Detective "Red Silk" became the best novelty of the weekend, starting last week. Gaining momentum, the picture of Andrei Volgin, increasing the army of fans. Viewers are interested in how to shoot this large-scale action. Extreme enough. Worked on the ice of Lake Baikal at -40 ° C and in China at +40 ° C, was erected the largest screen with virtual scenery in Europe, created a controlled artificial sky. "Izvestia" learned interesting facts about the work on the Russian-Chinese project "Red Silk".
Almost a real story
At the heart of the historical action movie "Red Silk" was based on real events, the main characters of which were our scouts. They played a big role in the difficult formation of relations between China and the USSR. In the story, in 1927 in the Trans-Siberian Express transport secret documents. Through all of Russia deliver papers that will change the course of history. But under the clatter of wheels in the train there is a murder. Solve the mystery will have to Soviet Poirot Nikolai Garin. He in "Red Silk" played by Milos Bikovich. The former Tsarist agent in the investigation has to join forces with a young Red Army officer Artem Svetlov (Gleb Kalyuzhny). Under the guise of ordinary passengers hide foreign intelligence agents and real thugs, ready to do anything for the sake of documents.
The international team of the picture included Gosha Kutsenko, Elena Podkaminskaya, Irina Alfyorova, Yaroslav Mogilnikov, Dmitry Kulichkov, Zhargal Badmatsyrenov, Svetlana Chuikina and Chinese colleagues Zheng Hanyi, Yang Zihua, Huang Haonan.
Actor Miloš Biković during the filming of the movie "Red Silk"
Key to the script was the story of the delivery of secret documents from China to Moscow. In 1928, the VI Congress of the Chinese Communist Party was held not at home, but in the Moscow region. The delegates had to get to it through the whole USSR. They traveled by rail. It was a risky journey. The Communists were hunted by agents of the Kuomintang, employees of several foreign intelligence agencies. The Chinese comrades needed the help of the Red Army.
- We did not want to make a movie on a political theme - said producer Vadim Byrkin. - I proposed a movie about how the delegates were traveling, how they carried documents to this Congress. Because it was with adventure. Exciting action! Delegates were stopped, slowed down, arrested. All of this was done by representatives of the Kuomintang Party.
The filming of "Red Silk"
Shooting took place in St. Petersburg, Moscow, Pskov, but the most beautiful location was on the frozen Baikal. Part of the picture was filmed in China at the largest movie studio in the world - Hengdian World Studios.
Car of high comfort
On Transsib in those years almost all cars were of high comfort. However, the pre-revolutionary originals of the first class were not preserved. Artists, decorators and props for shooting were able to recreate exact copies of those ancient cars and their luxurious interiors. The compartment there was ultra-comfortable: a large bedroom with a bed, lockers, bedside tables, sofa and even a bathroom.
The decorations are amazing in their meticulous detailing. The interiors of the built train are so detailed that they look even better than the original. Carved wooden furniture, velvet curtain, leather sofas. Especially tried over the restaurant car. Each item immerses the viewer in the 20s of the last century. Small things were found in antique shops. For the bar they found antique crystal glasses. The soap dishes are porcelain.
The filming of "Red Silk"
Filming built cars were held in a huge movie pavilion in Moscow.
- Seven cars put on the springs - said the producer and performer of one of the main roles Gosha Kutsenko. - Along the cars were installed plasma screens, which were output pre-filmed natura in motion. So there was a complete imitation of a moving train.
The biggest screen in Europe was used on "Red Silk". But for the completeness of the picture in a huge pavilion even created a controlled artificial sky, which required 70 light devices. In the final picture of the unique scenery was blown to smithereens. These shots producers left for history, to preserve the pleasant memories of shooting historical action.
A still from the movie "Red Silk."
Shooting in the movie is very much. Weapons: Mausers, revolvers, PPSH, Mosin rifles, it is also three-line. We picked up only weapons in good condition - so that they did not malfunction in the frame.
The Chinese comrade carries a Thompson submachine gun. At that time they were very appreciated in China. Hero Gosha Kutsenko went through World War I and the Civil War, he is holding a Mauser. And Milos Bikovich shoots with a Colt M1911. This - the pinnacle of engineering weapons thought of the early XX century.
The stunts were done by the actors themselves
No action shot in one plan can not, otherwise it will be uninteresting, say the creators of "Red Silk". On the super-trick can charge 25 cameras - or at least five - six. And otherwise it is difficult to catch the full effect of the trick and make a credible movie. The viewer must believe that the heroes are fighting on the roof of a moving train, where it is hard for them to stay on the slippery roof and every second a character can die from careless movement. That's when what's happening on the screen will be empathized with.
- Shooting was difficult, many stunts were done by the actors themselves, so we had to rehearse with them - told "Izvestia" president of the Federation of extreme sports, stuntman Igor Panin. - To have a beautiful fight on the screen, each blow is filmed separately, with several cameras. These are expensive stunts. The picture is spectacular, worked in great detail. And if the actors jumped, there must necessarily be insurance. But all the same, without experience and good physical preparation, practice, skills in stunt movies, it is impossible to cope with it.
For an actor to jump once in the frame, he is prepared for two days. Then a couple more days of rehearsals. And only then they shoot.
- The softest landing - on the back, on the legs is dangerous - clarifies the stuntman. - And when the actress jumped out of the train, she had to do the trick forward with her legs, and on the ground she was already waiting for a pillow.
The gun shot is a special effect. Here the creators also control that everything was beautiful. The audience will be worried for the hero that he is wounded, and the artists and stuntmen think how to make it more believable.
Actress Zheng Hanyi during the filming of the movie "Red Silk"
Actress Zheng Hanyi admits that she did all the stunts - from shooting to jumping off a high cliff - without understudies.
- They can do it, and why can't I, I can do it too! - Zheng Hanyi says. - Jumping off the mountain is the hardest part. I used to think I was afraid of heights. And when I was told I had to, - well, please. The director said, "Get ready..." And that's it, I jumped.
Extreme on the set was not only in the battle scenes, but also in the weather conditions. When filming Manchuria in Pskov, there was frost and - snow-white snowdrifts, from which the actress could not tear herself away. To feel the contrast had to shoot in China. They were held in 40-degree heat.
A still from the movie "Red Silk."
Tested the strength of the film crew harsh nature of Lake Baikal.
- Locals warned us that in an hour will blow a monstrously strong wind and all our sets will blow away- recalls director Andrei Volgin. - We said: "Come on. But they were right.Strong wind carried our cars and people towards the unknown. It was impossible to film. Even from the cranes, on which we were supposed to attach the cameras, the weights were torn off. We felt the power of Lake Baikal to the fullest.
International perspectives and Jackie Chan's team
In the story, the Trans-Siberian Express, traveling from the Far East to central Russia, is attacked by the Hongguzes. Chinese gangs of the early 20th century were operating in the Far East, including in the border areas. Between themselves on the set Khunguzov called "pirates of the Siberian forest". In the process of working on the script producers wondered what language they spoke? As it turned out, the Khunguz communicated with each other in a mix of Buryat, Mongolian, Manchurian and Chinese. There may have been Russian speakers among them. The creators of "Red Silk" decided that in the movie the bandits would communicate in Mongolian.
Heroes of the movie speak many languages: French, Chinese, Russian, Mongolian, English. Some artists tried to master all of them at once. Milos Bikovich in the group turned out to be a polyglot. And Elena Podkaminskaya discovered her ability to learn Chinese. Colleagues from the Celestial Empire were delighted with her.
The filming of "Red Silk"
- Elena has a musical ear, not realizing what she was saying, she got exactly the right tone, - said the creative producer of the picture Olga Kashirina. - Milos was also very professional. Having worked on the difficult Chinese pronunciation, he achieved what he also did well.
On the set in the Celestial Empire they rented the pavilions of the largest movie studio in the world, Hengdian World Studios, with its gigantic sets. The staging of all action scenes was led by a specialist from Jackie Chan's team.
The film "Red Silk" was released in Russia on February 20 and is already preparing for release on the big screens in China. In addition, after the screening in Berlin, the picture has attracted interest for distribution in a number of European countries, as well as in the Balkans, the Middle East, Latin America and Southeast Asia.
Director Andrey Volgin during the shooting of the movie "Red Silk"
- We will try to make more good movies," said Zhang Hanhui, Chinese Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Russia. - Cooperation in this field is very important and very promising because we have so many good stories.
To familiarize foreign audiences with the project, Nota Bene Film Group, distributor NMG Kinoprokat and Art Pictures Distribution (part of the National Media Group holding company) created an international poster of the detective action movie. In total, the movie is planned to be shown in about 40 countries around the world.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
