Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession

This film is not only very funny, but also the product of a deep knowledge and love of classic Russian cinema. Some cadres are clearly inspired by Eisenstein's Ivan the Terrible, part I (Ivan Vasilevich looking from the window, Ivan Vasilevich sitting with the scribe) and their presence in the comedy context (in a world turned upside-down, as Bachtin would have it) is the silver bullet that provides laughter and delight to the intellectual as well as to the unsophisticated viewer, who may be content with recognizing on the apartment's wall a reproduction of Repin's "Ivan Grozny killing his own son". Building on this, Gaidai displays his own masterly craft: he can make you laugh with just one word (Tsar Ivan looking at contemporary Moscow - devastated by modern buildings - and bursting out "Beauty!"). Great acting by everyone, Miloslavski (Leonid Kuravliov) being my personal favourite.