A Few Days from the Life of I. I. Oblomov

Oblomov (Russian: Несколько дней из жизни И. И. Обломова, translit. Neskolko dney iz zhizni I. I. Oblomov) is a Soviet comedy/drama film directed by Nikita Mikhalkov. It was released by Mosfilm in 1980.[1] The film's plot is based on the novel Oblomov (Russian: Обломов), written by Ivan Goncharov, which tells the story of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a middle-aged nobleman living in 19th century Saint Petersburg. This central character exemplifies the superfluous man concept found in 19th century Russian literature.[2]

A Few Days from the Life of I. I. Oblomov
Original Polish film poster
Directed byNikita Mikhalkov
Written byAleksandr Adabashyan
Ivan Goncharov
Nikita Mikhalkov
StarringOleg Tabakov
Elena Solovey
Yuri Bogatyryov
Music byEduard Artemyev
CinematographyPavel Lebeshev
Distributed byMosfilm
Release date
1980
Running time
140 minutes
CountrySoviet Union
LanguageRussian

Plot

The film begins in 19th century Saint Petersburg, and examines the life of Ilya Ilyich Oblomov, a middle-aged Russian nobleman. Slothful and seemingly unhappy, Oblomov spends much of the beginning of the film sleeping and being attended to by his servant, Zakhar. In an attempt to get him more active, Andrei Ivanovich Stoltz, a Russian/German businessman and close friend, frequently takes Oblomov along with him to social events. Oblomov is introduced to a cultured woman named Olga, a friend of Stoltz. When Stoltz leaves the country, Olga is left with the task of civilizing and culturing Oblomov while he lives nearby. Olga and Oblomov eventually fall in love, but upon Stoltz's return, Oblomov moves back into town, eventually severing ties with Olga. Stoltz and Olga eventually marry, and Oblomov subsequently marries the woman with whom he was living, Agafya Matveyevna Psehnitsyna. The two have a son, and although Agafya has two children from a previous relationship, Oblomov treats them both as if they were his own. Oblomov is satisfied with his life, although it "lack[s] the poetic and those bright rays which he imagined were to be found."[3]

Superfluous Man and Oblomovism

In the Ivan Goncharov novel, Ilya Ilyich Oblomov is considered an excellent example of the "Superfluous Man" concept of 1800s' Russian literature. Alienated and let down by the world around him, the "superfluous man" character is often considered an outsider at odds with society. In both the novel and the film, Oblomov demonstrates this "superfluity" as an ineffective member of Russia's much criticized aristocracy. Goncharov referred to his character's passivity as "Oblomovism," and the term has since been associated with characters who possess Oblomov's apathy and membership in Russia's upper class.[4]

Cast
Actor Role
Oleg TabakovIlya Ilyich Oblomov
Yuri BogatyryovAndrei Ivanovich Stoltz
Andrei PopovZakhar
Elena SoloveyOlga
Avangard LeontevAlexeyev
Andrei RazumovskyIlya as a child
Oleg KozlovStoltz as a child
Yelena KleshchevskayaKatya
Galina ShostkoOlga's aunt
Gleb StrizhenovThe Baron
Yevgeny Steblov Oblomov's father
Yevgeniya GlushenkoOblomov's mother
Nikolai PastukhovStoltz's father

[1]

References
  1. "IMDb movie cast and overview". IMDb.
  2. Liukkonen, Petri. "Ivan (Aleksandrovich) Goncharov". Books and Writers (kirjasto.sci.fi). Finland: Kuusankoski Public Library. Archived from the original on 7 December 2014.
  3. A Few Days from the Life of I. I. Oblomov. Mosfilm. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. Terras, Victor (1985). A Handbook of Russian Literature. New Haven, Conn.: Yale University Press.
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