Tears Were Falling (Russian: Слёзы капали, romanized: Slyozy kapali) is a 1982 Soviet fantasy drama film directed by Georgiy Daneliya. The plot can be viewed as a modern interpretation of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen The Snow Queen. It was the last film role of actor Boris Andreyev.
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Plot
The plot of the story is the same as in the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. An evil troll creates a magic mirror that reflects and exaggerates everything bad and evil. The mirror shatters, and one of its millions of fragments falls into the eyes of Pavel Ivanovich Vasin, a resident of the small town of Zarechensk.
Ordinarily a balanced person, respectable family man, and helpful neighbor and colleague, Vasin changes beyond recognition. He sees only the worst in his friends and relatives and no redeeming traits. Vasin kicks his son out of the household, quarrels with his wife, hurls verbal abuse at his colleagues at work, and even goes so far as to attempt suicide.
Cast
Yevgeny Leonov as Pavel Ivanovich Vasin
Iya Savvina as Irina, Vasin's wife
Nina Grebeshkova as Zinaida Galkina
Aleksandra Yakovleva as Lyusya
Boryslav Brondukov as Fyodor, alcoholic
Boris Andreyev as Nikolai Vanichkin
Pyotr Shcherbakov as Sklyansky
Nina Ruslanova as Dina
Andrei Tolubeyev as Tolik
Georgiy Daneliya as a passenger on the tram (uncredited)
Production and release
The working title of the film was Gladiator.
The film was shot in Kaluga, Rostov, Ashgabat, and Odessa.
The film was banned from screening abroad, six months lay on the shelf, and then was released in a limited release.