It seems that every Ukrainian creates his or her own image of Taras Shevchenko. Worldwide, nearly 1,100 memorials have portrayed the Ukrainian poet-artist as variously young or old, in folk attire or imperially slim, with furrowed brow or distant gaze. But eccentric? Humorous? Romantic?
Yet this was precisely the way director Aleksandr Denysenko intended to “humanize” the bard of Ukraine in his 2019 film “Taras: The Return,” which was screened at the Ukrainian Institute of America in New York on Sunday, February 16. To accommodate viewer interest, an additional showing was added.
Taras Shevchenko grasps his pardon letter while in solitary confinement.
Previous films about Shevchenko
The life of Shevchenko has been the subject of barely a handful of art films. Following an early 1926 silent movie, 1951 saw the premiere of director Ihor Savchenko’s film “Taras Shevchenko,” with Sergey Bondarchuk in the leading role. While visually striking, this film was hobbled by its heavy-handed Soviet propaganda style, and presented a glorified, hectoring hero.
Thirteen years later, Volodymyr Denysenko’s “The Dream” was released, starring Ivan Mykolaichuk. The title referred to Shevchenko’s poem that exposed the ruthless regime of tsarism and harshly satirized the imperial court, caricaturing the Empress as “a twitching, dried-up mushroom on spindly stork legs.” (This was the last straw for Tsar Nicholas, who exiled Shevchenko as a private to army garrisons in Asia, where Russia was embroiled with England in “The Great Game” of conquering new territories.)
Offering a more nuanced approach, this 1964 film dramatized events surrounding Shevchenko’s entrance to the Art Academy, and introduced childhood flashbacks to disclose his precocious talent and love for his enslaved homeland. Yet, this film suffered cuts by censors, and was weakened by artificial, melodramatic scenes, and jarring technical details (like the studio soundtrack chorus pasted to the image of a sweating group of field laborers).
Both 1951 and 1964 films can be viewed in their entirety on YouTube.
Finale at the officers’ party as Shevchenko gives himself up.
2019: A “humanized” Shevchenko
According to director Aleksandr Denysenko (son of Volodymyr Denysenko), his 2019 movie would fashion a realistic Shevchenko, unlike Bondaruk’s monumental, heaven-storming prophet. Mr. Denysenko wanted to create a non-biopic adventure story of what might have happened to Shevchenko during the final months of his seven-year exile: “a first Ukrainian film about the first political prisoner of the Russian Gulag.”
“Taras: The Return” is set in 1857 on the Mangyshlak Peninsula in Kazakhstan, bordering the Caspian Sea. Despite the tsar’s personal directive forbidding Shevchenko to write or paint, the poet secretes a notebook for his verses, and paints over 100 accurate renderings of landscapes for geological expeditions, as well as many evocative portraits.
He also awaits the letter of pardon – which arrives, but is suppressed by an antagonistic officer. Shevchenko is defended, however, by the Novopetrovsk fort commander Uskov, his wife, Agatha, and their daughter. Having learned to speak Kazakh, he is also befriended by “Katya,” the plucky daughter of a local chieftain. Without giving anything away, the film’s finale races towards its climax in the best tradition of Indiana Jones.
Mr. Denysenko’s earnest screenplay hits all the intended points. The director explained to The Ukrainian Weekly that his research included Shevchenko’s own diaries, poems and paintings, contemporary memoirs and state documents. He depicted the hopeless infatuation of both Agatha and Katya with his protagonist. He created incidents to portray Shevchenko’s whimsical humor and charm while at a brutal military outpost. In this respect, Mr. Denysenko’s attempt to strip away layers of idealized tradition was successful.
Shevchenko on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
Yet, what the film needs is a vibrant, central dramatic arc and more exploration of the complex persona of Shevchenko – to make the viewer identify with and really care for the protagonist. Rather, the final impression is somewhat neutral, of a man buffeted by external forces. (As one example, when confronted with both Agatha’s and Katya’s expressions of love, the film’s protagonist remains oddly stone-faced.) Shevchenko’s discerning remark to an officer in this movie – “The prisoner is you, not me” – might have well served as a pivotal leitmotif, but unfortunately was not developed further.
In real life, Shevchenko chronicled his visits to bordellos, as well as his frequent loves. His high spirits and songs while under arrest were marveled at by observers. Contemporaries even noted his delight in helping locals set a successful tiger trap.
Mr. Denysenko’s film has added new interesting aspects to our understanding of the great poet. But in many respects, we all still need to come to grips with the totality and integrity of Taras Shevchenko.
(For non-Ukrainian viewers, there will be a lack of context to grasp exactly why Shevchenko had so alarmed the highest levels of the Russian empire.)
The garrison barracks at Novopetrovsk fort.
Cinematography
Oleksandr Kryshtalovych’s poetic cinematography is superb. His widescreen panoramas of sea coasts, deserts and bleached cliffs vividly convey the vast, otherworldly landscapes of Kazakhstan. Tasteful post-production adjustments to color and soft focus replicate Shevchenko’s sepia paintings of shafts of light streaming through hot barracks, and his drawings of Kazakh yurts (tents). One memorable CGI effect was the mirage scene of flickering flames and a fort across the sea. The film was shot on location in Kazakhstan, and in Odesa and Kyiv.
Portraying a non-traditional, low-key Shevchenko, Borys Orlov was believable, though not charismatic. Yurii Shulhan as the fort commander and Roman Lutzkiy as Shevchenko’s Polish friend Maciej offered solid supporting performances. In her first film role, attractive Kazakh actress Akniet Oryntai was engaging and spirited as Katya.
The final shot of the film: Commander Uskov and his family watch as Shevchenko departs for home.
Funding for Ukrainian cinema
Securing financial support and distribution for Ukrainian cinema remains difficult. According to the online journal New Ukrainian Kino, “Taras: The Return” suffered a two-year delay because it was “sabotaged” by producers insisting Shevchenko themes were not interesting to Ukrainian viewers.
Indeed, Mr. Denysenko disclosed to this author that an official even argued that Ukrainian language is more suited to comedies rather than serious films. (Soon to be released is an action “buddy-western” titled “Taras Shevchenko: The First Samurai.” Predictably, such a fantasy-film received 80 percent of its funding from the government.)
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“Taras: The Return” is a Ukrainian co-production with Kazakhstan. Leading roles: Borys Orlov (Shevchenko), Yurii Shulhan (Commander Uskov), Bohdan Beniuk (Old Man), Roman Lutzkiy (Polish officer Maciej), Anna Topchii (Agatha Uskova), Akniet Oryntai (Katya the Kazakh).
The art director was Ihor Filippov. Music was composed by Myroslav Skoryk, with vocal soundtrack by Katya Chilly. The Ukrainian general release is scheduled for April 2.