The Elder Son

The Elder Son (Russian: Старший сын) is a 1976 Soviet two-part television drama film directed by Vitaly Melnikov based on the eponymous play by Alexander Vampilov.

The film was commissioned by the USSR State Committee for Television and Radio. The shooting took place in a suburb of Leningrad, near Rzhevka station.

Plot
Two hapless young people - student Vladimir Busygin and his chance friend Semyon Sevostyanov, nicknamed Silva - escort two girls they just met in a cafe back home to the suburbs in the hopes of advancing their relations. After being rejected, they run back to the train station and are late for the last train. Finding themselves in a cold autumn night in another town, they try to convince someone to let them sleep over, but to no avail. In one of the windows they see a father and son having a heated quarrel. An adventurous idea comes to Vladimir who overhears the conversation - he wants to announce himself as an illegitimate son of the apartment's dweller, and thus solve the problem with dinner and a place to sleep.

Andrei Grigorievich Sarafanov, musician-clarinetist (who performs at a dance club and at a cinema before screenings), a kind-hearted man who brought up two children without his wife, acknowledges the unexpected guest as his illegitimate son. His reaction is so sincere and touching that Vladimir's conscience is awakened. In addition he grew up without a father and Sarafanov's demeanor inadvertently compels him to become imbued with mutual feelings. He can not respond to such boundless trust with fraud and suddenly realizes that the problems of the family, the existence of which he was not aware of only yesterday, are of total indifference to him.

The younger son of Sarafanov, Vassenka, with all the ardor of youth is unrequitedly in love with Natalya - a woman who lives in the neighborhood. However, Silva interferes in their uneasy relationship, who behind Vassenka's back starts to successfully woo Natalia, but only as a pleasant diversion and without serious intentions.

Simultaneously with this love story another plays out: Busygin falls in love with Sarafanov's daughter Nina, but because he is her "brother" he can not openly admit this and suffers in silence, being jealous of Nina to her groom, an aviation radio engineer.

In the end unable to keep up his role, Vladimir admits to Nina of his fraud, who also experienced baffling un-sisterly affinity towards her new "brother." They discuss as to how should they inform Andrei Grigorievich about this. At this point Silva comes in: Vasya, finding him as a visitor in Natalia's home, out of jealousy tries to set fire to her house by throwing a box of lit household matches into her window. Between Silva and Busygin a quarrel breaks out, and Silva in retaliation reports the truth to her father Sarafanov. Vladimir is forced to confess everything. However, sincerely falling in love with his "eldest son", Andrei Grigorievich forgives the deception: "You are all my children, because I love you. Whether I am bad or good, I love you. And this is the most important thing."

Cast

 * Yevgeny Leonov as head of the family Andrei Grigorievich Sarafanov
 * Natalia Egorova as his daughter Nina
 * Vladimir Izotov as his son Vassenka
 * Nikolai Karachentsov as student Vladimir Busygin
 * Mikhail Boyarsky as Busygin's friend Simon Sevostyanov, nicknamed Silva
 * Svetlana Kryuchkova as Sarafanov's neighbor Natalia Makarska
 * Nikolai Nikolsky as Nina's groom Mikhail Kudimov
 * Igor Gorbachyov as neighbor in the window