Appassionata

TV movie based on the essay by M. Gorky "VI Lenin". In the winter evening of 1920 VI Lenin (Boris Smirnov) met at the apartment of E.P.Peshkova with A.M.Gorky. In the "burzhuika" smoking raw wood. It's cold. And the two thinkers have a heartfelt conversation about the future of Russia. Lenin seems to continue his argument with H.G. Wells. He talks about the role of the artist in the life of society, about his place in the struggle for the future. Gorky is visited by pianist Isaiah Dobrovein. Lenin listens to his performance of Chopin, and then Beethoven's "Appassionata"; he is captivated by the power of Beethoven's genius. An automobile rushes through the night Moscow. Lenin is in the car. Beethoven's music is sounding. On the screen is the Kremlin. The banner of the revolution is splashing over the building of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR.

Directed by Yuri Vyshinsky, Appassionata leans on a strong ensemble — Boris Smirnov, Vladimir Yemelyanov, Daria Peshkova — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 1963.