Amphibian Man (1961) User Reviews (30)

Joseph Stalin's Wikipedia page brought me here

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 26 April 2020]

On the Argentine coast, the locals live in fear of the "sea devil", a fish-man who has been frequently spotted in the nearby ocean. In reality, he's Ichtyandor (Vladimir Korenev), a young man who was born human, but with a deadly lung disease. His brilliant scientist father Professor Salvator (Nikolai Simonov) grafted shark gills onto the boy, relieving his ailment and granting him the ability to breathe underwater. One day Ichtyandor rescues beautiful young woman Gutiere (Anastasiya Vetinskaya), and he falls instantly in love with her. Unfortunately, she's been promised in marriage to lout Pedro (Mikhail Kozakov). Also featuring Anatoliy Smiranin, and Vladlen Davydov.

I really enjoyed this colorful and energetic romance. It exists in its own, slightly surreal world, which is exaggerated by the setting and the characters all being Argentinian, yet played by Russians in the Russian language. The direction is propulsive and inventive, and there's a quaint joy to the 60's era aesthetic seen in the fish-man's silver suit and his father's high-tech lab home. I also appreciated the film's sense of humor. Recommended.

First seen on Pittsburgh's Chiller Theater in 1970

[kevinolzak · 8/10 · 13 November 2021]

1961's "The Amphibian Man" (Chelovek-Amfibiya) was that rare Soviet title that crossed the Atlantic relatively intact, bypassing Roger Corman for a straightforward dubbing job that reduced the running time from 96 to 82 minutes but otherwise remained as faithful to its source as the Czech "Voyage to the End of the Universe." Only a year or so before John Lamb's "The Mermaids of Tiburon" offered a beautiful tail to tell for masculine viewers (as played by Diane Webber), here we have a male version to engage the female contingent. Vladimir Chebotaryou and Gennadi Kazanskiy are listed as codirectors of this adult fairy tale of love beneath the waves, kicking off in typical Hollywood frenzy with reports of a strange aquatic creature terrorizing South American beaches (shot off the scenic Crimean coast), convincing wealthy sea captain Pedro (Mikhail Kozakov) to switch from pearl diving to monster hunting while his reluctant bride Guttiere Baltazar (Anastasiya Vertinskaya) only agrees to marriage for the sake of her financially strapped father (Anatoliy Smiranin). An attempted escape goes awry when she dives into the water and loses consciousness as a menacing shark approaches, rescued from certain drowning by the 'Sea Devil' that Pedro is searching for, hardly the fearsome description of the papers but an all too human figure (Vladimir Korenev) wearing an elaborate costume of webbed hands and feet. The young man is named Ichtyandr, son of renowned scientist Salvator (Nikolai Simonov), who was forced to transplant a shark's gills to replace his offspring's damaged lungs, enabling him to exist above and below the water, essentially a first step to create a utopian society that will live in freedom beneath the sea. Guttiere is unaware of the identity of her actual rescuer (Pedro takes the credit), and is startled when Ichtyandr calls to ask if she's all right from his place on the ship's anchor, so smitten with this never before seen vision of loveliness that he braves the big city against his father's wishes to find her. For one who has lived a sheltered life away from the trials and tribulations of humanity, the lad is literally a fish out of water when dealing with greed and prejudice, still making a strong impression on the girl, who feels a flattering connection to him for his unwavering admiration for her. Pedro is never far away to squash their blossoming romance, and her refusal to accept his unconditional gift of pearls shows how misplaced pride can often be. An audience used to viewing wild stories set in outer space may well be taken aback by this tender, inner space venture, fabulous underwater photography and solid characterizations ensuring great success in its native Russia (a reported 65.5 million theater goers), yet for decades poor quality prints in the West have done it few favors. "The Amphibian Man" and "The Mermaids of Tiburon" both share the need to supply a villain to provide conflict, perhaps unnecessary and almost guaranteeing a downbeat finale.

Visually impressive Soviet sci-fi

[tomgillespie2002 · 6/10 · 10 December 2012]

Based upon the novel of the same name by Soviet science-fiction writer Alexander Beliaev, Amphibian Man tells the somewhat tragic tale of Ichtyander (Vladimir Korenev), a young, handsome man that has been given the use of gills by his father (Nikolai Simonov). Various sightings have led to him being dubbed a sea-devil, a monster of the sea who has attacked various boats. Rich fisherman Pedro (Mikhail Kozakov) is trying to win the affections of the beautiful Gutiere (Anastasiya Vertinskaya), but when she is attacked by a shark in the sea, Ichtyander rescues her and falls in love with her. She mistakenly thinks it was Pedro who saved her, and so Ichtyander must come onto land in search of his new love.

What is really on the surface a rather silly sci-fi movie that evokes the traditions of the U.S.'s B-movie output of the 1950's, it is actually a well-told fairytale love-story, giving most of its attentions to the doomed affair between Ichtyander and Gutiere. The loathsome Pedro is always on hand to scupper their attempts, with Gutiere trapped in a betrothal arranged by her father (Anatoliy Smiranin), who would rather see her marry into money than for true love. Themes of greed are ever- present throughout the film, reflecting the socialist realist attitudes of the time - a biting social commentary that the Soviet's were so good at (Soviet giants such as Eisenstein and Dovzhenko made their careers on propaganda) and helps add a gravitas to what might have been a straight forward B-movie.

Amphibian Man is also technically impressive. Directors Vladimir Chebotayrov and Gennadi Kazansky used a seaside community in Azerbaijan to film, and this results in some nice photography. One of the stand-out scenes follows the POV of Ichtyander as he searches the streets for Gutiere, with the hand-held photography adding a desperation to his quest. There are also moments that evoke the techniques of the silent greats, using tilted, close-up photography that heightens the psychological torment of the character, more prominently used in the climactic scenes with Pedro, as his lust for power and his alpha-male dominance over Gutiere reaches breaking point. I was surprised to learn after watching the film that it was a massive commercial success in 1962, as the film has since faded into obscurity. Although it's hardly a great film, there is enough in Amphibian Man to justify a re-discovery of the wealth of Societ sci-fi's from this era.

www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com

A very odd but charming movie.

[Infofreak · 10 October 2002]

'Amphibian Man' is one of the oddest movies I've ever seen. From the title, and the initial premise - poor fishman and their families are frightened by an unknown monster they nickname "the sea devil" - you might think you're in for a 'Creature From The Black Lagoon' style monster movie, but this movie is a completely different thing. What kind of "thing" it is exactly is difficult to summarize, because I can't honestly think of any other movie I've seen which is quite like it. Technically SF, but more of a fantasy romance in execution. It is a very unusual but charming movie. The "monster" turns out to be the son of a local benevolent scientist who has had shark gills transplanted into his body and has a secret underwater life. He falls in love with the beautiful daughter of a local fisherman who has been betrothed to an ambitious cad she doesn't love. It is a marriage borne of economic necessity. Pretty soon Amphibian Man and Ambitious Cad clash and our hero finds himself persecuted, and eventually kidnapped. I really enjoyed this film, it has quite a unique, eccentric feel to it and has some genuinely touching moments, and even a song or two. The production values are quite impressive for the era, the premise is interestingly handled, and the acting is generally above average. I was fortunate enough to watch the Russian print with English subtitles. I believe there are some badly dubbed versions of this movie around so try and avoid those if you can and see the original to fully appreciate this little gem.

It doesn't sink

[hte-trasme · 7/10 · 7 May 2014]

This was quite an enjoyable film overall, and has a fairly unusual tone due to the collision of several different genre-associated elements. The concept, taken from a novel that I have not had the chance to read, is straight science fiction. It's a nice one, and it is pleasant to see and follow the implications of the prototypical scary sea-monster turning out to be not only a slightly-modified human but also the male love interest.

I was a little puzzled by the logical the science fiction, though; Ichthyander has been kept under the sea because, unlike most humans, he has fish gills as well as lungs. But he must remain out of the water to exercise his lungs or they will atrophy, and he's been kept away from human society... because it will create a great underwater society sometime in the future?

So we have a futuristic-looking home setting for our old scientist (who is nonetheless dressed in a high collar and frock coat that looks like it could have come from the 1860s). Then we have the main setting, which is an undefined Spanish-speaking country by the sea, which mostly looks like it could have been the same a hundred years previously as well, with the exception of the automobiles and the motorboats next to the pirate-style boats of the pearl-hunters.

Slightly puzzling as it may be, though, the setting look gorgeous and is a joy to watch. I read in another comment here that the film was actually shot in Azerbaijan, which makes the creation of the rich and beautiful setting all the more impressive. The numerous underwater scenes are impressive as well, though I kept wondering why the human Amphibian Man kept putting on his scaly fish-costume to go into the water.

Though despite the exotic setting and the scientific trappings, it is really a tragic romantic melodrama, and an adventure film. Fortunately, it does these pretty well, and the drama of the romance between the woman trapped in the wrong marriage and her Amphibian lover (whose unfamiliarity with shore life is nicely displayed in the stroke of a couple scenes) ends up being nicely effective.

It might not always make sense, but Amphibian Man is a pleasant escapist film that deserves no ill will.

Sort of like a male version of Splash..

[Spuzzlightyear · 6/10 · 22 March 2012]

Rather unique movie about a boy who is dying of a heart condition and gets his heart replaced with shark gills! He can, now of course, breathe underwater, and is quite happy there, until of course, a GIRL gets in the way.. and then he spends a lot more time above water! The girl has a jealous suitor though, and wants no more than to get rid of this Russian Man From Atlantis.

While it's certainly unique and photographed crisply, this sure does drag in places, and yes, even has musical numbers to kill the time, but you should still this for this novel exercise in Russian Science Fiction.

My comment of the Amphibian man. Minor Spoiler included.

[carpediem76 · 9/10 · 17 August 2005]

A a former Soviet Citizen, I will take my responsibility seriously and will start commenting on as many stories behind the wonderful heritage of Soviet cinema as possible.

This film is based on the novel written by a great Russian sci-fi writer Alexander Belyaev. It was a record-breaking film when it came out in the cinema houses all over the USSR in the early 60's. Even though the beautiful star of the Soviet film era, young Anastasia Vertinskaya (Gutierrez), was known to the audiences from her previous works, theater actor Vladimir Korenev ( handsome Ixtiander) "woke-up famous" and instantly became a desire of almost every woman in the country. The title song about a SEA DEVIL was on everybody's lips ever since.

In order to closest resemble the scenery of a beautiful Latin country, the movie was shot in sunny Baku, Azerbajan.

The idea of a sea-devil lurking in the waters near the shores and scaring people sets up the mood of the movie. However, the devil turns out to be a handsome young man with an inhuman trait- he is an amphibian. A romantic story starts to unfold when he falls in love with a gorgeous girl. Matters become complicated as the girl is about to get married to somebody else...

It is a beautiful movie which is a pleasure to watch even today. If some parts of the film seem poor compared to today's film-making standards, they are easily forgiven due to the beauty of the scenery, interesting plot, striking-looking actors and their sincere acting approach to their characters.

If you appreciate good international cinema and want to familiarize yourself with Soviet pop culture and the work of one of the world's best sci-fi writers, I highly recommend this film. It is full of mythical mood, great scientific fantasy mixed with true portrayal of human emotions.

I recommend this film to every romantic at heart!

Another soviet movie!!

[fabiog-26-358885 · 7/10 · 20 June 2016]

I just watched this movie. It was broadcasted by the public TV channel, during a midnight program, dedicated to cult films from everywhere. To say the truth, the strange location of the film was what made me to be interested and pushed me to search in the internet, specially when I noticed that some night city views in the middle of the film, were shot in Buenos Aires. You can see theatre marquees and commercial signs of that time made of neon light. The rest of the movie, I supposed it was shot in Mexico (except for the trucks, cars, etc. which were soviet style), but I read on a previous comment, it was Baku, Azerbaijan. Well, Another soviet movie!!...

The story of a young man who lives in the depth of the ocean

[esteban1747 · 9/10 · 19 September 2001]

Perhaps this is one of the best Sci-Fiction film ever produced in the history of cinema for its content. Its presentation may not be the best due to color problems and very much evident make up of the actors and actresses. I assume that the story was going on in a territory of any Latin American country, probably Mexico. The plot is about a young man able also to live normally in the sea. His father, a scientist and physician, built up a laboratory in the depth of the ocean where his son passes part of his life. Being a rare organism, his father always warned him not to visit nearby city, but love came over when he met a nice lady sinking in the sea, and with this all problems started. The film showed that early 60s the Soviet directors and producers were not very much aware of the music in Latin America. Dancing was Spanish-like and not Latin American as such. Names chosen for the heroes of the film were also rare. The lady is called Gutiere when Gutiérrez is a common surname in Spanish, then Ichtiandros is the name of the main actor of the film, again an invention. In any case, it is nice to see several shots made in the sea, in a really beautiful environment, and also to see nice diving and swimming of various actors. Excitement is also assured in this material. However, it does not have the Hollywood-Happy End. It is more realistic in its end. The film has also its morale showing the miseries of people trying to make money, no matter if it is playing with the life of a human being.

Enjoyable fantasy from behind the Iron Curtain

[jamesrupert2014 · 7/10 · 14 January 2021]

Rumours of a 'Sea Devil' are terrifying local pearl divers in a small Argentine fishing village, but the creature turns out to be the son (Vladimir Korenev) of an idealistic but reclusive scientist (Nikolai Simonov) who has been surgically modified to breath underwater and who falls in love with a young woman Anastasiya Vertinskaya whom he saves from drowning. The premise and the science are a bit shaky and the story is more romantic fantasy than science fiction (the story is closer to 'The Little Mermaid' than to 'The Shape of Water' (2017), to which it has been compared). Unlike a number of Soviet-era science fiction films, the story is not framed as a 'dream' and contains no overt political statement (the 'villain' (Mikhail Kozakov) is a capitalist bourgeois who exploits his workers (the pearl divers) but I doubt that the character would be any different in a 'western-made' film). The film was shot in Baku on the Caspian Sea and the cinematography is striking, with good underwater footage (although much of the sea life is set-dressing) and some interesting touches (I liked the red-tinted transitions). The cast seems quite good (I watched a sub-titled version so hard to judge), especially the romantic leads: Korenev as the handsome young Ichthyander (an unsubtle touch) and Vertinskaya as the beautiful young Guttiere being pushed into a loveless marriage. Kozakov is nicely low-key as the villain and Anatoli Smiranin is quite good as his conflicted henchman Old Baltazar (Guttiere's father). All in all, a pleasant, lightweight fable - unexpected (at least by me) given Soviet cinema's reputation for doctrinaire, party-approved 'serious' films.

Must see for Pedro the clothes horse

[dirkjungquist · 4/10 · 25 January 2021]

The movie is meh with a sci-fi theme of girl meets boy fish but is forced to marry evil Pedro. But Pedro is amazing to watch his wardrobe change throughout this film including a spectacular orange and black robe. Ignore the film and enjoy the fashion show.

One of the best

[jamiem · 9/10 · 23 June 1999]

I also saw this movie as a kid on late night TV. I never forgot it and would love to see it on DVD. I think it was the first time I fell in love. The leading man/fish is one of the most beautiful and sweet characters I had ever seen.

Endearing Russian Fantasy Romance.

[meddlecore · 7/10 · 2 October 2020]

The Amphibian Man- aka The Sea Devil- is less a monster, like the creature from the Black Lagoon, and more a man in a shiny shark costume, who swims around like a dolphin, while carrying a shank.

After he saves a young woman from a shark, the captain of a pearl diving ship concocts a plan to capture him, so he can use him as a pearl diver.

Meanwhile, a wealthy and reclusive scientist, has his own plans to liberate the masses, by leading them into a life below the sea.

As it turns out, The Amphibian Man is actually (just a man in a shark costume, and) a product of his creation.

He is the son of the scientist, who suffered from an incurable lung disease...thus, he has been endowed with superhuman ability to breathe under water.

He can still, however, walk on land, so...infatuated with the young woman he saved, he sets off into town to find her.

But she does not remember him, and has since become the fiancee of the cruel captain.

So, finding her only gets him into trouble.

As a result of her reaction, he starts to think of himself less as a man, and more like a monster.

But he has one of the most pure and true hearts of all.

On top of pursuing the most truest of loves, he also cares for all animals.

But he must win over her heart in competition against a number of other suitors.

And that won't be so easy for a man of such mystery.

He dreams of swimming the sea with her, but she is still afraid of the water as a result of her near death trauma.

Nonetheless, she still falls in love with him, and plans to break off her upcoming wedding to be with him.

When her fiancee discovers this, however, he tries to have him arrested...though, he manages to escape into the ocean at the last minute.

Now, he must stop the shotgun wedding, and free her from a life bound to the cruel captain, before it's too late.

Before he is able to do so, though, the captain discovers his secret, manages to capture him, and subjects him to a life of servitude.

That is, until his father intervenes on his behalf, to save him.

Now they are both facing charges of piracy.

And it's her turn to save him.

It's quite an epic love story.

That being said, the underwater set they use is, in one sense, pretty badass, and in another sense, patently ridiculous.

Despite this, and his hilariously budget suit, however...it all ends up being quite endearing.

And the rest of the sets and scenery are actually quite stylish.

7 out of 10.

A lovely light film from a country better kown for political drama

[vampiresan · 30 September 2002]

I loved this film for many reasons. Most people who saw it, saw it as children on late night TV, but I didn't get to catch up with it till now. It has a lovely heart to it and although certainly naive and simple for todays standards, it possesses a warmth that is so often missing from other mostly american films of it's Genre and time period.

Certainly there are some strange aspects to it. The setting - which is either Spain or Mexico clashes with the Russian language and the Greek, Spanish and French character names. Perhaps this is done to give a sense of internationalism to the film.

But the thing I loved most about this film is it's social rather than political subtext. While many of this 1960's SCI-FI Genre concentrate on Nuclear accidents, fear of technology etc, Amphibian Man is instead concerned with the world that is created by simple human greed and cruelty. There is no BIG threat here, only trying to exist in a world that is made by men who are greedy and selfish. It is interesting to see that while US cinema was hysterical about the threat of nuclear technology and specifically the threat of Communist Russia, This Russian Film was more concerned with working within the world as it stood and looking at the problems that do exist rather than scaring people with over the top nuclear threats.

The Amphibian Man is not created by accident - but by scientific technology, and the purpose is not as a weapon but as a social advance. Even the "evil" Don Pedro - never thinks of using the "sea Devil" as a weapon but only to collect pearls and increase Pedro's personal fortune.

It is a truly interesting movie, allowing me to see another mind set of that era that is not the American one. And the bittersweet ending is far from unsatisfying.

Sci Fi as "Art"

[dane-92 · 9/10 · 19 March 2019]

I finally saw this movie for the first time tonight, and thought it was enthralling. It creates a mood and a vibe with its music and imagery that sort of draws you into its dreamy embrace. The two lead characters are both so beautiful that it gives the movie a storybook quality. Acting is impressive. Science fiction takes a distant back door to romance in the storyline., but the small role it plays really enhances the drama of the story. If you are enamored of more modern cinematography, the production values in Amphibian Man will seem primitive, but if you appreciate old film styles, this is a classic piece of art from the early 1960s.

Masterpiece of Soviet sci-fi

[unc-93397 · 10/10 · 1 April 2016]

Everything what is connected to the science fiction of Alexander Belyaev is almost perfect. I'm still a big fan of his eternal masterpieces and they start from Amphibian Man. I also recommend you to read Jump into the Void inspired by the upcoming Space era and exploration of the Venus. The movie Amphibian Man is surely one of the best among Soviet science fiction films starting beautiful Anastasiya Vertinskaya. The sun, the sea and an exciting storyline. Both the film and the book reached enormous attention in USSR and Vertinskaya and Korenev became a real superstars and well remembered for such a romantic duet

Making a splash...

[poe-48833 · 10/10 · 18 November 2016]

That AMPHIBIAN MAN was made in the early 1960s is mind-boggling: it's exactly the kind of Fantasy Film lesser American filmmakers often tried to produce during the same era, to far lesser Effect(iveness). It's straightforward and beautifully directed, with some truly outstanding cinematography both above and below the Sea. The effects are minimal and, unlike in most American movies (especially those produced THESE days), the effects are secondary to the Story (which, for a Fantasy Film, is surprisingly solid: the Amphibian Man of the title was born with weak lungs, so his scientist father transplanted shark lungs into him). There are scenes of great lyrical Beauty (something American filmmakers tend to shy away from) and some spectacular, Jackie Chan-like stunts. If only Bill Everrett's SUB-MARINER could be brought to The Big Screen half as well... HIGHLY recommended.

I Finally found it!

[lambiepie-2 · 9 May 2001]

If this is the film I think it is, they showed it, alot, on a horror/movie program in New York in the 60's called "Thriller". I have been trying to find this for years! I tell all my friends about this film and I remember it as "The Amphibian Man". I also remember it was sad, very sad, that is why it stuck with me for years. Silly thing was, I thought it was an Italian film so that is where I've been trying to find it! I am a big horror film fan because at 4 years old, my older brothers watched these Saturday night New York Shows on Channel 5 (Creature Double Feature) and 11 (Thriller). This was during a time when there was not that many remotes so what they looked at, as the little sister, I had to look at too. Which is why I remember this film and haven't seen it since I was seven years old. (By that time we got cable, my brothers were older and I got the tv!) And let me add one more thing, many IMDb poster have written about films ripe for "remakes" for Hollywood Directors and Producers other than the ones they are doing. If I was one of those folks, I'd put this on my list to consider. This is a Speilberg-esque family sci-fi film just waiting to be remade. Then again, I like it just fine the way it is.

Beautiful movie!

[alienisfluctus · 10/10 · 9 March 2017]

This movie is one of the greatest pieces of cinematography ever made. It's beautiful and touching. It does have a much used plot, but this movie is absolutely unique. It shows the true kindness of Ichthiander, and the evil greed can do. I always cry at the end. The music is beautiful too! I recommend this movie to everyone, it's impossible not to love it!

A Gem Recently Discovered by Me

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 2 July 2022]

In a coastal state, a mysterious fish-man is considered a devil fish that is scaring the local pearl divers. The wealthy Pedro Zurita (Mikhail Kozakov) uses his vessel to catch pearls and his first mate Baltazar (Anatoliy Smiranin) owes a lot of money to him and he wants his daughter Guttiere Baltazar (Anastasiya Vertinskaya) to get married with him and resolve his father's debts. When Guttiere is attacked by a shark on the sea, the amphibious man saves her. However, Pedro assumes the credit for her rescue, but the amphibious man falls in love with Guttiere. Meanwhile, Doctor Salvator (Nikolai Simonov) discloses to the journalist Olsen (Vladlen Davydov) that the amphibious man is indeed his son Ichtyandr Salvator (Vladimir Korenev) that had a serious lung problem and was transplanted with gills to survived living in the sea. Ichtyandr and Guttiere falls in love with each other, but Pedro is no going to make their life easy.

"Chelovek-Amfibiya" is a gem that I have recently discovered, but Guillermo del Toro has made a rip-off of this film is his awarded "The Shape of Water" (2017). It is sad to see that Guillermo del Toro has not made any reference to the "Amphibious Man" in his film. The special effects for a 1962 movie is very impressive and the plot holds the attention of the viewer until the last sad scene. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "O Homem Anfíbio" ("The Amphibius Man")

Pure joy

[BandSAboutMovies · 8/10 · 25 May 2023]

Based on the 1928 novel by Alexander Beliaev, Amphibian Man seems timeless even as its tech seems ancient. It feels like it comes from no set point of origin, as if it could be made today or fifty years ago.

At a seaside port in Argentina, the pearl fishermen all have told the story of an amphibian man who can live in the water. Ichthyander (Vladimir Korenev, voiced by Yuri Rodionov) was adopted by Professor Salvator (Nikolay Simonov), who had to save his life by replacing his lungs with the gills of a shark.

The dramatic thrust of this story occurs when Ichthyander falls in love with Guttiere (Anastasiya Vertinskaya, voiced by Nina Gulyaeva), the daughter of a fisherman and the wife of Pedro (Mikhail Kozakov), who uses the love between his wife and the undersea human to exploit him into getting him more pearls.

As a child, I was always told that Russia was a sad, cold place that had no access to art. How did this beautiful movie come to be? Had I been lied to? Perhaps.

In the January 2018 issue of Indie Cinema, the Oscar-winning The Shape of Water is taken to task, not just for allegedly taking its plot and visuals from the Dutch student film The Space Between Us, but for how close Guillermo del Toro's film is to Amphibian Man. It's set in the same year that the Russian film was made and, yes, much of the movie concerns the Russian element in America.

Directed by Vladimir Chebotaryov and Gennadiy Kazanskiy and written by Akiba Golburt, Aleksei Kapler and Aleksandr Ksenofontov, this is at once a retro future movie - whooshing doors are everywhere and the costume that Ichthyander looks like Alex Raymond or Rick Yager drew it - while it also has musical numbers, which makes it so charming that it nearly breaks my heart.

I mean, read this dialogue:

Gutiere: This must be love at first sight!

Ichtyandr: Is there any other kind of love?

Of course it has to end with its lovers separated by the waves and unrequited love.

Is there any other kind of love?

Cult classic

[hope-35 · 14 August 2000]

The movie became a cult classic the instant it was released. The actors became famous overnight. The music is still recognisable and remembered. This film is a masterpiece of world cinema no less. It is based on the novel of the same title by Alexander Beliaev, one of the pioneer of Russian SF. The script is pretty close to the original text. I think that Beliaev would be happy to see that movie. The actors are not only beautiful, they are stylish and they act well. The naive young Ikhtiandr is so believable that you can`t help but feel sad over his destiny. There are few effects but due to that the movie is still not dated. Ikhtiandr`s costume was handmade piece of art.

Even in "potato quality" it shines

[thomas-korn · 9/10 · 5 March 2021]

I saw this movie 2 or 3 years ago on youtube. It was an old, faded print that was copied from VHS so the image and sound quality was a bit dull. Even through that, the movie is fun, silly and.. who knew USSR could make their own Cheesy fun films? Ironically, a month after I watched it on youtube in poor quality, a high definition version was uploaded. I had to go back and watch it.. oh yeah, the soundtrack is this groovy 1960s synthesizer style music. It's equally fun as the movie.

Science-fiction at its best!

[bonito · 4 November 1998]

What a wonderful movie! Great music by Russian composer Andrei Petrov (some electronic instruments) and an adorable good looking (and acting) Vladimir Korenev. Ordinary people think that he's a kind of frightening creature, but in fact he is the son of a professor living after a live-saving operation under the sea. It follows a love story, some action and NO HAPPY END. This makes a differnce to some similar American productions! It's worth to view the film (even in Russian version, because of the excellent camera work and beautiful actors).

sides of memories

[Kirpianuscus · 28 June 2017]

a film like a Rubick cube . because it gives so many faces than remains more than a good adaptation of a novel but a sort of trip in the sensibility of a time. first because it could be a fairy tale. or a politic manifesto. or a lovely love story, remembering the Russian folklore. than, because, after decades, it remains fresh. for the special effects and story and acting. for the cultural references. and, in same measure, for its naive poetry. the clash of two worlds. and the fight for truth and justice. a noble cause. a beautiful girl. and the under water universe. it is enough for a form of magic who remains seductive after more than a half of century.