The movie Diamond Arm, or “Бриллиантовая Рука”, is a comedy that was created during the Soviet time period. Diamond Arm has become a token movie from this time period and has been incorporated into the lives of many, especially with its witty comments and memorable idiomatic expressions. Generations of children from the ex-Soviet republics still relish this comedy, and many of the quotable sayings that came from this movie fall into place after having watched it.
A quick synopsis:
The movie starts out with the main character Simen Simenovich, played by Yuri Nikulin, going on a world cruise by himself. Aboard the vessel, he meets his roommate played by Andrei Mironov, who is a precious jewels smuggler. The two roommates bond throughout the trip and become friends, but Nikulin does not know the true identity of Mironov, which leaves him unsuspecting of his friend throughout the movie until the very end. Having fallen and dislocated his shoulder, Nikulin gets the jewels put into his cast by the associates of Mironov accidentally. From here on the bandits believe that Nikulin doesn’t know what has happened, and attempt to remove his cast by baiting him into different remote locations. All attempts at knocking Nikulin unconscious and removing the cast fail, so they attempt to send in a seductive lady to drug him. Things also don’t work out, and Nikulins wife leaves him after thinking he is cheating on her. The end of the movie is a culmination of the bandits luring Nikulin into an old garage and while Nikulin cleverly fights them off, the police pick them up and all ends well. In the end, Nikulin and his wife are reunited.
Analysis:
This movie has become one of a few classical movies made during the soviet era from which many idiomatic sayings come. The movie also highlights areas of Soviet life that was very prominent during the soviet era and is familiar to the generations that came after the Soviet Union fell apart. Due to its light hearted nature, the movie plays on a lot of different typical aspects of life that people in Russia had to deal with in the 1960s and 1970s. There is almost a nostalgic feeling towards this movie, especially for someone who has lived through the Soviet Union during that time and looks back at those things through the movie.