My Tender and Affectionate Beast

Summer at a count's estate in nineteenth century Russia. Kamyshev, an examining magistrate, is struck by Olga, the young daughter of the forest warden. Olga knows what her beauty is worth and wants out of poverty; she marries an old, rich man. But she does not let go of Kamyshev either. The end of that triangle is tied off at a shooting party, in an event nobody can take back. Emil Loteanu adapted the film from Chekhov's novel The Shooting Party. The images build provincial life of the period almost like painting. The waltz composed by Evgeny Doga plays in the wedding scene and became one of the best known melodies in Soviet cinema; it is recognised today apart from the film. Galina Belyaeva plays Olga and Oleg Yankovsky plays Kamyshev. The film competed at Cannes in 1978.