Taurus film: 2000, 94 min., colour, Dolby digital video: 2000, 2 parts (52 min. each), Betacam SP, Dolby Surround Lenfilm Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation State Committee of Cinematography of Russia Producer: Victor Sergeev Screenplay: Yury Arabov Director of Photography: Alexander Sokurov Camera: Anatoly Rodionov Sound: Sergey Moshkov Production Design: Natalia Kochergina Costume Designer: Lidia Kryukova Make-up: Zhanna Rodionova Lyudmila Kozinets Tatyana Kolomitseva Editor: Leda Semyonova Starring: Leonid Mozgovoi Maria Kuznetsova also Featuring: Natalia Nikulenko Sergey Razhuk Lev Eliseev Nikolay Ustinov Composer: Andrey Sigle “…Taurus is the second film in my planned tetralogy on men of power in the twentieth century. The first film, Moloch, was based on the history of another country. This distance, I now realise, somewhat lightened my task. The tragedy that took place in Russia and with Russia, the events leading up to this tragedy and the events constituting its logical development lie outside the bounds of our subject. The centre is the author, composer and main organiser of this catastrophe in one of the most dramatic moments of his life…“ “…I believe that he himself sensed the hostility of the house and subconsciously coveted what he had never had — the style of life and simple values. Completely immersed in the battle for power, power not just over the country, but also over history itself, he did not mind living without these simple things. But to die? Even back then, the house had the appearance of the museum it would later be turned into…” “…Everything about these two men is different — their upbringing, education, intellect and, above all, the scale of their personalities. And not only the scale of their personalities, but also the scale of their ambitions. For one, power was a means of achieving his aim; for the other, power was the end in itself. This was the essential difference distinguishing the Leader from the Functionary…” “…Revolution was in his blood and, like all revolutions, he was doomed. His illness represented an unexpected halt in this murderous and inhuman marathon. He was no longer able to do any more, the time allotted to him had lost all meaning. He withdrew from life, because by that time he had effectively outlived himself. Not because he was ill, but because his life had finished…” From an interview with Alexander Sokurov (booklet “Taurus“, Seance Publishing House, 2000) Summary Sokurov's latest film is a new parable about the redistribution of power. The realities of life in the early 20's in Soviet Russia, the easily recognisable faces and personalities of the characters of that period in Russian history are not the subject of this film but only the setting of a narrative, a symbolic means for turning a filmic short–story upside down. The Diseased Leader, his Wife and Sister, the Doctor, the Guards, and the Future Successor are portrayed with documentary precision, as well as with the free abstraction of artistic imagination. It is as though the historical environment were being turned inside out on screen, and the fragments of private life magnified — life drawing to its close… By confronting his disease, the historical personality turns out to be a simple human being, unable to change anything — not the destiny of the country under his rule, not even the destiny of his doomed, failed family, nor his own disintegrating personality. The last realm where the main character still possesses some effort of will is his own feeble body — whose suffering he would like to stop — but this, too, is not in his powers. The conflict between the global pretensions of a demanding will that has not yet expired and an almost total physical and intellectual impotence creates a tragi–comical effect. The drama develops into a parody, while the animated ritual fuss around the “distinguished” patient exposes the tragic motifs of a lonely and desolate human being. The film director has constructed an artistic and philosophical model of the destructive mechanism of an aggressive will that ultimately suppresses life in its bearer. In his previous film, “Moloch”, Sokurov created a similar model, incorporating various documents of the Third Reich and the environment of Hitler's “fortress”, the Berghof. In his film, “Telets”, he has made use of Russian historical material in the decor, interiors and landscapes of Lenin's residence in Gorki. This is the second film in a trilogy on the decline of power. Sokurov was also the director of photography of this work and is thus the sole author of all visual aspects of the film. “Telets” is based on the script written by Yuri Arabov. The role of the Leader is played by Leonid Mozgovoy, who also played Hitler in “Moloch”. Other parts were played by St. Petersburg–based actors Maria Kuznetsova, Natalia Nikulenko, Lev Yeliseev, Sergey Razhuk and others. Alexandra Tuchinskaya English Translation by Nora Hoppe. Prizes and awards: 2000. The National Cinema Award “Nika”. Prize for the Best Script.