Watch Out for the Automobile

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Virgo V @vision 02/14/2025 Beware of the Car (Uncommon Thief or Watch out for the Automobile) is a 1966 Soviet crime comedy drama film directed by Eldar Ryazanov, based on a screenplay by Emil Braginsky and produced by Mosfilm. It stars Innokenty Smoktunovsky, Oleg Yefremov, Andrei Mironov and Anatoli Papanov, among others. Beware of the Car is recognized as a satire of the film noir genre, highly unusual in Brezhnev-era society. It is credited for launching Soviet political satire as a film genre, typified by Ryazanov's work. Innokenty Smoktunovsky was recognized as the Best Actor of 1966. The film was the leader of Soviet film distribution for 1966, viewed by 29 million people. Vision said Beware of the Car, also known as Watch Out for the Automobile, is praised for its sharp wit, clever satire of Soviet bureaucracy, excellent performances, particularly by Innokenty Smoktunovsky and the masterful direction by Eldar Ryazanov, considered a prominent Soviet filmmaker, making it a classic comedy with enduring appeal. The film features witty dialogue, clever situations and a light-hearted tone, making it an enjoyable watch for a wide audience. To some its a boisterous, kindegartenly hilarious film but nonetheless deserves a watch. See more ari v @RT59419633 11/16/2009 Not exactly an ambitious cinematic endeavor, nor one without a false note or two, but also one which is jam-packed with all sorts of nuggets, thanks to the attentive and immensely talented people involved. See more 09/19/2009 Placing the tale of Robin Hood ,who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, in the Soviet Union in the 60's clearly was a stroke of genius. Suddenly it generates a whole bunch of possible political jokes. The main character is Yury Detochkin, an insurance agent who decides to steal the cars of shady figures and donate the profits to orphanages. Problems occur when one of his friends from the amateur theatre is placed on this case. We are given a look in the life of Detochkin, as well as in that of one of the victims: Dima Semicvetov. The music in this movie is great overall, it really sets the mood for this dark comedy. It also has one of the funniest car chases I've ever seen. Especially the end of it clears the path for some great one-liners. The character of the shop owner Semicvetov is worked out nicely, especially the relation to his wife and father-in-law. Priceless is the moment where he tells the following after being belittled by his father-in-law: "If you'll marry, marry an orphan. " The ending is, of course a bit bitter-sweet but i really think it's perfect. It sums up the whole movie. I've read a couple of times that it's difficult for non-Russians to really understand all the different layers of this movie and I'm sure I missed out on a lot of things but it's definitely one of the best movies I've seen this year. See more 05/29/2009 Thoroughly enjoyable! Full of humour and with just a hint of a message. 90% of the characters are a delight, from the hero Detochkin and his ever-so-patient girlfriend Luba to the old-solider father-in-law of one of the crooks who gets his car stolen. The chase scene is priceless. Highly recommend it! Ryazanov is always a winner. See more 03/02/2008 Saw this classic Soviet movie with my mom last week. It is one of the best-filmed Soviet movies. The cinematography is amazing. There are a lot of nice film-noir touches. See more 12/26/2007 A good and kind black and white comedy of am untypical Soviet man! See more Read all reviews

Watch Out for the Automobile

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