In Search of a Happy Ending Sex and the Soviet Family

Northrop Frye on Comedic structure “What usually happens is that a young man wants a young woman, that his desire is resisted by some opposition, usually paternal, and that near the end of the play some twist in the plot enables the hero to have his will.... At the beginning of the play the device in the plot that brings the hero and heroine together causes a new society to crystallize around the hero.” Anatomy of Criticism (63)

Problem of the happy ending Happy ending encodes passing of power from generation to generation (Northrop Frye) The overcoming of the obstacles created by the older generation Promise of children, of rebirth of society Happy ending,usually a wedding, in comedy denotes the triumph of the young Little Vera is symbolic of the generational changes going on in the USSR

Problem of dysfunctional Soviet society Autumn Marathon (Georgi Danielia, 1979): at the end the hero Andrei promises to his wife he will give up mistress Alla, then promises Alla that they will be together No resolution of the problem, no happy ending Chekhov style open ending Andrei: “Я готов” - I am ready (finished) Dark humour derives from the choice of a harried middle-aged professor as the “young hero” No explicit sex scenes – this is a film of the stagnation

Little Vera : the dysfunctionalities deepen The rift between generations drives the film Soviet life-style with all its hypocrisy vs the incoherent protest of the young Police as enforcers of old order: riot at discotheque Significance of Vera’s name: faith, belief (possible Biblical allusion: “o ye of little faith”) Hot house atmosphere of apartment, “private” space where there is no privacy We see people in their underwear (as in reality) (part of dress code: Sergei shows up in t-shirt and bermudas

The Soviet dream.. A job, a cramped apartment, a child... or two No car: they use father’s truck to drive to the airport and the beach Alcohol as a release Abortion as the only means of contraception: Vera learns that they wanted to abort her, but kept her to get a bigger apartment Ironically Vera tells her mother she is pregnant when she is not: is she using contraceptives?

The sex scene Caused a scandal: “There is no sex in the Soviet Union” Vera is on top: new, liberated, aggressive woman Sergei strangely passive: “Do you love me?” “Of course.” Does their relation have a future?

Self-reflexiveness Vera’s break with society’s conventions reflects an artistic break by Pichul with the conventions of Soviet film-making: forbidden themes Naturalism hand-held camera and avoidance of pretty pictures “unprintable” language

Pavel Lungin’s Wedding (2000) Also takes place in grimy industrial town in provinces alcoholism, extra-marital sex young woman tricks childhood sweetheart into marrying him BUT he accepts her and the son she has had by a rich oligarch wedding celebration in which all take part