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Sergei Bondarchuk

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In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Fyodorovich and the family name is Bondarchuk.
Sergei Bondarchuk
Сергей Бондарчук
Bondarchuk at the November 1969 premiere of Battle of Neretva in Sarajevo
Born(1920-09-25)25 September 1920
Belozerka, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Died20 October 1994(1994-10-20) (aged 74)
Moscow, Russia
Resting placeNovodevichy Cemetery, Moscow
CitizenshipSoviet Union, Russia
Alma materRostov College of Arts
Occupations
  • Actor
  • film director
  • screenwriter
Years active1948–1994
Notable workWar and Peace (1965-67)
Waterloo (1970)
Title
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1949; div. 1956)​
​
(m. 1959)​
Children
Awards

Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk[a] (25 September 1920 – 20 October 1994) was a Soviet and Russian actor and filmmaker of Ukrainian origin, who was one of the leading figures of Russian cinema in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s.[1] He is known for his sweeping period dramas, including War and Peace (1965–67), his internationally acclaimed four-part film adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel, and for Waterloo (1970) a Napoleonic War epic.

Bondarchuk's work won him numerous international accolades. War and Peace won Bondarchuk, who both directed and acted in the leading role of Pierre Bezukhov, the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film (1968), and the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968.[2] He was made both a Hero of Socialist Labour and a People's Artist of the USSR.

Early life and education

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Sergei Fyodorovich Bondarchuk was born in the village of Bilozerka (now in Kherson Raion, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine) on September 25, 1920, in the family of Orthodox Christian peasants Fyodor Petrovich and Tatyana Vasilievna (nee Tokarenko). His paternal grandfather, Pyotr Konstantinovich Bondarchuk, was ethnically Bulgarian, the grandmother, Matryona Fyodorovna Sirvulya, was Serbian. At the time of childbirth, his father was serving in the Red Army. His mother, being a deeply religious person, named her son in honor of Sergius of Radonezh and baptized him in the Annunciation Monastery near Kherson.[3]

Bondarchuk spent his childhood in the cities of Yeysk and Taganrog, graduating from the Taganrog School Number 4 in 1938. His first performance as an actor was onstage of the Taganrog Theatre in 1937. He continued studies at the Rostov College of Arts (1938–1942).

After his studies, he was conscripted into the Red Army during World War II against Nazi Germany. Bondarchuk took part in the initial stage of the Battle of the Caucasus, then was reorganized into the Don Front. From October 19 to December 8, 1942, he fought at Stalingrad, took part in Operation Uranus. He was decorated for his courage in battles and was discharged with honors in 1946.

Film career

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In 1948, Bondarchuk made his film debut in The Young Guard directed by Sergei Gerasimov. In 1952, he was awarded the Stalin Prize for the leading role in the film Taras Shevchenko; that same year, at the age of 32, he became the youngest Soviet actor ever to receive the top dignity of People's Artist of the USSR. In 1955, he starred with his future wife Irina Skobtseva in Othello. In 1959, he made his directorial debut with Fate of a Man, based on Mikhail Sholokhov's short story of the same name. The film was internationally acclaimed upon its release.[1]

Bondarchuk earned international fame with his epic production of Tolstoy's War and Peace, which on original release totaled more than seven hours of cinema, took six years to complete and won Bondarchuk, who both directed and acted the role of Pierre Bezukhov, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1968.[2] The year after his victory, in 1969, he starred as Martin with Yul Brynner and Orson Welles in the Yugoslav epic Battle of Neretva, directed by Veljko Bulajic.

His first English-language film was 1970's Waterloo, produced by Dino De Laurentiis. In Europe, the critics called it remarkable for the epic battle scenes and details in capturing the Napoleonic era. However, it failed at the box office. To prevent running into hurdles with the Soviet government[citation needed], he joined the Communist Party in 1970. A year later, he was appointed president of the Union of Cinematographers, while he continued his directing career, steering toward political films, directing Boris Godunov before being dismissed from the semi-governmental post in 1986.

In 1973, he was the president of the Jury at the 8th Moscow International Film Festival.[4]

In 1975, he directed They Fought for Their Country, which was entered into the 1975 Cannes Film Festival.[5] In 1982 came Red Bells, based on John Reed's Ten Days That Shook the World (which serves as the film's alternative title).[6] His 1986 film Boris Godunov was also screened at Cannes that year.[7]

Bondarchuk's last feature film, and his second in English, was an epic TV version of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don, starring Rupert Everett. It was filmed in 1992–1993 but premiered on Channel One only in November 2006,[8] as there were disputes concerning the Italian studio that was co-producing over unfavorable clauses in his contract, which left the tapes locked in a bank vault. After his death, the film remained locked for several years until it was recovered and released in 2006.

In 1995, he was posthumously awarded an honorable diploma for contribution to cinema at the 19th Moscow International Film Festival.[9]

Personal life

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He first married Inna Makarova, mother to his oldest daughter, Natalya Bondarchuk (born 1950). Natalya is remembered for her role in Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 film Solaris.

He met his second wife Irina Skobtseva when both were appearing in Othello, and they married in 1959. They had two children, actress Yelena Bondarchuk (1962–2009) and a son Fyodor (born 1967), (who starred with him in Boris Godunov), a popular Russian film actor and director best known for his box-office hit The 9th Company (2005).

Death

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Bondarchuk died on October 20, 1994, at the age of 74 in Moscow from myocardial infarction. Before his death, he was confessed and given communion by Hieromonk Tikhon (Shevkunov). He is buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow. In June 2007, his wife Irina Skobtseva unveiled a bronze statue of Bondarchuk in his native Yeysk.

Honours and awards

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Filmography

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Actor
Year Title Medium Role Notes
1948 The Young Guard Film Comrade Valko
1948 Povest o nastoyashchem cheloveke Film Gvozdev Uncredited
1949 Michurin Film Uralets Uncredited
1949 Put slavy Sekretar gorkoma Uncredited
1951 Dream of a Cossack Film Sergei Tutarinov
1951 Taras Shevchenko Film Taras Shevchenko
1953 Admiral Ushakov Film Tikhon Alekseyevich Prokofiev
1953 Attack from the Sea Film
1954 This cannot be forgotten Film writer Harmash
1955 Skipping girl Film Dr. Osip Stepanovich Dymov
1955 Not ended story Film Yuri Sergeyevich Yershov
1955 Othello Film Othello
1956 Ivan Franko Film Ivan Franko
1957 Dvoe iz odnogo kvartala Film
1958 Soldiers went Film Matvei Krylov
1959 Fate of a Man Film Andrei Sokolov Grand Prix at the 1st Moscow International Film Festival[10]
1960 Era notte a Roma Film Fyodor Aleksandrovic Nazukov
1960 Splendid Days Film Korostelyov
1965–1967 War and Peace Film Pierre Bezukhov Grand Prix at the 4th Moscow International Film Festival[11]
1969 Battle of Neretva Film Martin
1969 Golden Gates Film background Voice
1970 Uncle Vanya Film Dr. Mikhail Lvovich Astrov
1970 Waterloo Film
1973 Silence of Doctor Evans Film Martin Evans
1974 Such tall mountains Film Ivan Stepanov
1975 They Fought for Their Country Film Ivan Zvyagintsev
1975 Take Aim Film Igor Kurchatov
1976 Vrhovi Zelengore Film Profesor
1977 Poshekhon Oldie Film background Voice
1978 The Steppe Film Emelyan
1978 Velvet season Film Mister Bradbury
1979 Father Sergius Film Father Sergius
1979 Occupation – cinema-actor Film cameo
1979 Take off Film Narrator background Voice
1980 The Gadfly Film Cardinal Montanelli TV movie
1985 Bambi's Childhood Film Narrator
1986 Boris Godunov Film Boris Godunov
1988 Incident in airport Film Major-General Tokarenko
1990 Battle of three kings Film Selim
1992 Storm over Rus Film boyar Morozov
1993 Mushketyory 20 let spustya Film
2000 Sergei Bondarchuk Documentary Himself
Director
Year Title Role Notes
1959 Fate of a Man Andrei Sokolov
1966–1967 War and Peace Pierre Bezukhov
1970 Waterloo
1975 They Fought for Their Country Zvyagintsev
1977 The Steppe Yemelian
1982 Red Bells
1983 Red Bells II
1986 Boris Godunov Boris Godunov
2006 Quiet Flows the Don [it] Filmed between 1992 and 1993
Writer

Notes

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  1. ^
    • Russian: Сергей Фёдорович Бондарчук, romanized: Sergey Fyodorovich Bondarchuk, IPA: [sʲɪrˈɡʲej ˈfʲɵdərəvʲɪdʑ bəndɐrˈtɕuk]
    • Ukrainian: Сергій Федорович Бондарчук, romanized: Serhii Fedorovych Bondarchuk

References

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  1. ^ a b Peter Rollberg (2016). Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema. US: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 117–120. ISBN 978-1442268425.
  2. ^ a b "The 41st Academy Awards (1969) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Retrieved 2011-11-15.
  3. ^ Bondarchuk, Natalya (2020). Сергей Бондарчук. Лента жизни. Moscow: AST. ISBN 978-5-17-126847-3.
  4. ^ "8th Moscow International Film Festival (1973)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-12-25.
  5. ^ "Festival de Cannes: They Fought for Their Country". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 2015-02-06. Retrieved 2009-04-29.
  6. ^ Eleanor Mannikka (2010-11-01). "New York Times". Movies & TV Dept. Baseline & All Movie Guide. Archived from the original on 2012-07-12. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  7. ^ "Festival de Cannes: Boris Godunov". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-02. Retrieved 2009-07-10.
  8. ^ "Europe | Russia recovers Soviet-era epic". BBC News. 2006-11-07. Retrieved 2012-03-14.
  9. ^ "19th Moscow International Film Festival (1995)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-03-22. Retrieved 2013-03-16.
  10. ^ "1st Moscow International Film Festival (1959)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-11-03.
  11. ^ "4th Moscow International Film Festival (1965)". MIFF. Archived from the original on 2013-01-16. Retrieved 2012-12-03.
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