Chelovek-Amfibiya (1962)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Directors:

Vladimir Chebotaryov
Gennadi Kazansky

Writers:

Aleksandr Belyaev (novel)
Akiba Golburt (writer)

Release Date:

1 March 1963 (Finland)

Genre:

Fantasy | Romance | Sci-Fi

Plot:

People living at the seashore town are frightened by reports about the unknown creature called "the sea devil." Nobody knows what it is...

Plot Keywords:

Capture | Mutant Human | Escape From Jail | Manhunt | Male Female Relationship

Cast

Vladimir Korenev	...	Ichtyandr Salvator
Anastasiya Vertinskaya	...	Gutiere Baltazar
Mikhail Kozakov	...	Pedro Zurita
A. Smiranin	...	Old Baltazar (as Anatoly Smiranin)
Nikolai Simonov	...	Prof. Salvator
Vladlen Davydov	...	Olsen, the reporter
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
A. Antonyan
Anatoli Ivanov
Valeri Kudryashov
Nikolai Kuzmin		(as N. Kuzmin)
Mikhail Medvedev
Yuri Medvedev	...	Street vendor of fish
A. Nikritina
A. Orlik
A. Shaginyan
Georgi Tusuzov
Aleksandr Zakharov		(as A. Zakharov)

Also Known As:

Человек-Амфибия (Soviet Union: Russian title)
The Amphibian Man (USA) (TV title)

Runtime:

USA:82 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S

Company:

Goskino

Quotes:

Gutiere Baltazar: [laughing] This must be love at first sight!
Ichtyandr Salvator: [simply] Is there any other kind of love?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Smiley Face (2007)

The story of a young man who lives in the depth of the ocean

Perhaps this is one of the best Sci-Fiction film ever produced in the history of cinema for its content. Its presentation may not be the best due to color problems and very much evident make up of the actors and actresses. I assume that the story was going on in a territory of any Latin American country, probably Mexico. The plot is about a young man able also to live normally in the sea. His father, a scientist and physician, built up a laboratory in the depth of the ocean where his son passes part of his life. Being a rare organism, his father always warned him not to visit nearby city, but love came over when he met a nice lady sinking in the sea, and with this all problems started. The film showed that early 60s the Soviet directors and producers were not very much aware of the music in Latin America. Dancing was Spanish-like and not Latin American as such. Names chosen for the heroes of the film were also rare. The lady is called Gutiere when Gutiérrez is a common surname in Spanish, then Ichtiandros is the name of the main actor of the film, again an invention. In any case, it is nice to see several shots made in the sea, in a really beautiful environment, and also to see nice diving and swimming of various actors. Excitement is also assured in this material. However, it does not have the Hollywood-Happy End. It is more realistic in its end. The film has also its morale showing the miseries of people trying to make money, no matter if it is playing with the life of a human being.