Starring Vladimir Korenev, Anastasiya Vertinskaya, Mikhail Kosakov, Anatoliy Smiranin, Nikolai Simonov
Directed by Vladimir Chebotaryov & Gennadiy Kazanskiy
(actor & director credits courtesy IMDB.com)
A young man who was given the gills of a shark by his father in a life-saving operation falls in love with a woman he rescues from a shark, but she becomes betrothed to a cruel and wealthy fisherman.
The then-Soviet Union brings us this touching love story with a sci-fi twist, which despite the scientific trappings is very reminiscent of a modern fairy tale, and is well-acted and directed. Costumed in a creature suit when underwater to disguise him as a man size fish, complete with fin and a fish eye-mask, Korenev stars as the well-named Ichtyander, who is branded a devil fish by the sailors who encounter him. Vertinskaya is Gutiere, the beauty with a luminous face and haunting blue eyes that he pursues, but her father is an old man with terrible debts, and he is eager to marry her off to the wealthy Don Pedro, who wants to capture the devil fish to increase his own fortune. While all this is going on, Ichtyander's father, after his success with his son's surgery, wants to create a new life for the common people under the sea, where there nor longer need be rich nor poor. Although there is tragedy as well as romance, it's a beautiful picture, which also gives us a glimpse into the arts and culture of the time, featuring some wonderful songs that underscore Ichtyander's search for Gutiere and an ebullient scene where the lovers get to dance. According to Wikipedia, this was one of the highest grossing Soviet films for a period of time.
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