Brikov's Bond: why the film about Mayakovsky's muse turned out to be ambiguous

The story of Lily Brick, repeatedly praised by Mayakovsky, formed the basis of a new film, which is released on November 12. The main roles were played by Maria Smolnikova, Andrey Maksimov and Evgeny Stychkin. The latter was played by Osip Brik. Izvestia visited the Khudozhestvenny cinema for the premiere dedicated to the 135th anniversary of Lilichka's birth, and now they tell us why the picture turned out to be ambiguous.

In the world of men

Lilya Brik (Maria Smolnikova) at the beginning of the story is an imposing lady who is able to undress in the middle of the street and has a philosophical attitude towards intimacy. She desperately clings to her youth, feeling her own emptiness and uselessness, and reflects on how her descendants will remember her. Getting to know the young and yet unknown Mayakovsky becomes the starting point for eternity. Surrounded by men who "giggle and reason," the heroine herself seems to pose the question to the viewer: who was Lilya Brik outside of the love story with Vladimir Mayakovsky?

At first, she seems like a sophisticated woman who simply does not have her place and has to find it, but in the end she gets so entangled in her romantic relationships that she forgets about her previous worries. The plot pretty much cuts into Lily's biography, not mentioning, for example, her acquaintance with avant-garde artists and famous directors. It is not possible to fit a complex image into a full-meter timekeeping, and the script leaves her with the only interest — in the opposite sex. Her sister Elsa Triolet suffers no less than Brick herself, shown to be hysterical and narrow—minded - even her attempt to take her own life looks comical and is quickly forgotten.

Men in Lily's life are given a disproportionate amount of time and space. Evgeny Stychkin plays the role of the ambiguous and sometimes cynical Osip, who gets the most pretentious and surprisingly key monologues about greatness. It is he who convinces his wife to remain a muse for Mayakovsky in order to go down in history. His character leads his own game and remains a kind of gray cardinal until the very end.

Viktor Dobronravov appeared in a cameo role of the politician Alexander Krasnoshchekov. His character fell in love with Lilya and was ready to make her a part of the family, but he became a victim of repression. Once again, the story of the "muse of the Russian avant-garde" is shown through an unfairly narrow and simplified prism of her attempts to find female happiness.

The genius from the next yard

Portraying the greatness of Mayakovsky's genius, the creators get carried away and forget that they dedicated the film to Lila Brik. Andrei Maksimov plays the poet with pride and respect, but in his interpretation, Mayakovsky appears more like a tragic romantic than a complex and contradictory figure of the "singer of the revolution." The actor still clearly lacks brutality. This is most noticeable on the lips: the real Mayakovsky's lips are calmly compressed, whereas Maximov's seem to be created for women's dreams. In a number of scenes, the actor tries to portray aggression, but still does not frighten.

The film itself cannot be blamed for the lack of aesthetics. Wanting to pay tribute to historical authenticity, it was shot in black and white, with jazz and colorful costumes in abundance. Mayakovsky's figure is emphasized especially vividly: every time the hero recites poetry, the camera is positioned below, and the great poet towers over the viewer. In a number of scenes, the cameraman is specially positioned to emphasize the fragility and miniaturization of Brick next to the bulky two-meter Mayakovsky. Visually, this is a good decision, although it once again highlights Lily's insignificance against the background of genius.

One of the features of the painting was the large-scale decoration of an entire street. It houses the Brikov apartment, the Mayakovsky communal apartment, a bakery, a summer cafe, and even tram tracks. The set was created specifically for the filming of the film. The repetitive plans of the alleys create the feeling that the characters are constantly visiting each other. This gives the painting a special closeness. The film impresses with its visual aesthetics and extraordinary camera solutions, but it doesn't tell anything new or really interesting about Lila Brick.

Instead of telling about the years of Lily Brick's life after Mayakovsky's death, the creators draw a parallel in the finale between the last days of the two lovers. It's a beautiful idea, but it lacks dramatic depth.: it seems to lead to the idea that the poet's muse was no less great than himself. It's hard to argue with this, but still, such a conclusion seems insufficient, and partly unfair to a heroine with such a complex and multifaceted fate. Trying to tell the story of Lilichka, the authors once again focused on her significance in Mayakovsky's life, leaving almost no room for her own personality.