N+N+N
T. alt.: Nini, nalog, neprijatnost’. Scen.: Vladimir Lebedev-Šmidtgof. F.: Nikolaj Efremov, Andrej Moskvin. Int.: Mark Dobrynin (Bezzabotov), Irina Kunina (Nini), Julija Daminskaja, Jakov Gudkin (straniero), Vladimir Lebedev-Šmidtgof (ispettore fiscale). Prod.: Sevzapkino. DCP. D.: 16’. Bn.
Film Notes
In 1924, during a period of economic revival in the Soviet Union brought on by Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP),actor Vladimir Lebedev-Schmidthof made his directorial debut with this satirical comedy, critiquing the era’s speculative frenzy. N+N+N (an abbreviation of “Nini, taxatioN, Nuisance”) tells the story of speculator Bezzabotov and his wife Nini, who exploit unemployment benefits and tax evasion to maintain an extravagant lifestyle – only to get their comeuppance after they are caught by an undercover tax inspector (played by director Schmidthof). This morality tale, blending early Soviet cinema’s political satire and eccentric acting, is sheer fun.
Schmidthof, who also penned the lyrics to the popular pioneers’ march Ekh, khorosho v strane sovetskoy zhit! (It’s good to live in the Soviet country!, 1935), later endured torture at the hands of the NKVD on false charges of espionage for Germany.
Natascha Drubek