- House of Fools (film)
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For the band, see House of Fools (band).
House of Fools 
Directed by Andrei Konchalovsky Produced by Felix Kleiman
Andrei KonchalovskyWritten by Andrei Konchalovsky Starring Julia Visotskaya
Sultan Islamov
Yevgeni MironovMusic by Eduard Artemyev Cinematography Sergei Kozlov Distributed by Paramount Vantage Release date(s) 2002 Running time 104 minutes Language Russian, Chechen House of Fools (Russian: Дом дураков, Dom durakov) is a 2002 Russian film by Andrei Konchalovsky about psychiatric patients and combatants during the First Chechen War. It stars Yuliya Vysotskaya and Sultan Islamov and features a number of cameo appearances by Bryan Adams, with the music composed by Eduard Artemyev.
Distinctly anti-war, unbiased and controversial in Russia, House of Fools is a bizarre blend of black comedy, touching drama, horrific warfare and subtly disturbing psychological content. The film is rated R for wartime violence, occasional profanity and nudity.
Contents
Storyline
The film tells the story of a psychiatric hospital in the Russian republic of Ingushetia on the border with war-torn republic of Chechnya in 1996. With the medical staff vanishing to apparently find help, the patients are left to their own endeavors. Zhanna (Yuliya Vysotskaya), a young woman, lives in the belief that the pop star Bryan Adams is her fiancé, that he is off on tour and will, at some point in the future, come to take her away with him. Zhanna is sort of the ad hoc keeper of peace, happiness and control of the others; she attempts to help curb some of the other patients exuberant impulses. Blissfully unaware of the terror of the war, the patients stick it out in the hospital. Their guests vary between a group of Chechen rebels, one of whom, Sultan Islamov, gives Zhanna the idea that he will marry her. At this point Zhanna, falls in love with Islamov. She goes back to the "House" where, with the help of her fellow residents, she prepares for her marriage to Islamov. From this point on Zhanna prepares for and expects to be swept away by Islamov. Her hopes do not come to fruition and Islamov and Zhanna part ways. Zhanna returns to the "House" in order to resume her life there.
The story was partially inspired by the real-life tragedy of the psychiatric hospital in Shali, Chechnya, which was abandoned by the personnel during the Russian bombing campaign and in which many patients subsequently died from attacks and neglect.[1]
The story also mirrors the plot of Philippe de Broca's 1967 French cult classic film King of Hearts (Le Roi de coeur, starring Alan Bates) about the inmates of an asylum abandoned by the staff during World War I who take over the neighboring town. The two films even share similarities in their conclusion, with a soldier taking refuge from the insanity of war in the asylum when it returns to normal.[2] Although there are the some similar aspects to King Of Hearts, the difference in the two films is that the inmates/patients in King of Hearts take on the various personalities of the town folk; mayor, baker, prostitute, etc.
Selected cast
- Julia Visotskaya - Zhanna
- Sultan Islamov - Ahmed
- Anatoly Adoskin - Fucue
- Yevgeni Mironov - Russian officer
- Bryan Adams - Himself
- Cecilie Thomsen - Lithuanian sniper
- Pavel Grachev - Himself (archival footage)
The film also features several genuine mental patients alongside actors.
Reception
Awards
Awards:
- Venice Film Festival - Grand Special Jury Prize
- Venice Film Festival - UNICEF Award
- Bergen International Film Festival - Jury Award (Honorable Mention)
Nominations:
- Venice Film Festival - Golden Lion
- Academy Award - Best Foreign Language Film (representing Russia)
- Nika Awards - Best Music
Ratings
House of Fools received a rating of 52/100 at Metacritic[3] and 38% "fresh" rating at Rotten Tomatoes.[4] As of December 2008, it has also the user rating of 7.2/10 at Internet Movie Database.
References
External links
- House of Fools at the Internet Movie Database
- House of Fools at AllRovi
- House of Fools at Variety
The films of Andrei Konchalovsky 1960s The First Teacher · The Story of Asya Klyachina1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s Television Screenplays Categories:- 2002 films
- 2000s comedy films
- Black comedy films
- Chechen-language films
- Chechen wars films
- 2000s comedy-drama films
- Films directed by Andrei Konchalovsky
- Russian films
- Russian-language films
- War drama films
- War romance films
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