The Sad Comedy of Èl'dar Riazanov

An Introduction to Russia's Most Popular Filmmaker

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by David MacFadyen

Type

Studies

Subject

Director > Eldar Riazanov

Keywords

Eldar Riazanov, director, Russia

Publishing date

2003

Publisher

McGill-Queen's University Press

Language

English

Relative size

Physical desc.

Paperback • 296 pages
6 ¼ x 9 inches (16 x 23 cm)

ISBN-10
ISBN-13

0-7735-2636-6
978-0-7735-2636-5

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Book Presentation:
A detailed look at the work of Russia's most popular film director.

Russia's funniest and most popular films are the work of Èl'dar Riazanov, a director whose light, lyrical tales of love lost and found have garnered audiences of over one hundred million. Although Western scholars have largely ignored Riazanov's oeuvre in favour of more serious filmmakers, no director in Russia has been so loved by both the public (openly) and politicians (covertly). His early comedies mapped the relations between society and socialism, allowing him to create a radically apolitical art of kindness and kindred spirits.

David MacFadyen investigates what made Riazanov's films so wildly popular and what - if any - relationship that popularity had to Soviet policy. Using the works of Deleuze, Lacan, and Kristeva, MacFadyen looks at how Riazanov's films relate to society, audience demand, and Soviet politics. In more than twenty love stories that have precious little to do with statecraft, Soviet or otherwise, Riazanov captures the willful inclusiveness of socialist culture.

About the Author:
David MacFadyen is a professor of Slavic languages and literatures at UCLA. He has written extensively on Soviet popular culture and is the author of The Sad Comedy of Èl'dar Riazanov and several books on Joseph Brodsky.

See the publisher website: McGill-Queen's University Press

See the complete filmography of Eldar Riazanov on the website: IMDB ...