Scarlet Sails () is a 1961 Soviet romantic fantasy film produced by Mosfilm and directed by Alexandr Ptushko. It is based on Alexander Grin's 1923 romance novel of the same name and stars Vasily Lanovoy and Anastasiya Vertinskaya.Scarlet Sails [DVD]. (IV quarter 2003). Russia: RUSCICO. The story is a romantic fantasy and is described as a "fairy tale","Interview with Oleg Anofriev". Scarlet Sails [DVD]. (IV quarter 2003). Russia: RUSCICO. though it contains no supernatural elements but two prophecies that came true.
Plot The setting is a small fishing village. The former seaman Longren raises his daughter AssolNote: The heroine's name is changed to "Isolde" in the English-language dubbing on the DVD. alone after losing his beloved wife, making a meager living by selling the toy boats he carves from wood. As a child, Assol encounters an old man who claims to be a wizard and promises the girl that one day a prince will come on a ship with scarlet sails to carry her away. The villagers scoff but Assol believes her dream will come true one day.
Arthur Grey is a nobleman's son who breaks away from his cruel father to pursue a life at sea, and eventually becomes the captain of a merchant vessel. Having set to port at Assol's village, he spies the young maiden sleeping in the forest and falls in love. After inquiring in the village he learns of Assol's dream and sets about to make it come true.
Principal cast Actor Role Anastasiya Vertinskaya Assol Vasily Lanovoy Arthur Grey Yelena Cheremshanova Young Assol Aleksandr Lupenko Young Arthur Ivan Pereverzev Longren Nikolay Volkov Egl (the wizard) Sergei Romodanov Captain Gop Oleg Anofriyev Letika (a seaman) Zoya Fyodorova Governess Pavel Massalsky Arthur's father Grigory Shpigel Menners Jr. (the innkeeper)
Miscellaneous This was the film debut of Anastasiya Vertinskaya, who celebrated her 16th birthday during the filming."Interview with Vassily Lanovoy". Scarlet Sails [DVD]. (IV quarter 2003). Russia: RUSCICO. She went on to star in such Soviet classics as The Amphibian Man and Hamlet.
Locations used in the filming include Koktebel and Yalta in Crimea, Baku in Azerbaijan, and Pitsunda in Abkhazia.
Two real ships were used for Grey's ship Secret. One of them was the training ship Alfa («Альфа») from the Rostov-on-Don Naval School. It was outfitted with 2,500 meters of scarlet parachute silk procured to satisfy Ptushko's demand for authenticity. Another one was Tovarishch («Товарищ») from the port city of Kherson.«Алые паруса» (1961)
Vasiliy Lanovoy, who wanted to surprise his wife and other guests at the resort in Yalta where the movie was shot, asked the captain of the ship used for the movie to sail to Yalta with the scarlet sails. "The reaction [at the resort] was the same as in the movie, one of disbelief and amazement".
See also
Scarlet Sails (tradition) is an annual celebration in St. Petersburg rooted in Grin's novel
Notes
References Alexandr Ptushko (Director). Scarlet Sails [DVD]. (IV quarter 2003). Russia: RUSCICO
External links
Original Russian text of the novel at Maksim Moshkow's Library English translation of the novel