The Master and Margarita (2024 film) explained

The Master and Margarita
Native Name:
Director:Michael Lockshin
Producer:
Screenplay:
  • Michael Lockshin
Starring:
Cinematography:Maxim Zhukov
Runtime:157 minutes
Country:Russia
Language:Russian
German
Latin
Aramaic
Budget:[1]
Gross:[2]

The Master and Margarita (Russian: Мастер и Маргарита) is a Russian fantasy-drama film directed by Michael Lockshin and based on Mikhail Bulgakov's novel of the same name.[3] It stars August Diehl as Woland, a diabolical foreigner who visits Moscow, Yevgeny Tsyganov as the eponymous Master, Yuliya Snigir as Margarita, the Master's lover and Claes Bang as Pontius Pilate, .

The film was shot in 2021, but it's release was pushed multiple times because of Russia's invasion into Ukraine and only premiered January 25, 2024. The movie received mostly positive reviews[4] [5] [6] from both film critics and audiances and quickly became the highest-grossing film released with a 18+ content rating ever in Russia and #7 all time box office, with over 2.3 billion rubles.

Premise

In 1930s Moscow, a prominent writer's works are suddenly censored by the Soviet state and the premiere of his theatrical play about Pontius Pilate is canceled for ideological reasons. He is expelled from the Union of Soviet Writers, and quickly turns into an outcast with no means to survive.

Inspired by Margarita, his lover, he begins working on a new novel in which all the characters are satirically reinterpreted from his life. The novel's central character is Woland, a mystical dark force who visits Soviet Moscow as a tourist, and avenges all those who caused the writer's downfall.

As the writer sinks himself deeper and deeper into his novel, adding himself and Margarita as characters, he gradually stops noticing as the border between reality and his imagination fades away.

Cast

Main cast

Supporting cast

Production

In 2018, the film was announced as being in production, with two major Russian producers helming the project: Ruben Dishdishyan and Igor Tolstunov. Nikolai Lebedev was set to direct. By 2020, however, the project still had not taken off. At some point, Lebedev had left the project.

Instead, Michael Lockshin, director of The Silver Skates, co-wrote a new script with Roman Kantor in 2020 and directed the film in 2021. The new script intertwined the novel with Bulgakov's life. The film had a working title Woland. The producers were Ruben Dishdishyan, Igor Tolstunov and Leonard Blavatnik.

In July 2021 it was announced that August Diehl will be playing Woland.[7]

Filming began in July 2021 in Moscow, St. Petersburg, and Malta, and concluded in October 2021.[8] [9]

Mars Media announced that the film would be released on January 1, 2023, with Universal Pictures acting as distributor.[10] [11]

In August 2022, it was announced that the release date would be pushed to late 2023, due to Universal Pictures leaving Russia over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and problems with funding the film's post-production.[12] [13] [14] In July 2023, it was announced that the film would be pushed once again to 25 January 2024.[15]

In April 2023 it was announced that the title of the film would change from Woland to The Master and Margarita.

The characters in the film speak in Russian, German, Latin and Aramaic.

Reception

The film was released to positive reviews from Russian press. One of Russia's most influential film critic's Anton Dolin called it "the first good adaptation" of Bulgakov's novel[16] and the "best commercial movie in modern Russian history"[17] . Other prominent film critics like Andrei Plakhov, as well as Bulgakov academics and cultural figures like Dmitry Bykov[18] and Ekaterina Shulman[19] also praised the film. The Los Angeles Times reviewer called the film "... the first worthy film adaptation of Bulgakov's novel [with] scaldingly relevant parallels to Putin's Russia."[20]

Many viewers noted the timeliness of the film, as the period piece reflected on news from contemporary Russia, with The Guardian noting that "As Russia becomes more repressive, it is possible that Master and Margarita could be one of the last films of its kind, a blockbuster where the criticism of the state lies on the service."

The performances were praised by many reviewers including the likes offrom Komsomolskaya Pravda and RBK.[21] [22]

On release day, the film opened to 57.3 million rubles. By its second weekend, the film had made 1 billion rubles, according to the Cinema Foundation of Russia.[23] By March, the movie became the highest-grossing movie released with a 18+ content rating ever in Russia, with over 2.3 billion rubles in the box office.[24]

The movie was targeted by nationalist activists and some of the most famous pro-Putin public figures and propagandists, including Zakhar Prilepin, Tigran Keosayan and Vladimir Solovyev, who complained about the director's anti-war views on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the themes of the film allegedly being anti-regime, and the fact that the Ministry of Culture had provided funding for the film in 2020, and demanded a criminal investigation into the film and into Lockshin himself.[25] [26] [27] The debates reached Russia's Parliment - The State Duma with some deputies calling for a ban of the film and for it to be pulled from movie theater. However, according to the director, when the propagandists started their attack after seeing the film, the movie had already gained notoriety and success after its first week at the box office, so the authorities ultimately decided to not intervene to stop distribution.[28] [29]

Notes and References

  1. News: Бюджет новой экранизации "Мастера и Маргариты" превысил 1 млрд рублей . The budget of the new adaptation of "The Master and Margarita" is more than one billion rubles . 10 October 2023 . 28 October 2023 . . ru.
  2. https://ekinobilet.fond-kino.ru/films/detail/111034423/ Мастер и Маргарита
  3. News: Sonne . Paul . Life Imitates Art as a ‘Master and Margarita’ Movie Stirs Russia - An American director’s adaptation of the beloved novel is resonating with moviegoers, who may recognize some similarities in its satire of authoritarian rule. . February 16, 2024 . . live . https://archive.today/20240216060706/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/16/movies/master-and-margarita-movie-russia-reaction.html . February 16, 2024 . February 19, 2024 .
  4. Web site: Vourlias . Christopher . 2024-02-02 . Why Russia’s Propaganda Machine Is on the Attack Against a Blockbuster Adaptation of ‘The Master and Margarita’ . 2024-08-18 . Variety . en-US.
  5. Web site: Рецензии на фильм Мастер и Маргарита (2024), отзывы . 2024-03-03 . Критиканство . ru-RU.
  6. News: Roth . Andrew . 2024-02-23 . ‘It was a very hard journey’: Master and Margarita director on its unlikely Russian success . 2024-08-18 . The Guardian . en-GB . 0261-3077.
  7. Web site: Grater . Tom . 'A Hidden Life' Actor August Diehl Starring In $15M Russian Drama 'Woland' . Deadline . 22 July 2021 . 29 November 2021.
  8. Web site: Юлия Снигирь объявила о завершении съемок фильма "Воланд" . RIA Novosti . 8 November 2021 . "Yuliya Snigir announced the conclusion of shooting for the film "Woland" . Russian . 24 November 2021.
  9. Web site: Vakhromeyev . Sergey . Съемки фильма "Воланд" завершились в Петербурге . St. Petersburg Dnevnik . Russian . "Filming of the film "Woland" has concluded in St Petersburg . 29 November 2021.
  10. Web site: «ВОЛАНД» ВЫЙДЕТ В ПРОКАТ 1 ЯНВАРЯ 2023 ГОДА . Mars Media Official Site . 20 January 2022 . Russian . "Woland will be released on January 1st 2023 . 22 January 2022.
  11. Web site: Стало известно, когда выйдет фильм "Воланд" . RIA Novosti . 20 January 2022 . Russian . "The release date of the film "Woland" has been made public. 22 January 2022.
  12. Web site: "Воланд" Михаила Локшина не получил поддержку Фонда кино . portal-kultura.ru . 13 August 2022 . ru . "Woland" by Michael Lockshin to not receive funding from Cinema Fond.
  13. Web site: Gimashev . Linar . Фильм "Воланд" может вообще не выйти . Plugged In . 10 August 2022 . 13 August 2022 . ru . The film "Woland" might not be released.
  14. Web site: Corcoran . Jason . 6 months into the Ukraine war, Russia's film industry is on life support . 2022-12-11 . Business Insider . en-US.
  15. News: Названа дата премьеры фильма по роману Булгакова "Мастер и Маргарита" . 11 July 2023 . . 10 July 2023 . ru.
  16. News: Dolin . Anton . "Мастер и Маргарита" Михаила Локшина — первая достойная экранизация романа Булгакова Антон Долин рассказывает, почему этот фильм не мог не взбесить пропагандистов . Michael Lockshin's The Master and Margarita is the first good adaptation of Bulgakov's novel Anton Dolin explains why the film couldn't not upset propagandists . 3 February 2024 . Meduza . 29 January 2024 . ru.
  17. Антон Долин о лучшей экранизации «проклятого» романа . 2024-02-02 . Радио Долин . 2024-08-18 . YouTube.
  18. Дмитрий Быков про фильм "Мастер и Маргарита" . 2024-02-04 . Demetrio Albertini . 2024-08-18 . YouTube.
  19. Мастер и Маргарита: Мессир, мне больше нравится Рим . 2024-06-02 . Екатерина Шульман . 2024-08-18 . YouTube.
  20. Web site: 2024-04-10 . This L.A. director made a film in Russia. The Kremlin wasn't happy. Then came death threats . 2024-08-18 . Los Angeles Times . en-US.
  21. News: Korsakov . Denis . Рецензия на фильм «Мастер и Маргарита» (2024): авторский взгляд на картину, плюсы и минусы, кому понравится и кому стоит пойти . 25 January 2024 . Komsomolskaya Pravda . 25 January 2024 . ru-RU.
  22. News: Aliyev . Timur . "Мастер и Маргарита": обзор новой и удачной экранизации Булгакова. Один из самых дорогих фильмов по мотивам знаменитого романа . 25 January 2024 . RBK . 24 January 2024.
  23. Web site: Мастер и Маргарита . Cinema Foundation of Russia . 8 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240208135458/https://ekinobilet.fond-kino.ru/films/detail/111034423/ . 8 February 2024.
  24. News: Сборы фильма "Мастер и Маргарита" превысили 2 млрд рублей . 2024-03-03 . Ведомости . ru.
  25. News: What to expect from the 2024 film adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov's classic novel 'The Master and Margarita' . 2 February 2024 . Meduza . 30 January 2024 .
  26. News: Vourlias . Christopher . Why Russia's Propaganda Machine Is on the Attack Against a Blockbuster Adaptation of 'The Master and Margarita' . 2 February 2024 . Variety . 2 February 2024.
  27. News: Zatari . Amalia . "Мастер и Маргарита". Как развивался скандал вокруг фильма, который задумывался в одной реальности, а вышел совсем в другой . "The Master and Margarita". How the scandal around a film, conceived in one reality and released in another, developed . 4 February 2024 . BBC News Русская служба . 31 January 2024 . ru.
  28. Web site: Muchnik. Andrei. Director Michael Lockshin on 'Master and Margarita' and Meaningful Work. The Moscow Times. 2024-03-08. 2024-03-07.
  29. Michael Lockshin on Russian backlash to 'The Master and Margarita' AP interview . 2024-03-06 . Associated Press . 2024-08-18 . YouTube.

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