It seems like not many viewers know this movie, but, believe me, it is well worth the while and it is different form many other soviet movies of that time. Though, right in the sixties we start to see some changes in the monolithic soviet cinema. This film is personal, sincere, deep, poetic in some moments, and it depicts a realistc picture of the situation and of the characters. Funny that it is only a TV-movie, but it does not matter much. When there is a director and a writer who have something to say and believe in what they are doing, they are closer to shooting a good movie than other ones who only follow indications and do not worry much about what they are doing. On top of this, director and writer do not intend, or they are not asked, to put political propaganda into the film, which ususally spoils it.
One of the reasons why this little gem is almost unknown may be that it talks about a tender subject, that is to say a man who left his family and children, and started a new one with onother woman. One day he regrets it very deeply and tries to go back and have himself forgiven by the first family. The film shows the sorrow he has brought to the one and the other woman, to those and these children. And to himself. When he left he did not realize what he was doing, he did not bother to question himself, he just followed his impulse. But sooner or later the truth will out. There are good and evil, they are different, they do not change while time passes, and we must cope with them, maybe after a long time we have tried to ignore them.
As to the technical aspects of the film, the director shows not common skills of placing the camera, and choosing the frame and the angle. Some scenes are impressive even whren they are silent and still, as for example when husband, wife and children look at each other, speachless but full of thoughts and feelings. The actors are good, especially the two wives and the elder daughter.
Let us blow the dust from this movie, and let us watch it, even if it may be painful for some, but nonetheless true.