12 Chairs

1971
8.2| 2h41m| en
Details

A former aristocrat Ippolit Vorobyaninov leads a miserable life in Soviet Russia. His mother-in-law reveals a secret to him - she hid family diamonds in one of the twelve chairs they once had. Vorobyaninov in cooperation with a young con artist Ostap Bender start a long search for the diamonds.

AD
AD

Watch Free for 30 Days

All Prime Video Movies and TV Shows. Cancel anytime. Watch Now

Trailers & Clips

Reviews

SnoReptilePlenty Memorable, crazy movie
Tedfoldol everything you have heard about this movie is true.
BelSports This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.
Bluebell Alcock Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies
gordon-3737 This videofilm is not only the comedy. This film depicts many various aspects of the human life not only in the USSR but also on the whole planet Earth. This film was actual in the past time, is actual now and seems that it will be actual in the future.The film shows the internal life of the people's society: from the ordinary janitor to the figures of the governmental level. It shows, in a form of a comedy, those sides of the human kind which they themselves will never tell you about.One of the best films ever made on this planet!
Kirpianuscus not a surprise. the novel remains a classic of Soviet literature. but that fact does its adaptation special. the genius of Gayday who builds a charming comedy in a splendid, precise manner.each scene is a gem. and the acting is at high level. the risks to mistake are many but that danger does the film a magnificent adventure. a film about a search who becomes portrait of society. a trip in Soviet Union for a treasure. the trip is reflection of the people's real image. and good occasion for create not exactly a good comedy but a spectacular adventure of a society who is hostage out of normality. it reminds many comedies from the same period. but its real gift is to remain unique. maybe not the best but surely memorable. the last scenes are the best argument. because, the spirit of a well known novel has the best support in the inspired science of detail and wise use of irony of a very interesting director.
Alex Kvaskov Gaidai's adaption of Ilf and Petrov's book is better than the 1977 version. Mironov is a good actor, but Archil Gomashvilli is better, though it is not his voice in the movie. Gaidai disliked his voice and asked another actor to do Gomashvilli's lines. That was met with great protest from Gomashvilli and they fought with Gaidai, thus starting a many year mute dispute. Pugovkin (father Fyodor) is also interesting in this role as the "compition" as Ostap calls him. This film is a must-see as here Gaidai once again shows off his talent for light comedy. And by the way, did you know that Karapeinikov (the person from whom Ostap bought the orders for the chairs) is actually Gaidai himself! Almost all Soviet viewers did not know and many still are not aware of this, that it is Gaidai himself there. A great movie!
ybelov-2 After seeing Andrei Mironov i Zakharov's "12 stulyev" (1977), it hard to imagine a better actor for the part of Ostap. In general, this Gaidai's film is weak. The acting is too eccentric and unnatural, the sets and the music are too simplistic. Showing a "modern" Soviet Moscow at the end is completely out of place. Even such brilliant actors as Yuri Nikulin and Georgi Vitsin cannot save this film. My rating: 5/10. If you want to see a much better films by Gaidai, look for "Ivan Vasilyevich" (1973) and especially "Kavkazskaya plennitsa" (1966).As for "12 stulyev", try to see the film by Mark Zakharov.