The Films of Leonid Gaudai

A prolific output from one of Russia's best loved directors has produced an unparalleled canon of work. Mostly light comedies, many of the films are still amongst the most popular Russian cinematic works, and songs and phrases from the films are part of the Russian cultural memory. A number of the early films are comedies concerning the adventures of the geeky student Shurik. These films have a strong resemblance in style to some of the American comedies of the forties and fifties, particularly the 'Road' films of Crosby and Hope, and there are hints of the Marx Brothers and the Three Stooges on occasion. Many of the non-Shurik films adopt a similar approach and, inevitably, as with most humour, some of the jokes will be lost on a non-Russian audience, but the humour is drawn with broad enough strokes to give a great deal of enjoyment to all viewers. Here are a few of the better know films.