One of the reason I love this movie so much, is that it closely parallels the book. All my favourite characters are there and, surprise, they are even recognisable. The most colourful of them is most definitely the geographer Jacques Paganel, who's quirky, erudite, talkative, even a bit grotesque. He's played by Nikolay Cherkasov, whom most non-Russian have seen on the screen either as the statuesque Alexander Nevsky or the ferocious Ivan the Terrible. Well, he's also a master comedian and steals virtually every scene he is in. Towards the end, when the travellers believe themselves lost at sea, he briefly veers into the tragical, probably the most unforgettable moment in this movie.
But all actors are excellent, and so is the music, that has become enormously popular in Russia. One should think that so beloved a movie would be carefully preserved, but, alas, the quality both of the soundtrack and the images is deplorable. Still, if you love Jules Verne's adventure stories and if you can do without computer-aided gimmicks this movie is a great see.
But all actors are excellent, and so is the music, that has become enormously popular in Russia. One should think that so beloved a movie would be carefully preserved, but, alas, the quality both of the soundtrack and the images is deplorable. Still, if you love Jules Verne's adventure stories and if you can do without computer-aided gimmicks this movie is a great see.