Taxi Blues

Taxi Blues (Russian: Такси-блюз, translit. Taksi-Blyuz) is a 1990 Soviet comedy-drama film directed by Pavel Lungin. It was entered into the 1990 Cannes Film Festival where Lungin won the award for Best Director. The film was selected as the Soviet entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 63rd Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee. The film tells the story of Shlykov, a hard-working taxi driver and Lyosha, a saxophonist, develop a bizarre love-hate relationship, and despite their prejudices, realize they aren't so different after all.

Taxi Blues
Film poster
Directed by	Pavel Lungin
Written by	Pavel Lungin
Produced by	Mark Gekht Aleksandr Golutva Pierre Rival
Starring	Pyotr Mamonov Pyotr Zaychenko Vladimir Kashpur, Natalya Kolyakanova
Cinematography	Denis Yevstigneyev
Edited by	Elisabeth Guido
Release date	7 September 1990 (1990-09-07)
Running time	110 minutes
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

Plot

In late 1980s Moscow, a blues saxophonist named Alexey Seliverstov and his friends spend a wild night in a taxi, only for Alexey to dodge the fare come morning. The taxi driver, Ivan Shlykov, a hardened, no-nonsense man of Soviet principles, tracks Alexey down, takes his saxophone as collateral, and leaves him jobless and homeless. Feeling remorseful, Ivan returns the instrument, leading Alexey to stay in Ivan's shared apartment. The unlikely pair, an idealistic musician and a staunch Soviet everyman, develop an unusual friendship. While Alexey muses philosophically and struggles with alcohol, Ivan considers artists and intellectuals the root of Russia’s problems. This tension escalates when Alexey floods their building, prompting Ivan to seize his passport and force him to work off the repair costs. Yet, Ivan also tries to reform Alexey’s character, challenging his drinking and urging him to embrace discipline.

As Alexey’s alcoholism worsens, he attempts suicide, and his friendship with Ivan is further strained. However, a chance meeting with famed American saxophonist Hal Singer boosts Alexey’s spirits, and he seizes an opportunity to perform abroad. Skeptical, Ivan later spots Alexey’s concert on TV, amazed by his success. Alexey eventually returns to Moscow as a celebrated musician, but their reunion turns sour when his friends mock Ivan, leaving him humiliated. In a reckless pursuit, Ivan crashes his taxi while chasing what he thinks is Alexey’s car, only to find himself carrying an injured stranger after both cars explode. The film’s closing sequence reveals their fates: Alexey, now a successful musician in New York, released another album, while Ivan bought his own taxi and settled into a quieter life, reflecting the complexities of their friendship and divergent paths.

Cast

• Pyotr Mamonov as Lyosha
• Pyotr Zaychenko as Shlykov
• Vladimir Kashpur as Old Nechiporenko
• Natalya Kolyakanova as Christina
• Hal Singer as himself
• Yelena Safonova as Nina, Liocha's Wife
• Sergey Gazarov as Administrator
• Yevgeni Gerchakov as Bald Musician in the Taxi
• Dmitri Prigov as Writer Typing in the Train
• Igor Zolotovitsky as Petyunchik
• Valeri Khlevinsky as Fat Kolya
• Yelena Stepanova as Smart Young Girl
• Vladimir Sterzhakov as Musician in the Taxi
• Konstantin Afonsky as Long-Haired Mechanic
• Aleksandr Buyanov as Passenger with Newspaper
• Lidiya Yezhevskaya as 'Mousy' Valya

Reception

Taxi Blues has an approval rating of 83% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 6 reviews, and an average rating of 6/10.

See also

• List of submissions to the 63rd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
• List of Soviet submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film

External links

• Taxi Blues at IMDb