Cinema School Cycle
The RUSCICO Company
Presents a new project.
The first in national history films
in a Science Fiction and Fantasy genre.
"AELITA" by Yakov Protazanov
Based upon Alexei Tolstoy's novel of the same name.
The film is released after a frame-by-frame restoration of the image
and with a new musical arrangement
using the works of composers
Alexander Skryabin, Igor Stravinsky
and Alexander Glazunov.
On December 4th 1921, at 18:27 European Standard Time,
all the radio stations on Earth received a strange message.
Anta... Odeli... Uta...
In charge of the Moscow radio station was Engineer Los.
Pass it immediately to the Bureau of Deciphering.
At the Evacuation Center of the Kursky Railway Station.
Among the employees of the center was Natasha, Engineer Los' wife.
Red Army soldier Gusev arrived from the front for recuperation.
The Deciphering Bureau failed to make out the mysterious message.
- Couldn't it be a radio transmission from Mars to our scientists and inventors?
Los' close friend and colleague - Engineer Spiridonov.
Anything is possible! Perhaps --
...they on Mars got worried about you and I!
Come here, happy newlywed. Your wife is calling again.
I can leave early today. Come and meet me.
Anta... Odeli... Uta... 18:27
All of Los' brain power and energy has been devoted to one task...
-the trip to Mars, and in his imagination he often pictures...
Aelita the Queen.
Ihoshka, Aelita's favorite maidservant.
Tuskub the Ruler.
Gol, Radiant Energy Tower Guardian.
A model of the apparatus built by Gol
for observing life on other planets.
It's a great discovery, but let it remain a secret... for everybody!
Show me other worlds... No one will know about it.
All right... In the evening I'll meet you at the tower of radiant energy...
Later... that evening...
Only to you, do I show life on a neighboring planet.
Time to go back. Tuskub may come and see us.
Touch my lips with yours, like humans do... on Earth.
Spiridonov spent his evenings at his friend's place,
working with him to build a spaceship to fly to Mars.
If only we could find a source of energy
that would overcome Earth's gravity!
From the first day, Gusev had become the infirmary's favorite.
Nurse Masha
"Love me or not, honey!" "A soldier got no money!"
In 1921 the railways had no lack of passengers.
Comrade Erlich and his wife, Yelena
We don't provide quarters. Go to the women's section.
You're so...
Get out of here! What the cheek!
Viktor, I have the address of an old acquaintance... Let's give it a try!
That day they were distributing food rations at the Evacuation Center.
I'm not angry... about the past, Yelena.
Introduce me to him as your brother.
White Bread...
Viktor Karlovich Erlich
Who's this character writing to you?
You're so charming that I cannot believe
you would be so cruel to me...
You're jealous, aren't you?
The food Erlich brought made it possible to have
a feast that was rare for Moscow, and remember "the beautiful past".
What the hell! It's sour, this wine! I remember the wine we had before...
Oh ! Before, all human relationships were so sensitive, delicate...
Yes... Before we had order...
The days went on... Los stubbornly continued his experiments.
After each failed experiment, Los went on dreaming...
Anta, Odeli, Uta
Excuse me! I'm the Chairman of the House Committee, I serve you notice.
You'll have to vacate your laboratory for a new tenant.
You know, we have met before. Do you remember?
This is Erlich, our new tenant.
At the Evacuation Center, people were actively preparing for a show.
Join us... We're having such fun!
Yelena was successfully carrying out her husband's instructions.
On the day of the show, Natasha received a food ration at the club.
As a Soviet functionary, Erlich was doing fine.
To Mr. Pavlov - one sack of sugar.
I've brought sugar... We must hide it! Hurry!
I told you we could pluck that goose.
The Evacuation Center's people decided to outdo the academic theaters.
Comrade Gusev is our chief assistant director.
The chocolate is real!
I have to go home. I got a lot of work.
At the distribution center, an unpleasant discovery was made.
The center's manager contacted the Chief of Criminal Investigation for help.
Investigate it and, if necessary, search Erlich's apartment.
I've got talent. By God, I've got it... I'll prove it to you!
Citizen Kravtsov, I repeat again:
I am not hiring you. I believe you're incompetent.
For the Indian ink, it was necessary to go to Spiridonov.
Got tired, comrade? I sympathize. I sympathize with you very much.
I know everything... I found it in your coat pocket...
You're lying. You're lying all the time!
The night seemed agonizingly long after that first quarrel.
Would you like to go to a Ball and have fun in spite of all the comrades?
To Engineer M.S. Los, The administration of Volkhovstroi
thanks you for almost a year of dedicated work...
Will you go?
Kravtsov decided to investigate on his own the case of the lost sugar.
The meeting place of "Businessmen"...
All tickets are sold out. You'll make good money!
What a miser! In a whole week, just one medallion!
Each reminder of the mysterious radio transmission
made his fantasy grow that much stronger.
For many days now Aelita was not permitted to see Earth...
Today is the meeting of the Elders.
No one will know if you go to the tower.
How dare you hide from me the apparatus built by Gol?
You're a queen, but we're the rulers. The tower will remain closed.
So, by the decision of the Elders,
a third of the living workforce is put into cold storage for keeping.
All the workers - the population toiling for the "Elders",
never left their dungeons.
The first third to the cold storage! The first third!
Are you avoiding me, Aelita? Your thoughts are occupied with an Earthman...
Wait for me here. I'll come out to you.
Martians were not alien to a feeling of jealousy...
You're in love with an Earthman. You will never see him!
I'm leaving with you all the designs of my "interplanetonef".
Save them. This is my lifes work.
Are you going alone? How about Natasha?
Natasha was impatiently waiting for her husband...
Let's go to the Ball. There'll be upper crust society there.
I'm sure your husband won't mind.
Let's go! To spite him! Let's have fun!
Anta, Odeli, Uta
Illegal Ball of the "select society".
The Ball's organizers talked Natasha into having supper with them.
I thought you were at the station seeing off your husband going on a trip.
My ravishing, my dear.
Stay for at least half an hour. Well, a quarter of an hour.
I have to leave today. I regret I couldn't say goodbye to you.
I may be on this business trip for a long time. Yours, L.
The only joy for Los was the realization that he, too,
could take part in the great work of building the new Russia.
Slowly, yet inevitably, life was taking its normal course,
and there was less and less work at the Evacuation Center...
Allow me to go and see off this torturer...
Moscow. March 3, 1 922. It's been over 2 months since your departure,
and in this time you've sent me only 3 postcards. If it's the end...
SOVIET Krasnopresnensky District
MARRIAGE REGISTRY OFFICE
With the Evacuation Center closed, Natasha went to work in a Kindergarten.
Los' business trip was coming to an end.
To Engineer M.S. Los.
The administration of "VOLKHOVSTROl" thanks you for your 6-month work.
Dear friend! It's been 2 months now since I left Russia... -for good.
I feel ashamed to admit it, but the ways and habits of the past
proved stronger than I...
I hid your designs in the fireplace in your room, where...
And the dream took hold of him again.
In his dreams Los disguises himself as Spiridonov.
It's strange... He hasn't showed up for two months,
and today he appears as though he fell from another planet.
The new crime was promising new laurels for Kravtsov.
A suspicious character. We must find out who he is.
At one of the out-of-the-way outskirts of Moscow.
Kravtsov at his work.
Don't touch it! By this glove I'll find the criminal.
The absence of foreign and home fronts,
as well as the enforced inaction, burdened Gusev.
I can't do nothing!
I've established four republics, and now I'm going sour here...
Hot on the trail.
I'm arresting you on a charge of...
Do you have a warrant?
About the flight... I'll go with my great pleasure!
Think it over, comrade. It's a lot of risk and very little profit...
The heights I'm reaching! I'm flying to Mars tomorrow!
On the eve of the flight, the last workers were let to go home.
Next morning Moscow was celebrating one of the great Revolution days.
Where a good detective cannot ride, he will walk.
Five minutes before the flight.
- We're flying! We're flying!
Engineer Spiridonov, you're under arrest for unauthorized return to the RSFSR
and murder of Engineer Los' wife.
Some Pinkerton! Couldn't tell a false beard and a wig.
In that case... Engineer Los, you're under arrest for...
Living under someone else's disguise.
This projectile is coming from Earth!
The observatory will fix the time and location of the projectile's fall.
The aliens from Earth must be destroyed.
You must not do harm to the aliens from Earth.
They'll be destroyed! We won't let the plague of Earth invade Mars!
I know when and where the projectile landed.
The "Elders" did not leave, waiting for the Observatory's report.
Hurry to meet the guests from Earth and bring them to me.
The moment indicated by Chief Astronomer was nearing.
Comrades, are you from the militia? A man here must be arrested.
May I introduce myself? Commander Gusev from the Budyonny Cavalry.
Tuskub! Tuskub! This is an Earthman!
Comrade Tuskubov, allow me, by my mandate,
to arrest the criminal Los who arrived in your territory.
Touch my lips with yours, like you do it on Earth...
Do you recognize this necklace, Tuskub?
"Love me or not, honey!" "A soldier got no money!"
You're mine! We'll be ruling over everybody here together!
Never! Never will I forgive myself for raising my hand against you!
Aelita, on the "Elders'" orders, this Earthman is under arrest.
The free speech of free men has won over the "Elders" thousand-year hypnosis.
Comrades! Only you can help yourselves!
We had the same situation. Everything began with...
October 25, 1 91 7
...following our example, comrades, form one working family
of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics of Mars.
I'm with you! I will lead you!
I don't believe her... It's not for the masters to make revolutions!
You've got power. Lay down your arms,
you will never need them again on Mars.
Victory! The troops are on our side!
Open fire on the insurgents! Drive them back to the dungeons!
I alone will reign and rule now!
ANTA, ODELI, UTA
Buy tires by ANTA, ODELI, UTA
Buy tires by ANTA... ODELI... UTA!
We're exposing the mysterious radio - it's our tires trademark.
We're going to the Far East Front. Our train will be in an hour.
And I've been dreaming again... Half an hour ago I killed my wife...
But I'm not running away, no... I'll go back to her...
We can't leave the man like that. He may need help!
I was insane when I was shooting at you...
I'll be thanking providence all my life for having missed.
Do you still have any doubts?
No, I believe you... Forgive me.
By the order of a court investigator, you're under arrest.
Enough of dreaming. A different, real work is awaiting all of us!
THE END