The Marriage of Balzaminov

Misha Balzaminov, a minor official in nineteenth century Moscow, dreams of changing his life by marrying a rich woman. His mother wants the same thing. In his dreams Misha is a general, even a king; when he wakes he is in the same house. Matchmakers get involved, candidates are lined up, and each attempt goes wrong in a different way. Konstantin Voinov directed the film from the plays of Alexander Ostrovsky. Georgiy Vitsin plays Balzaminov; he was one of the best known faces of Soviet comedy. The film is colourful, fast and theatrical, its sets deliberately built like a stage. The telling does not humiliate its hero, but it does not hide how small his dreams are either: the whole business is a little money and a little respect.