Splendid Days1960

Splendid Days

Seriosha

1960 · Soviet Union · 80 min

Director: Georgiy Daneliya, Igor Talankin
Screenplay: Vera Panova, Georgiy Daneliya, Igor Talankin
Music: Boris Tchaikovsky
Cinematography: Anatoly Nitochkin
Production company: Mosfilm
Based on: Seryozha

Awards: Crystal Globe

Cast

Vyacheslav Brovkin

Pavel Vinnik

Margarita Zharova

Yevgeny Kudryashyov

Aleksandra Panova

Pyotr Kiryutkin

What it is about

Five-year-old Seryozha watches his mother remarry, and his new stepfather, Dmitri Korostelyov, becomes his official father. The boy calls him by his surname, and the two soon become close friends, as the man treats him like an equal and respects his ideas. The arrival of a new baby shifts the household's attention, and Seryozha begins to feel left out.

How it was made

The screenplay was written by Vera Panova, Georgiy Danelia and Igor Talankin, and Danelia drew a storyboard of 505 frames for the project. The two directors agreed to make every decision together, each with an alternating right to veto. The role of Korostelyov was first offered to another actor, but the artistic council suggested Sergei Bondarchuk, who agreed to appear in a debut film by young directors. Because the story takes place in summer, the crew built the sets in Krasnodar, where autumn brings many sunny days.

Reception and legacy

The film was named the best of 1960 in a survey by the magazine Soviet Screen and won the Grand Prix at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival that same year. It also received the Crystal Globe, and its family-friendly tone has kept Splendid Days remembered as a gentle Soviet comedy-drama about childhood.