MOROZKO/ FATHER FROST (1964)

 

PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *drama*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTION: *metaphysical, psychological*

Earlier I'd seen the MST3K version of the Americanized translation of this Russian fantasy, which in its original form was not really the sort of hackery the comedians usually mocked (though they were very funny nonetheless). But after a recent re-watch of that joked-up version, I finally sought out a subtitled version of MOROZKO on YouTube. Incidentally, I refuse to call the film "Jack Frost" as the American edition did, for the European frost-fairy has little to do with Russia's godlike dispenser of cold weather. That said, the 1964 film does seem to be consciously likening Morozko, aka "Father Frost" to Santa Claus, and it's said that the film was often shown on East European televisions during the Yuletide season.

In truth, Father Frost is one of two good-hearted spirits in the film, the other being a character the subtitles call "Grandpa Mushroom," and who wears a hat like a mushroom cap. Neither of them is the star of the movie, though, which has two mortal protagonists, loosely derived from two usually separate folktales. Director Alexander Rou and his two writers manage to combine the substance of both stories artfully, though not quite well enough to reach the highest mythicity possible for this type of fantasy-flick.

Nastenka is the Cinderella-like protagonist who hails from the original "Father Frost" tale. In it, her cruel stepmother and weak father send her out in the wintry Russian forest to perish. She meets Father Frost, but because she refuses to complain even though she's freezing to death, the winter-god sends her back home in a sleigh, gifted with a huge dowry. The cruel stepmother, who favors her equally mean daughter, sends the daughter out into the forest, thinking she'll be automatically rewarded. Instead, the mean girl speaks improperly to Father Frost-- and does not prosper.

The other protagonist is a hale young man named Ivan, derived from the hero of a tale called "Ivan the Bear's Son," but I've not been able to find an online copy of this story, so-- no advance summary.

The film opens with Nastenka (Natalya Sedykh) getting the evil stepmother treatment, particularly when the young girl is told she has to complete a knitting-job out in the cold, before the sun rises. But the young lady apparently has some rapport with animals and spirits, so the sun just delays coming up long enough for Nastenka to finish her labors. I can't prove this element doesn't occur in any genuine Russian folktales, but it sure sounds a lot like Disney's Snow White.

Miles away in another village, young blade Ivan (Eduord Isotov) goes wandering in the woods, having basked in the admiration of all the local females. In the forest Ivan encounters a band of brigands, but confounds by hurling their cudgels far up into the sky. Then the young hero meets Grandpa Mushroom, and the two engage in a friendly game. Grandpa gives the young fellow a gift, but Ivan declines to show the proper respect to an elder, telling Grandpa that a bear will bow his head to the old man before Ivan does. 

Ivan then encounters Nastenka and the two flirt a little, though Nastenka swiftly realizes that Ivan is a braggart. Then Grandpa Mushroom's retaliation takes place, and Ivan suddenly has the head of a bear. He runs off into the woods, blaming Nastenka for the transformation. Eventually he encounters the Mushroom Sage again, but Ivan doesn't listen to the counsel that he needs to become a more generous and caring person. The bear-man convinces himself that he just needs to do a good deed to reverse the curse, and so he runs around scaring locals with his bear-head. Eventually Ivan shows a spontaneous moment of empathy for someone else, with the result that he regains his humanity. He then decides to seek out Nastenka.

The young woman has her own problems. The stepmother decides that not enough suitors pay court to her homely daughter and orders the weak father to leave Nastenka out in the forest. The father follows orders up to a point, but then rebels against his wife's influence. But Nastenka jumps off their sleigh without the dad seeing her do so, to preserve family harmony. This leads to the part of the folktale where she wins the approval of Father Frost.

Meanwhile, since Ivan has no idea where Nastenka, he seeks the counsel of the renowned witch Baba Yaga, residing in her signature dwelling, a house supported by two giant chicken-legs. Instead of helping Ivan, the witch tries to cook him in her huge oven, planning to eat him later. Ivan tricks her into her own oven but only scorches her a little in order to force her to aid him. Baba Yaga gives Ivan guidance but also sends an emissary to doom Nastenka. However, Ivan is now possessed of the empathy necessary to revive Nastenka from a frozen death.

The rest of the "Father Frost" narrative resumes as Nastenka returns to her father's house with both a great dowry and a comely fiancee. The bad daughter's fate isn't as dire as in the folktale, and it chastens the stepmother enough that the cowardly father finally takes control of his household. 

Then, just for a sort of climax, Baba Yaga can't leave well enough alone. She finds the same gang of brigands that Ivan bamboozled and talks the robbers into attacking Ivan and Nastenka in the forest. But Ivan, proving his martial prowess, holds his own against the half-dozen crooks, with some additional help from the re-appearance of those cudgels he disposed of days and days ago. (This incident may or may not have been in an authentic folktale, but it certainly has a folkloric feel to it.)

I should note that many scenes in MOROZKO have a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek attitude, though the movie's not a comedy as such. I can't claim it's a great magical fantasy, but I'm now very curious about director Rou's other dozen-or-so films in this genre, in which he clearly specialized.