The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy your Banya! is a perennial Russian movie classic. New Year has not been celebrated without it since 1976, when it was first aired on television. How do you make a film that conquers the minds and hearts of old and young, poor and rich, careless and thoughtful? As stated during the prologue, the story could have happened anywhere in the USSR, since at the time the country was filled with identical towns, streets, buildings, and apartments (which were all even named the same or furnished alike). The filmmakers are being undeniably critical of such social order.
"A perennial Russian movie classic. New Year has not been celebrated without it since 1976, when it was first aired on television."
In the movie, Evgeniy Lukhashin and his old mates have a tradition. Every year on December 31st, they go to a banya (a Russian sauna) to cleanse themselves of the previous year’s burdens and enter the new year with a clean body and mind. This time, they also have a cause for celebration, because Evgeniy has finally decided to propose to his girlfriend. His friends get carried away with alcohol and mistakenly put a nearly unconscious Evgeniy on a flight from Moscow to St. Petersburg (called Leningrad back then). When he arrives to his destination, he steps into a taxi and mentions the only address he can recall, his Moscow address. As it turns out, there’s an identical apartment, in an identical building, with an identical address in St. Petersburg, and when he gets there, Evgeniy goes directly to bed, only to be rudely awakened by the female owner of the place, named Nadya. Thus, two people meet on New Year’s Eve as a result of a mix-up, and within several hours their lives turn upside-down. They realize they are meant for each other and face a dilemma, since both will soon be married and have a well-planned and quiet future ahead of them. Jealous fiancés, far-seeing mothers, talkative colleagues, tender songs, endless streams of loud guests, and an ever-ringing doorbell fill out the rest of the story.
Eldar Ryazanov, an iconic figure in the Russian film industry and one of the most beloved Russian directors, is a master of comedy underscored by social themes, and he did an amazing job of putting together a team of brilliant professionals for The Irony of Fate. The movie’s scenario was based on a play by Ryazanov and Emil Braginskiy, which had been staged in different theaters and had been considered highly successful. The language is natural, effortless, witty, and funny. It is a case of simple words conveying multilayered meanings, and a great number of lines from the sophisticated dialogues have become catchphrases. For instance, in one scene, Nadya’s boyfriend forgets his good manners and speaks his mind about her cooking: “Какая гадость эта ваша заливная рыба!” (“What rubbish, this jellied fish of yours!”). Other famous lines include “Надя – замечательная женщина. Как человек” (“Nadya is a wonderful woman. As a person”) and the following exchange: “Я врал. Я вру.” “Всегда?” “Почти.” (“I lied. I lie.” “Always?” “Almost.”).
"Everything adds to a picture that depicts our customs and immerses a foreign viewer into the Russian way of celebrating New Year’s Eve. And fittingly enough, The Irony of Fate became a New Year tradition itself."
There is something to be said about the poetry in this film. For those who know even a little bit about 20th Century Russian poetry, the names of Tsvetaeva, Pasternak, Akhmadulina, and Yevtushenko mean a great deal, and all of them authored some of the songs and poems featured in the movie. The poetry interlaces with the action so tightly, that to separate one from the other would be impossible. Songs are also called upon to create an atmosphere at times heartfelt and intimate and at other times thoughtful and disquieting. Some of them are sung by a young Alla Pugacheva, who is now known as the prima donna of Russian music.
The Irony of Fate is a wonderful representation of New Year in Russia. From traditional dishes to late and noisy guests, from life-changing decisions to sudden gestures, and from drunken brawls to heartfelt singing, everything adds to a picture that depicts our customs and immerses a foreign viewer into the Russian way of celebrating New Year’s Eve. And fittingly enough, The Irony of Fate became a New Year tradition itself.
