"The Kiss" was followed with the leading part in the production of The Dovzhenko Film Studios. It was a romantic Captain
Fracasse in the screen version of Theophile Gautier's novel of the same name.
Menshikov chooses quiet thoughtfulness of a melancholic poet, spending his young years in an old family castle and sitting
by the slightly glimmering fire during the evenings. Only an old servant and a dog remained with the poor baron. But then
this peaceful life is suddenly disturbed by the troupe of stray actors. And of course there's a lovely innocent girl among
them who soon captures the poor aristocrat's heart.
The baron helps the actors to repulse the attack of evil duke de Vallombreuse's mercenaries, then joins their troupe and
strolls the roads of France with them leaving his high estate further and further behind. There are battles in the film,
though not of great scale, sword fights, passionate love declarations, intrigues of crafty dames… As if the events and
emotions roll over!
But everything looked bland and monotonous on the screen. And not a trace of the feeling of slight exhilaration with romantic
play, as it was meant!
To some extent the misfortunes of the shooting period influenced the atmosphere of the film. In Tallinn it was raining all the
time and nothing reminded of sunny plains of France. People in raincoats, with umbrellas rushed by, and the film crew waited
for at least a short clarity in the gloomy sky. The Baltic reminded about itself every moment! Menshikov, dressed in a light
costume of a French noble of XVII century, drearily rehearsed a duel on swords with an imaginary rival. His partner was engaged
in some other shooting and was absent in the frame.
Poet's rebellion against regulated and hypocritical aristocratic society - what was one of the constants in Gautier's novel,
the theme of the character, the main engine of the plot - all this was completely taken away from the film "Captain Fracasse".
The production still appears on TV sometimes. In the advertising clip there's always a notion that a leading part is performed
by Oleg Menshikov. And not in vain - it is the only advantage of the film. With other leading actor it never remained on screen
for so many years. But the actor himself hardly keeps good memories about this role…
(from the book by Elga Lyndina "Oleg Menshikov", Moscow - Panorama, 1999)
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