Yuri Ozerov (director)
Encyclopedia
Yuri Ozerov was a Soviet film director
and screenwriter
. He directed 20 films between 1950 and 1995.
of the Russian SFSR at 1937 and taught in the Moscow Conservatory
.
After graduating from high school, Ozerov enrolled for the Lunacharsky State Institute of Theatre Arts on September 1939. A month later, he was drafted into the Red Army, where he was trained as a signaler. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union
, he held the rank of a Second Lieutenant. Ozerov participated in the Battle of Moscow and in the campaigns for Ukraine and Poland. On 1944, he underwent a staff officers' course in the Frunze Academy. While stationed in the 3rd Belorussian Front
, he took part in the Battle of Königsberg
as a forward observation officer. In a 2001 interview, he told that the battle had a profound effect on him and he swore that if he will remain alive, he would "tell the story of the great army that fought in the war." After the German surrender in May, Ozerov served in the occupied city until his discharge on October 1945, with the rank of a Major. During the war, Ozerov married a nurse, Raisa Sukhomlina, with whom he had a son, Vladimir. The two later divorced.
, Marlen Khutsiev
, Sergei Parajanov and other future Soviet directors. During the same year, he joined the Communist Party
. At 1949 he started working as an assistant-director in the Mosfilm
studio. While still a student, he made his debut film, Alexander Pushkin, on 1950. He graduated a year later.
In the beginning of his career, Ozerov directed several documentaries: In 1952, he made the film In the Nikitsky Botanical Garden about the eponymous garden
. During 1953, together with Sergei Gurov, he co-directed Arena of the Bold, which presented a live performance by the Soviet Union's young circus artists and starred Oleg Popov
, among others. On 1954, he made At the Gala Evening, showing a concert at the Bolshoi Theater.
Ozerov's first major feature film was the 1955 Son, revolving around the life of a delinquent youth in Moscow. At 1957, he directed the adventure film Kochubey, about the last days of the Civil War Cossack
hero, Ivan Kochubey. The film, Ozerov's only one to be produced by Lenfilm
, received the Grand Prize of the 1959 All-Union Film Festival
. At the same year, Ozerov first participated in an international production: the Albanian-Soviet film Fortuna, which he co-directed with Kristaq Dhamo
. Fortuna was also his first film about the Second World War, dealing with the Albanian partisans' struggle and starring Naim Frashëri
. On 1962, he directed the Soviet-Czechoslovak co-production The High Road, a biographical film on Jaroslav Hašek
with Josef Abrhám
as the main protagonist.
In addition to his cinematic work, Ozerov was also a Major in the KGB
's Seventh Directorate, the department responsible for surveillance. He served as a technical officer. In early 1962, the KGB was monitoring Oleg Penkovsky
. Miniature cameras were installed in flower pots on his apartment's window sills. The surveillance team suspected that Penkovsky discovered the cameras and was evading them. Ozerov had personally inspected the house and decided to place other equipment in the balcony above the apartment. Penkovsky was caught and executed during 1963.
that would present the official Soviet narrative on the war. Ozerov was selected to direct the new project, the five-part series Liberation
, for which he co-wrote the script. The filming lasted more than four years, from 1967 to 1971. Ozerov had to cope both the tight political supervision of the Soviet establishment and with the technical difficulties of coordinating the battle scenes, that involved 150 tanks and thousands of soldiers. Ozerov's second wife, Dilara, was the films' costumes designer. For his work on Liberation, he received the Lenin Prize and the Tbilisi All-Union Film Festival
Grand Prize at 1972.
Ozerov directed the first part of the documentary Visions of Eight
on the Munich Olympics, entitled The Beginning. Visions of Eight won the 1973 Golden Globe Award for the Best Documentary Film. At 1974, he was given the title of a People's Artist of the RSFSR.
On 1977, Ozerov directed the ten hour long mini-series Soldiers of Freedom
, a co-production that involved most of the Eastern Block European countries and dealt with the exploits of their contemporary leaders, especially Leonid Brezhnev
, during the Second World War. He was granted the title People's Artist of the USSR on the same year, and was a member in the jury of the 30th Cannes Film Festival
.
At 1979, Ozerov was assigned as the chief of the Moscow 1980 Olympics
Artistic Committee. He directed a series of documentary films dedicated to the games: Ballad of Sport, Farewell to the Olympics, The Olympic Holidays and O, Sport - You're the World. For this accomplishment, he was awarded the USSR State Prize
at 1981.
At 1985, Ozerov directed another large-scale World War II production, the Battle of Moscow
, released for the 40th Anniversary of Victory Day. The film received the 1986 All-Union Film Festival Grand Prize.
. Due to the economical situation in the Soviet Union, he had to approach the Warner Bros.
for assistance with the budget. The company agreed, but only on condition that American actors would receive major roles. The reluctant Ozerov had to cast Powers Boothe
as General Chuikov
.
On 1993, the director used footage from Stalingrad in the film Angels of Death, that presented a sniper dual taking place during the battle for the city. The new footage was filmed in Syria. selected material from all of Ozerov's works on World War II was compiled to create the historical mini-series Tragedy of the XX Century. On 1995, Ozerov produced a mini-series, The Great Commander Georgy Zhukov
, consisting of all the scenes in his films that included Zhukov - in all of which he was depicted by Mikhail Ulyanov
. On 2001, he received the Russian President's award for contribution to national cinema, dying shortly after. He is buried in the Vvedenskoye Cemetery, alongside his younger brother Nikolai, a famous sports commentator.
His widow founded the Yuri Ozerov War Films Festival in his memory.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
. He directed 20 films between 1950 and 1995.
Early life
Ozerov was born to Nikolai and Nadezhda Ozerov. His mother, a student of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography, had to leave her studies when she became pregnant. Ozerov's father was an acclaimed opera singer who was awarded the title People's ArtistPeople's Artist of the USSR
People's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
of the Russian SFSR at 1937 and taught in the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
.
After graduating from high school, Ozerov enrolled for the Lunacharsky State Institute of Theatre Arts on September 1939. A month later, he was drafted into the Red Army, where he was trained as a signaler. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, he held the rank of a Second Lieutenant. Ozerov participated in the Battle of Moscow and in the campaigns for Ukraine and Poland. On 1944, he underwent a staff officers' course in the Frunze Academy. While stationed in the 3rd Belorussian Front
3rd Belorussian Front
The 3rd Belorussian Front was a Front of the Soviet Army during the Second World War...
, he took part in the Battle of Königsberg
Battle of Königsberg
The Battle of Königsberg , was one of the last operations of the East Prussian Offensive during World War II. In four days of violent urban warfare, Soviet forces of the 1st Baltic Front and the 3rd Belorussian Front captured the city of Königsberg...
as a forward observation officer. In a 2001 interview, he told that the battle had a profound effect on him and he swore that if he will remain alive, he would "tell the story of the great army that fought in the war." After the German surrender in May, Ozerov served in the occupied city until his discharge on October 1945, with the rank of a Major. During the war, Ozerov married a nurse, Raisa Sukhomlina, with whom he had a son, Vladimir. The two later divorced.
Breakthrough
Soon after demobilization, Ozerov resumed his studies in the Lunacharsky Institute. At 1947, he entered the All-Union Cinematography Institute, where he studied together with Aleksandr AlovAleksandr Alov
Aleksandr Alov was a Soviet film director and screenwriter, he was granted the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1983 ....
, Marlen Khutsiev
Marlen Khutsiev
Marlen Martynovich Khutsiev is a Georgian-born Soviet and Russian filmmaker best known for his cult films from the 1960s, which include I Am Twenty and July Rain. He was named a People's Artist of the USSR in 1986.-Biography:...
, Sergei Parajanov and other future Soviet directors. During the same year, he joined the Communist Party
Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The Communist Party of the Soviet Union was the only legal, ruling political party in the Soviet Union and one of the largest communist organizations in the world...
. At 1949 he started working as an assistant-director in the Mosfilm
Mosfilm
Mosfilm is a film studio, which is often described as the largest and oldest in Russia and in Europe. Its output includes most of the more widely-acclaimed Soviet films, ranging from works by Tarkovsky and Eisenstein , to Red Westerns, to the Akira Kurosawa co-production and the epic Война и Мир...
studio. While still a student, he made his debut film, Alexander Pushkin, on 1950. He graduated a year later.
In the beginning of his career, Ozerov directed several documentaries: In 1952, he made the film In the Nikitsky Botanical Garden about the eponymous garden
Nikitsky Botanical Garden
Nikitsky Botanical Garden is one of the oldest botanical gardens. It is located in Crimea, Ukraine, close to Yalta, by the shores of the Black Sea. It was founded in 1812 and named after the settlement Nikita, Ukraine....
. During 1953, together with Sergei Gurov, he co-directed Arena of the Bold, which presented a live performance by the Soviet Union's young circus artists and starred Oleg Popov
Oleg Popov
Oleg Konstantinovich Popov is a famous Soviet and Russian clown and circus artist. Popov is also called the "Sunshine clown".He was born on 31 July 1930 in Moscow, the son of a clock-maker. He studied elements of acrobatics, juggling, and other circus skills in his youth...
, among others. On 1954, he made At the Gala Evening, showing a concert at the Bolshoi Theater.
Ozerov's first major feature film was the 1955 Son, revolving around the life of a delinquent youth in Moscow. At 1957, he directed the adventure film Kochubey, about the last days of the Civil War Cossack
Cossack
Cossacks are a group of predominantly East Slavic people who originally were members of democratic, semi-military communities in what is today Ukraine and Southern Russia inhabiting sparsely populated areas and islands in the lower Dnieper and Don basins and who played an important role in the...
hero, Ivan Kochubey. The film, Ozerov's only one to be produced by Lenfilm
Lenfilm
Kinostudiya "Lenfilm" is a production unit of the Russian film industry, with its own film studio, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia, formerly Leningrad, R.S.F.S.R. Today OAO "Kinostudiya Lenfilm" is a corporation with its stakes shared between private owners, and several private film studios,...
, received the Grand Prize of the 1959 All-Union Film Festival
All-Union Film Festival
The All-Union Film Festival was one of the most important film festivals of the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1958 and held regularly from 1964-1988. It was held annually from 1972 onwards, and bi-annually before that...
. At the same year, Ozerov first participated in an international production: the Albanian-Soviet film Fortuna, which he co-directed with Kristaq Dhamo
Kristaq Dhamo
Kristaq Dhamo is an Albanian actor and film director. He was awarded with the People's Artist of Albania medal.- Actor :*Botë e padukshme *Vendimi *Qortimet e vjeshtës...
. Fortuna was also his first film about the Second World War, dealing with the Albanian partisans' struggle and starring Naim Frashëri
Naim Frashëri (actor)
Naim Frashëri was a 20th century well-known Albanian actor. He was named a People's Artist of Albania.Frashëri's love for theater had already started in 1942, however he started his professional acting career at the beginning of 1945...
. On 1962, he directed the Soviet-Czechoslovak co-production The High Road, a biographical film on Jaroslav Hašek
Jaroslav Hašek
Jaroslav Hašek was a Czech humorist, satirist, writer and socialist anarchist best known for his novel The Good Soldier Švejk, an unfinished collection of farcical incidents about a soldier in World War I and a satire on the ineptitude of authority figures, which has been translated into sixty...
with Josef Abrhám
Josef Abrhám
Josef Abrhám is a Czech film and theatre actor.In 1965–1982 he was one of the leading actors of The Drama Club in Prague and has been noted as one of the Czech Republic's best performers...
as the main protagonist.
In addition to his cinematic work, Ozerov was also a Major in the KGB
KGB
The KGB was the commonly used acronym for the . It was the national security agency of the Soviet Union from 1954 until 1991, and was the premier internal security, intelligence, and secret police organization during that time.The State Security Agency of the Republic of Belarus currently uses the...
's Seventh Directorate, the department responsible for surveillance. He served as a technical officer. In early 1962, the KGB was monitoring Oleg Penkovsky
Oleg Penkovsky
Oleg Vladimirovich Penkovsky, codenamed HERO ; April 23, 1919, Vladikavkaz, North Ossetia, Soviet Russia, – May 16, 1963, Soviet Union), was a colonel with Soviet military intelligence in the late 1950s and early 1960s who informed the United Kingdom and the United States about the Soviet Union...
. Miniature cameras were installed in flower pots on his apartment's window sills. The surveillance team suspected that Penkovsky discovered the cameras and was evading them. Ozerov had personally inspected the house and decided to place other equipment in the balcony above the apartment. Penkovsky was caught and executed during 1963.
Summit
During the mid-1960s, Ozerov - who was awarded the title 'Honored Artist of the RSFSR' on 1965 - was dismayed by several World War II films made in the West, which he regarded as diminishing the role of the Red Army. At the same time, the Soviet authorities were planning a film in response to The Longest DayThe Longest Day (film)
The Longest Day is a 1962 war film based on the 1959 history book The Longest Day by Cornelius Ryan, about "D-Day", the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II....
that would present the official Soviet narrative on the war. Ozerov was selected to direct the new project, the five-part series Liberation
Liberation (film series)
Liberation is an epic five-part film series considered the most large-scale World War II film ever made in the Soviet Union. Filmed from 1967 to 1971, the first part was released during 1970 for the 25th anniversary of Victory Day...
, for which he co-wrote the script. The filming lasted more than four years, from 1967 to 1971. Ozerov had to cope both the tight political supervision of the Soviet establishment and with the technical difficulties of coordinating the battle scenes, that involved 150 tanks and thousands of soldiers. Ozerov's second wife, Dilara, was the films' costumes designer. For his work on Liberation, he received the Lenin Prize and the Tbilisi All-Union Film Festival
All-Union Film Festival
The All-Union Film Festival was one of the most important film festivals of the Soviet Union. It was founded in 1958 and held regularly from 1964-1988. It was held annually from 1972 onwards, and bi-annually before that...
Grand Prize at 1972.
Ozerov directed the first part of the documentary Visions of Eight
Visions of Eight
Visions of Eight is a 1973 documentary film offering a stylized look at the 1972 Summer Olympics, directed by eight different directors. It was screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, but wasn't entered into the main competition....
on the Munich Olympics, entitled The Beginning. Visions of Eight won the 1973 Golden Globe Award for the Best Documentary Film. At 1974, he was given the title of a People's Artist of the RSFSR.
On 1977, Ozerov directed the ten hour long mini-series Soldiers of Freedom
Soldiers of Freedom
Soldiers of Freedom is a 1977 film directed by Yuri Ozerov and starring Mikhail Ulyanov, Yevgeny Matveyev, Vasily Lanovoy. Soldiers of Freedom is the World War II historical drama.-Plot:...
, a co-production that involved most of the Eastern Block European countries and dealt with the exploits of their contemporary leaders, especially Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
, during the Second World War. He was granted the title People's Artist of the USSR on the same year, and was a member in the jury of the 30th Cannes Film Festival
1977 Cannes Film Festival
The 30th Cannes Film Festival was held on May 13-27. A new non-competitive section, 'Le Passé composé', is held at this festival only and focuses on compilations.- Jury :*Roberto Rossellini *N'Sougan Agblemagnon...
.
At 1979, Ozerov was assigned as the chief of the Moscow 1980 Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
Artistic Committee. He directed a series of documentary films dedicated to the games: Ballad of Sport, Farewell to the Olympics, The Olympic Holidays and O, Sport - You're the World. For this accomplishment, he was awarded the USSR State Prize
USSR State Prize
The USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
at 1981.
At 1985, Ozerov directed another large-scale World War II production, the Battle of Moscow
Battle of Moscow (film)
The Battle of Moscow is a 1985 Soviet two-part film, presenting a dramatized account of the 1941 Battle of Moscow and the events preceding it. The films were a Soviet-East German-Czechoslovak-Vietnamese co-production directed by Yuri Ozerov who also wrote the script...
, released for the 40th Anniversary of Victory Day. The film received the 1986 All-Union Film Festival Grand Prize.
Later years
At 1989, Ozerov decided to direct one more World War II film, StalingradStalingrad (1989 film)
Stalingrad is a 1989 two-part Soviet-East German-Czechoslovak-American co-production directed by Yuri Ozerov, who also wrote the script. The film revolves around the Battle of Stalingrad.-Film I:...
. Due to the economical situation in the Soviet Union, he had to approach the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
for assistance with the budget. The company agreed, but only on condition that American actors would receive major roles. The reluctant Ozerov had to cast Powers Boothe
Powers Boothe
Powers Allen Boothe is an American television and film actor. Some of his most notable roles include his Emmy-winning 1980 portrayal of Jim Jones and his turn as Cy Tolliver on Deadwood, as well as Vice-President Noah Daniels on 24....
as General Chuikov
Vasily Chuikov
Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov was a Russian lieutenant general in the Red Army during World War II, twice Hero of the Soviet Union , who after the war became a Marshal of the Soviet Union.-Early life and career:Born into a peasant family in the village of Serebryanye Prudy, he joined the Red Army during...
.
On 1993, the director used footage from Stalingrad in the film Angels of Death, that presented a sniper dual taking place during the battle for the city. The new footage was filmed in Syria. selected material from all of Ozerov's works on World War II was compiled to create the historical mini-series Tragedy of the XX Century. On 1995, Ozerov produced a mini-series, The Great Commander Georgy Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov
Marshal of the Soviet Union Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov , was a Russian career officer in the Red Army who, in the course of World War II, played a pivotal role in leading the Red Army through much of Eastern Europe to liberate the Soviet Union and other nations from the Axis Powers' occupation...
, consisting of all the scenes in his films that included Zhukov - in all of which he was depicted by Mikhail Ulyanov
Mikhail Ulyanov
Mikhail Alexandrovich Ulyanov was a Soviet and Russian actor who was one of the most recognizable persons of the post-World War II Soviet theatre and cinema. He was named People's Artist of the USSR in 1969 and received a special prize from the Venice Film Festival in 1982.Mikhail Alexandrovich...
. On 2001, he received the Russian President's award for contribution to national cinema, dying shortly after. He is buried in the Vvedenskoye Cemetery, alongside his younger brother Nikolai, a famous sports commentator.
His widow founded the Yuri Ozerov War Films Festival in his memory.
Decorations
- Order of the Patriotic WarOrder of the Patriotic WarThe Order of the Patriotic War is a Soviet military decoration that was awarded to all soldiers in the Soviet armed forces, security troops, and to partisans for heroic deeds during the German-Soviet War, known by the former-Soviet Union as the Great Patriotic War.- History :The Order was...
, 2nd class (1944) - Order of the Red BannerOrder of the Red BannerThe Soviet government of Russia established the Order of the Red Banner , a military decoration, on September 16, 1918 during the Russian Civil War...
(1945) - Order of the Badge of Honour (1965)
- Order of LeninOrder of LeninThe Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
(1971, 1981) - Star of People's Friendship (East Germany, 1972)
- Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (1977)
- Order of the October RevolutionOrder of the October RevolutionThe Order of the October Revolution was instituted on October 31, 1967, in time for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was awarded to individuals or groups for services furthering communism or the state, or in enhancing the defenses of the Soviet Union, military and civil...
(1986) - Order of Merit for the FatherlandOrder of Merit for the FatherlandThe Order of Merit for the Fatherland was instituted on 2 March 1994 by Presidential Decree. The statutes describe it as a decoration for merit, not an order of knights....
(1996)
Filmography
- Alexander Pushkin (1950)
- Arena of the Bold (1953)
- Son (1955)
- Kochubey (1957)
- Fortune (1959)
- High Road (1959)
- LiberationLiberation (film series)Liberation is an epic five-part film series considered the most large-scale World War II film ever made in the Soviet Union. Filmed from 1967 to 1971, the first part was released during 1970 for the 25th anniversary of Victory Day...
- The Fire Bulge (1970)
- Breakthrough (1970)
- The Direction of the Main Blow (1971)
- Battle of Berlin (1971)
- The Last Assault (1971)
- Visions of EightVisions of EightVisions of Eight is a 1973 documentary film offering a stylized look at the 1972 Summer Olympics, directed by eight different directors. It was screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival, but wasn't entered into the main competition....
(1973) - Soldiers of FreedomSoldiers of FreedomSoldiers of Freedom is a 1977 film directed by Yuri Ozerov and starring Mikhail Ulyanov, Yevgeny Matveyev, Vasily Lanovoy. Soldiers of Freedom is the World War II historical drama.-Plot:...
(1977) - O, Sport - You Are the World (1981)
- Battle of MoscowBattle of Moscow (film)The Battle of Moscow is a 1985 Soviet two-part film, presenting a dramatized account of the 1941 Battle of Moscow and the events preceding it. The films were a Soviet-East German-Czechoslovak-Vietnamese co-production directed by Yuri Ozerov who also wrote the script...
(1985) - StalingradStalingrad (1989 film)Stalingrad is a 1989 two-part Soviet-East German-Czechoslovak-American co-production directed by Yuri Ozerov, who also wrote the script. The film revolves around the Battle of Stalingrad.-Film I:...
(1989) - Tragedy of the Century (1993)
- Angels of Death (1993)
- The Great Commander Georgy Zhukov (1995)