Honour Amongst Thieves

From NSwiki, the NationStates encyclopedia.
Jump to: navigation, search

Honour Amongst Thieves(2006) is a film made in Coocoostan. It was filmed throughout the Coocoo Autonomous Oblast and centers on a bounty hunter who arrives in a remote village in search of a fugitive. It stars Adil Yekmurhov, Nadia Malenkova, Viktor Borodin and Micheal Ferguson. The film is also noted for being the highest grossing domestic film in the nation's history, as well as the highest-grossing in the Coocoo language worldwide.


Plot

The story begins with a pair of bounty hunters, Pytor Afanasenkov(Yekmurhov) and his partner Kolya(Borodin) travelling to the fictional village of Kyyz-Oleil, deep in the Coocoo Autonomous Oblast in search of an oil-company executive named Tupper(Ferguson)who has stolen an unspecified amount of money, with Kolya describing it as "a lifetime supply". Tupper has skipped town on a bond issued by Pytor, so his money is at stake. The pair try to keep a low profile, as bounty hunting is illegal in the Oblast, but in the small town of 200, they are ostracized. One of the few people who will speak to them at all is the local innkeeper/barmaid,Tasha(Malenkova), who tells them about how Tupper was at the inn the week before, and headed into the desert with some Bedouin guides to bury the majority of the money, returning in 14 days. Pytor and Kolya split up, with Kolya returning to Kalibad to follow other leads, while Pytor waits in the village for Tupper to return.

While waiting, Pytor gets to know the village very well. Tasha runs the Inn/Bar out of her house, where she also takes care of her bed-ridden mother. It is divided between two rival militas, the Eagles and Skulls, who patrol the village, while for some reason, not openly warring. When prodded in one of the many scenes where they chat into the early morning, Tasha tells Pytor about the Saturday battle. Basically, a village elder gives each man one round and from 600 metres away, they fire, thus saving the village from a bloody conflict. Also in the village are an indifferent imam, as well as the lone Coocoostan National Police Officer, Jim Butler. Butler is the closest thing to a friend other than Tasha in the village, although Butler is an island of a man. Butler is the lone symbol of righteousness in the village, arresting lawbreakers in an effort to root out the problem. But for every militiaman he sends to prison, two more seem to show up. When a group of Skulls get drunk at the inn and begin coming onto Tasha very aggressively, despite her warnings to stop, Pytor fights them. Initially catching them off guard, they eventually drag him outside and begin to beat him severely, with Butler firing his rifle in the air to disperse the mob. When Pytor thanks him, Butler only tells him that Pytor and Tasha would've both been killed if the men were sober enough to shoot and likely himself as well. It is after this that Pytor begins to openly reflect on how the village might as well be in another country,with all its differences from Kalibad.

Pytor is confronted the next day by Taneel, the leader of the Eagles. Taneel tells Pytor that he doesn't know the way of the village and should just try to keep himself safe from now on. Tupper returns two days early, on a Saturday morning, followed closely by Kolya and the pair corner him in Tasha's inn. He begs them to take him to Intracircumcordei, in exchange for 20,000 Gropeks each. Pytor refuses, and Kolya goes to call Kalibad with the good news. When the two are alone, Tupper again begs Pytor to help him, telling him how he only stole the money to give his family in Kelssek a better life. Pytor lectures him about the unfair nature of capitalism before a gunshot rings out, followed by a ruckus in the streets. A group of Eagles carry a mortally wounded Taneel into the village, claiming he was shot by a sniper during the duel. The Eagles then massacre the Skulls on the way into the village and claim it all as their own. Hours later, the rumbling of vehicles can be heard in the distance, as the Skulls gang from Intracircumcordei rolls into the border village, ransacking it in revenge for the shootings. Several skulls break into the inn and try to rape Tasha, with Pytor fighting the men off. Kolya then pulls up in his SUV with Tupper and yells for Pytor to get in. Hesitant, he brings Tasha with them, to get her away from the fighting.

The SUV heads down the dirt road, towards the main highway, before suddenly ramming the gate of a former airbase. When Pytor asks what is going on, Tupper pulls a pistol on him and tells him to surrender his own weapon. They pull onto the broken tarmac to find a transport plane manned by Skulls ready to take the money, Tupper and Kolya to Intracircumcordei, where the CNP cannot travel because of the lawlessness similar to the village. When the pair tie up Pytor and leave him with Tasha, she makes no effort to free him because she is having a panic attack. It is then that a CNP jeep pulls up with Butler at the wheel. When he walks up to Kolya and Tupper with his gun drawn, Tasha pushes him over and he is subdued by Kolya and Tupper. Now also tied up, Butler makes a run for an alarm panel still connected in the control tower, but is shot in the back by Kolya and bleeds to death. With the plane fuelled and the money loaded, Kolya and Tupper are walking the ramp when Pytor breaks free of his ropes and draws a gun on them. Suddenly, he is shot in the leg by Tasha, who announces that she is going with them and that is was she who shot Taneel to provoke the violence to cover their escape and keep Butler away. Kolya decides that the injured Pytor should be taken with them and killed in the ICCD to cover their tracks further.

In the minutes after take off,the cargo signal in the plane goes off and Kolya opens the ramp and motions Pytor to walk off and plunge to his death. As he walks by Tasha, he disarms her and holds her pistol to her throat. Tupper begs Kolya not to shoot her as she has agreed to marry him in exchange for a share of the wealth. The standoff ends with the suitcase of money being lost out the open door of the plane and Pytor shoots Kolya, who's attention is distracted and the suitcase, which breaks open, showering the desert with money. Tupper absent-mindedly jumps out after the money, plunging to his death. Pytor then battles the plane's crew, killing two of them and wounding the pilot in the leg. Pytor orders him to land the plane and as he returns to the cockpit, Pytor finds Tasha, mortally hit. She tells him she doesn't regret her actions and refuses to speak to Pytor until her death. The plane lands safely and Pytor drives to the village to discover that much of the money landed on the destroyed village and that the residents will be able to afford to move as they wished. Pytor finds the Inn unlocked and Tasha's mother miraculously alive.

The film ends with a shot of five years later where Pytor owns a Gas Station/Restaurant in Ondakastan, with Tasha's mother cancer-free. As Pytor looks into the mountainous desert, he remembers Taneel saying "While we all have our place in life, it is not always the same, if it were, life would be simpler. But a simple life is like a honest Bedouin: Never to be found."

Cast

Pytor- Adil Yekmurhov
Tasha- Nadia Malenkova
Kolya- Viktor Borodin
Tupper- Michael Ferguson
Officer Jim Butler- David Stark
Taneel- Damian Oswego
Tasha's Mother- Yuliya Efaniseva

Themes

The film covers a great many themes relevant in Coocoo society, the most prevalent of which is the lawlessness of many remote villages in the northern parts of Ondakastan and the CAO. It is embodied by the two gangs who have a quasi-duel once a week to satisfy honour, rather than battle once and for all in the streets. There is much poverty and hopelessness in the village and it shows in how Tasha is willing to elope with a man she doesn't love in exchange for a luxurious lifestyle. Corruption and a want of money are embodied in Tupper, who is willing to abandon his family and start a new life with Tasha, who he knows doesn't love him. Kolya, who was Pytor's friend of many years, betrays him for 250,000 Gropeks(about twice a year's salary for him). Butler represents the stalwart resolve of a limited few to change the situation in these remote areas and his death symbolizes the deaths of many others who formed the basis for the character. Taneel is indicative of the gang members of the area and how they see themselves as making the most of a bad situation, as well as the only reason the village is protected from attack from the north. Tasha's Mother, while given limited screen time, represents the burdens placed upon all people, as she is too sick to give anything, in the eyes of Tasha, while Pytor speaks to her occasionally, usually learning something about national history, or her take on life. The Skull Gang of Intracircumcordei also factors in heavily as it is the first time they are depicted on screen. While they are not as powerful as depicted in the movie, they were responsible for an attack on the main border crossing, killing one CNP officer and once ICCD border guard in December 2006.

Reception

Gross

The film was initially released in the CAO, Ondakastan and in the larger cities, in June of 2006, where a sizable Coocoo-language minority resides. The film immediately was widely regarded, with Ekran a Coocoobad Russian newspaper calling it "The Triumph of Coocoo Film making." Immediately after an opening weekend of 81 Million GPK, the distributor CoocFilm began production of English and Russian dubs, which were released in September and November respectively. Again, the movie did well posting an opening of 36 and 234 million on opening weekend. The movie has grossed over 975 million gropeks and if able to take in another 50 million, it will be the highest gross ever. The movie is by far the most profitable, having needed only 5 million. CoocFilm is also aggressively pursuing foreign distribution opportunities, although there are no deals as of yet. The movie is the subject of a campaign to raise the 50 million needed for the record, although the campaign ignores that the movie is being translated into Swahili, which will mean another third of the population can see it. While the Swahili-speaking residents will have less disposable income, the much smaller Russian population grossed 36 on opening weekend alone, so the record should be broken. The translation into Spanish, for the San Andreas area, is also underway. Future translations are widely expected, although they would be for foreign viewing and depend on interest.

Cast

The actors involved were all widely praised, with the exception of Micheal Ferguson, whose portrayal of the Kelssekian Executive Tupper was interpreted by many to be slightly racist, outside of the script's intent. Ferguson has played down the accusations and they are beleived to have had little effect. Nadia Malenkova has quickly become an A-List celebrity and had reportedly received offers to star in up to 5 english-language films covering the next six years. For director Timoshenkov, the film's success represents another chance to break into the English-language scene, as his first film in English "Host(2004)" was widely ridiculed, and lost over 100 million gropeks.

Awards

The film was nominated for 9 Coocoostan Film Awards and won 7
Best Picture
(Winner) Best Director:Andreij Timoshenkov(Winner)
Best Actor: Adil Yekmurhov
Best Actress: Nadia Malenkova(Winner)
Best Supporting Actor:Viktor Borodin(Winner)
Best Supporting Actor:Micheal Ferguson
Best Original Screenplay:Andreij Timoshenkov(Winner)
Best Costumes(Winner)
Best Film in an Unofficial Language (Winner)

Trivia

  • While shooting in the CAO, Nadia Malenkov was rushed to hospital twice, once after receiving a snake bite, the other from fainting while shooting the scene at the airstrip.
  • The abandoned Airstrip was scheduled to be knocked down and was bought from the CM for a Gropek, on the condition that CoocFilm arrange for its destruction. After 3 days of shooting, the crew and some of the cast, knocked down the three buildings and tore up the runway.
  • The character of Butler is the only one who speaks English. While most of the cast is bilingual, Michael Ferguson is a unilingual anglophone and learned his lines phonetically. This drew criticism of his noticeable accent and poor pronunciation, but the film's director, Timoshenkov, said that as a Kelssekian, his accent would be noticeable.
  • The An12 used during filming was involved in a birdstrike incident on the way to the airstrip and this delayed filming for several days, as the plane scenes were filmed last.

Quotes

"Every Saturday, we line up, that's true, but it isn't a slaughter. It is honour amongst theives, no more, no less." -Taneel, while in Tasha's inn, explaining the ways of the village to Pytor.

"I may be friendly, but I'm not your friend."-Butler, to Pytor at several points during the film.

"Don't you see how desperate things are here? I'm going to a hellish country, with a man I don't love, just to get away from the village! I don't want to work the inn, or take care of mother anymore. It's a deathtrap there, I won't go back, I'd rather you shoot me now. The only ways out of the village for any woman are to elope or die." Tasha-while Pytor holds a pistol to her throat on the plane.

Honour Amongst Thieves
Title: Honour Amongst Theieves
Director: Andreij Timoshenkov
Starring: Adil Yekmurhov, Nadia Malenkova, Viktor Borodin, Micheal Ferguson
Language: Coocoo,Subtitles released in Russian, English. Spanish and Swahili are in Development.
Runtime: 125 min

Malenkova.jpg

Tasha looks at Pytor while at the airstrip.