The Adventures of Buratino (1975 film)

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The Adventures of Buratino is a 1975 Soviet two-part children's musical television film produced by Belarusfilm. Directed by Leonid Nechayev, it adapts The Golden Key, or the Adventures of Buratino by Alexey Tolstoy, which in turn is a retelling of Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio. The screenplay was written by Inna Vetkina. The film follows Buratino, a wooden boy who comes to life and tries to free the theatre puppets from the cruel director Karabas-Barabas. A talking turtle named Tortila gives him a golden key that holds a mysterious secret.

Plot in simple terms
- A talking log is carved into a puppet by a kind carpenter named Carlo, who calls him Buratino. Buratino is lively but impulsive, and after a rough start, he ends up in a puppet theater run by Karabas-Barabas.
- Buratino helps the theater puppets by speaking out against mistreatment, which annoys Karabas-Barabas. The puppets are ordered to get rid of Buratino, and he is nearly harmed.
- Along the way, Buratino meets friends and foes, including Malvina, a blue-haired girl who helps him, Pierrot, and the con artists Alice and Basilio who tempt him into trouble.
- Buratino is captured and manipulated, but with help from Malvina and others, he learns to think more carefully. He discovers that a Golden Key given by Tortila can unlock a secret door.
- The key opens a hidden door behind a painted hearth in Carlo’s room, revealing a crystal cave and a magical land, where the characters sing and begin a new adventure.

Cast and music
- Buratino is played by Dima Iosifov. Carlo is played by Nikolai Grinko. Karabas-Barabas is portrayed by Vladimir Etush. Tortila the turtle is voiced by Rina Zelyonaya. Bazilio the cat is played by Rolan Bykov.
- The film’s music was composed by Alexey Rybnikov. Lyricists included Bulat Okudzhava and Yuri Entin. Although Okudzhava contributed music and lyrics, the film mostly used Rybnikov’s music, with some of Okudzhava’s more serious lyrics adjusted or not used.

Production and release
- The movie is in Russian and runs about 132 minutes, presented in two parts. It premiered on Soviet television on January 1 and 2, 1976.
- Many of the child actors came from Minsk, while the adult cast featured well-known Soviet actors.
- The Adventures of Buratino helped spur a range of later musical children’s films, continuing the collaborative work of its director and producers. The film has a cult following in the former Soviet Union.

Overall, the film is a colorful, musical adaptation of a classic tale, blending fairy-tale fantasy with themes of honesty, friendship, and standing up to bullies.