Mikhail Kalatozov

Director

About

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Also Known As

Mikhail Konstantinovich Kalatozishvili

Birth Place

Russia

Born

December 23, 1903

Died

March 27, 1973

Biography

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Began his career as an actor, editor and cameraman at the Tiflis studios. Kalatozov's second feature as a director, "The Salt of Svanetia" (1930), was considered a landmark of early Russian cinema, but his third, "The Nail in the Boot" (1932), was banned by the Soviet authorities for "negativism." His output was sporadic during the 1930s and 40s (partly due to his being consigned to a se...

Filmography

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The Red Tent (1970)

I Am Cuba (1964)

The Letter That Was Never Sent (1962)

The Cranes Are Flying (1957)

Photos & Videos

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I Am Cuba (1964) -- (Movie Clip) The Moment Of Truth

I Am Cuba (1964) -- (Movie Clip) How's Business?

Biography

Began his career as an actor, editor and cameraman at the Tiflis studios. Kalatozov's second feature as a director, "The Salt of Svanetia" (1930), was considered a landmark of early Russian cinema, but his third, "The Nail in the Boot" (1932), was banned by the Soviet authorities for "negativism." His output was sporadic during the 1930s and 40s (partly due to his being consigned to a series of administrative posts) but he earned widespread international acclaim for "The Cranes Are Flying" (1957). A poignant WWII drama featuring a fine central performance from Tatiana Samoilova and some rather gymnastic camera techniques, "Cranes" was a co-winner of the best film award at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival. Kalatozov's subsequent work has been relatively unexceptional.

Filmography

Director (Feature Film)

The Red Tent (1970)

I Am Cuba (1964)

The Letter That Was Never Sent (1962)

The Cranes Are Flying (1957)

Life Events

1923

Began working at Tiflis film studios as editor and cameraman

1932

"The Nail in the Boot" banned for 'negativism'; Kalatazov transferred to administrative duties at studio

1945

Became Deputy Minister of Cinematography

1949

Returned to filmmaking at Mosfilm Studios

Videos

I Am Cuba (1964) -- (Movie Clip) The Moment Of Truth Six minutes from the beginning and remarkably only the fourth shot in the film, by far the most ambitious, director Mikhail Kalatozov’s first portrait of the decadent Havana lifestyle supplanted by Fidel Castro’s Soviet-supported revolution, in the long-ignored quasi-documentary I Am Cuba, 1964.

I Am Cuba (1964) -- (Movie Clip) How's Business? A vignette of Havana between director Mikhail Kalatozov’s meant-to-be damning illustrations of depraved Western lifestyles, another preposterous single shot from cinematographer Serger Urusevsky, we meet street vendor Rene (uncredited), from the Soviet-Cuban propaganda project I Am Cuba, 1964.

Cranes Are Flying, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Cranes Like Ships The opening sequence both idyllic and formal, lovers Veronica and Boris (Tatyana Samoilova, Alexei Batalov) introduced before the credits, in Russian director Mikhail Kalatozov's heralded post-Stalinist masterpiece, The Cranes Are Flying, 1957.

Cranes Are Flying, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) If Children Don't Surpass Arising with the family of Boris (Alexei Batalov), his cousin Mark (Aleksandr Shvorin) waking him with news that war has begun, then visiting with Boris' betrothed Veronica (Tatyana Samoilova), not hiding his adoration, in director Mikhail Kalatozov's The Cranes Are Flying, 1957.

Cranes Are Flying, The (1957) -- (Movie Clip) Only Fools Will Fight On the day of Germany's 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, Veronica (Tatyana Samoilova) with her fiance` Boris (Alexei Batalov), unaware that he has already enlisted, in director Mikhail Kalatozov's acclaimed The Cranes Are Flying, 1957.

Bibliography

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