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True Friends

Original title: Vernye druz'ya
  • 1954
  • 1h 40m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
775
YOUR RATING
True Friends (1954)
AdventureComedyDramaRomance

Alexander, Boris and Vasily are three old friends, who now rarely see each other as they are busy with their professional life. They embark on long-planned voyage on a raft down the Volga ri... Read allAlexander, Boris and Vasily are three old friends, who now rarely see each other as they are busy with their professional life. They embark on long-planned voyage on a raft down the Volga river, which turns into a series of comical accidents but also strengthens their friendship.Alexander, Boris and Vasily are three old friends, who now rarely see each other as they are busy with their professional life. They embark on long-planned voyage on a raft down the Volga river, which turns into a series of comical accidents but also strengthens their friendship.

  • Director
    • Mikhail Kalatozov
  • Writers
    • Aleksandr Galich
    • Konstantin Isaev
  • Stars
    • Vasiliy Merkurev
    • Boris Chirkov
    • Aleksandr Borisov
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.3/10
    775
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mikhail Kalatozov
    • Writers
      • Aleksandr Galich
      • Konstantin Isaev
    • Stars
      • Vasiliy Merkurev
      • Boris Chirkov
      • Aleksandr Borisov
    • 3User reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win total

    Photos56

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    Top cast28

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    Vasiliy Merkurev
    Vasiliy Merkurev
    • Vasiliy Nestratov
    • (as V. Merkuryev)
    Boris Chirkov
    Boris Chirkov
    • Boris Chizhov
    • (as B. Chirkov)
    Aleksandr Borisov
    Aleksandr Borisov
    • Aleksandr Lapin
    • (as A. Borisov)
    Aleksey Gribov
    Aleksey Gribov
    • Vitaliy Nekhoda
    • (as A. Gribov)
    Liliya Gritsenko
    Liliya Gritsenko
    • Natalya Sergeyevna Kalinina
    • (as L. Gritsenko)
    Lyudmila Shagalova
    Lyudmila Shagalova
    • Katya Sintsova
    • (as L. Shalagova)
    Aleksei Pokrovsky
    Aleksei Pokrovsky
    • Leytenant militsii
    • (as A. Pokrovskiy)
    Ludmila Genika-Chirkova
    • Mashenka - vrach
    • (as L. Genika)
    Yuriy Sarantsev
    Yuriy Sarantsev
    • Seryozha
    • (as Yu. Sarantsev)
    Gavriil Belov
    • Starik na barzhe
    • (as G. Belov)
    V. Butylin
    Anatoliy Dudorov
    Anatoliy Dudorov
    • zamestitel Nekhody
    • (as A. Dudorov)
    Valeriy Durov
      Georgiy Georgiu
      Georgiy Georgiu
      • referent Nestratova
      • (as G. Georgeu)
      Georgi Gumilevsky
      Georgi Gumilevsky
      • Provadets obuvi
      • (as G. Gumilevskiy)
      Vasiliy Kornukov
      Vasiliy Kornukov
      • Matros
      • (as V. Kornukov)
      Aleksandr Lebedev
      Aleksandr Lebedev
      • veselyy matrosik s 'Yermaka'
      • (as A. Lebedev)
      Yuri Leonidov
      • Matros
      • (as Yu. Leonidov)
      • Director
        • Mikhail Kalatozov
      • Writers
        • Aleksandr Galich
        • Konstantin Isaev
      • All cast & crew
      • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

      User reviews3

      7.3775
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      Featured reviews

      10levelclearer

      Heavy artillery, no, Nukes of classic soviet cinema...

      Childhood, youth, young age, and finally middle age: main goals in life are achieved, your occupation and social position are clear and you have reached a certain level in life, nothing is going to be changed, the major efforts to prove to the world that you are something are behind, you are surrounded by work colleagues, and you wonder if that's the way your childhood dream got materialized and what is next ? Do you have enough courage to meet now your childhood friends, with whom you used to sail rafts on that little river ? And to see what became of them, and let them see what became of you ? To see how much you drifted away from your childhood self ? The three from "Vernye druzia" did this. A very highly ranking architect, a famous surgeon, and elite horses breeder gonna leave all their adult cares and troubles in the big city and sail again the raft down the river for three weeks of their vacation. You go with them to take part in there adventures and be the witness of their inner change.
      7claudio_carvalho

      A Nice Adventure of Friendship and Self-Discovery

      In the suburbs of Moscow, the boys Aleksandr, Boris and Vasiliy are best friends and like to sail in a raft in the Yauza River. They promise to each other to sail a large river when they are older. Many years later, Boris Chizhov (Boris Chirkov) is a successful neurosurgeon and professor and is visited by Aleksandr Lapin (Aleksandr Borisov), who is the director of an institute of breeding animals. He recalls their promise when they were kids and they decide to look for Vasiliy Nestratov (Vasiliy Merkurev), who is an important bureaucrat difficult to be contacted and academician of architecture. When they finally meet Vasily, they lure him and embark in a wooden raft to navigate the Volga River. Along their journey, Vasiliy meets the manager Vitaliy Nekhoda (Aleksey Gribov) and learns how bureaucratic and arrogant he is and improves as a man. The shy Aleksandr meets his old flame, Natalya Sergeyevna Kalinina (Liliya Gritsenko), and rekindles his love. Boris learns the needs of a countryside hospital and promises to help them. And their friendship strengthens with their journey.

      "Vernye druz'ya", a.k.a. "True Friends" (1954), is a nice adventure of friendship and self-discovery. The three old friends join together to fulfil a promise when they were kids of navigating a large river. The film criticizes the Soviet bureaucracy in a funny way but shows three men making important discoveries about themselves. Vasiliy changes his arrogant behavior and becomes closer to the people. Aleksandr meets his love and finally declares to her. Boris helps a local with a brain surgery and learns the need of the hospital. The songs are outdated but the film is from 1954. The colors and the cinematography are very beautiful. My vote is seven.

      Title (Brazil): "Amigos Verdadeiros" ("True Friends")

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      Storyline

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      Did you know

      Edit
      • Connections
        Featured in Mashina vremeni: Vse korabli segodnya vernutsya domoy (2020)
      • Soundtracks
        Rechnaya pesenka
        Music by Tikhon Khrennikov

        Lyrics by Mikhail Matusovsky

        Performed by Aleksandr Borisov, Vasiliy Merkurev, Boris Chirkov

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      Details

      Edit
      • Release date
        • November 12, 1954 (United States)
      • Country of origin
        • Soviet Union
      • Language
        • Russian
      • Also known as
        • Verni drugovi
      • Filming locations
        • Moscow, Russia
      • Production company
        • Mosfilm
      • See more company credits at IMDbPro

      Tech specs

      Edit
      • Runtime
        1 hour 40 minutes
      • Color
        • Color
      • Sound mix
        • Mono
      • Aspect ratio
        • 1.37 : 1

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