! Together we’ll control Moscow! Eh? Moscow?
(He squints lustfully.)
Think about it, my dear fellow! We’ll have all of Moscow right here!
(He shows his pudgy palm.)
Come now, will you sign?
Then there’s a close-up: the eyes of the Duma chairman. First they look back and forth, intimidated, frightened, like a wolf brought to bay. Then anger awakens in them, intensifying to a furious rage. Menacing music grows louder, a disturbing, slanted shadow falls, the night wind billows the curtains and blows out the candle; a dog begins to bark. In the dark the chairman clenches his fists, at first shaking with fear, then with anger and hatred for the Russian state.
CHAIRMAN ( clenching his teeth ): I’ll sign it all!
He’s a good director, Fedya Baldev. It was no accident that right after this film came out His Majesty appointed him head of the Cinema Chamber. But this lady…she looks like a noble. And for the nobility this film is like a stab in the heart. The lady looks at the film on the bubble as though she weren’t seeing anything. Her face is cold, indifferent. It’s not very pretty, but clearly pedigreed. You can tell she didn’t grow up in some Novoslobodsk orphanage.
I can’t help myself:
“Excuse me, madame, do you like that film?”
She turns her well-groomed face toward me:
“Quite, Mr. Oprichnik.”
Not a muscle in her face twitches. Totally calm, like a snake.
“Is this an official inquiry?”
“Not at all. It’s just that there’s a great deal of blood in this film.”
“You think that Russian women are afraid of blood?”
“All women are afraid of blood. And Russian…”
“Mr. Oprichnik, thanks to
I take a look to see what the others are watching: the Chinese— River Factories , that makes sense; but the lady…oh-ho, now that’s interesting— The Great Russian Wall . I would never have said by her looks that she’d like that sort of film. The Great Russian Wall …It was made about ten years ago by our great director Fyodor Baldev, nicknamed “Fyodor-the-Bare-Who-Ate-the-Bear.” The most important movie in the history of Russia’s Revival. The film is about the plot hatched by the Ambassadorial Department and the Duma, the construction of the Western Wall, and His Majesty’s battle; about the first oprichniks, heroic Valuya and Zveroga, who perished at the dacha of the traitorous minister. The whole affair went down in Russian history as the plan to “Saw and Sell.” What a hullabaloo that film caused, how many arguments, how many questions and answers! How many cars and faces were bashed in because of it! The actor who played His Majesty entered a monastery afterward. I haven’t watched it for a very, very long time. But I remember it by heart. For the oprichniks it’s a kind of textbook.
I can see the face of the minister of foreign affairs on the blue bubble, and his accomplice, the chairman of the Duma. They’re composing the terrible agreement on the division of Russia at the minister’s dacha.
CHAIRMAN OF THE DUMA: So, we take power. But what do we do with Russia, Sergei Ivanovich?
MINISTER: Saw it up and sell it.
CHAIRMAN: To whom?
MINISTER: We sell the east to the Japanese; Siberia goes to the Chinese; the Krasnodarsk region—to the Ukies; Altai—to the Kazakhs; Pskov Oblast—to the Estonians; Novgorod Oblast—to the Belorussians. But we’ll leave the center for ourselves. Everything is ready, Boris Petrovich. We’ve not only hand picked all our people, they’re already in place.
(A significant pause. A candle burns.)
Tomorrow! What do you say?
CHAIRMAN ( looking around ): It’s a bit scary, Sergei Ivanovich…
MINISTER ( breathing hot and heavy, embracing the Duma chairman ): Don’t be afraid, don’t be scared! Together we’ll control Moscow! Eh? Moscow?
(He squints lustfully.)
Think about it, my dear fellow! We’ll have all of Moscow right here!
(He shows his pudgy palm.)
Come now, will you sign?
Then there’s a close-up: the eyes of the Duma chairman. First they look back and forth, intimidated, frightened, like a wolf brought to bay. Then anger awakens in them, intensifying to a furious rage. Menacing music grows louder, a disturbing, slanted shadow falls, the night wind billows the curtains and blows out the candle; a dog begins to bark. In the dark the chairman clenches his fists, at first shaking with fear, then with anger and hatred for the Russian state.
CHAIRMAN ( clenching his teeth ): I’ll sign it all!
He’s a good director, Fedya Baldev. It was no accident that right after this film came out His Majesty appointed him head of the Cinema Chamber. But this lady…she looks like a noble. And for the nobility this film is like a stab in the heart. The lady looks at the film on the bubble as though she weren’t seeing anything. Her face is cold, indifferent. It’s not very pretty, but clearly pedigreed. You can tell she didn’t grow up in some Novoslobodsk orphanage.
I can’t help myself:
“Excuse me, madame, do you like that film?”
She turns her well-groomed face toward me:
“Quite, Mr. Oprichnik.”
Not a muscle in her face twitches. Totally calm, like a snake.
“Is this an official inquiry?”
“Not at all. It’s just that there’s a great deal of blood in this film.”
“You think that Russian women are afraid of blood?”
“All women are afraid of blood. And Russian…”
“Mr. Oprichnik, thanks to
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