Dramaturgical Film Analysis in Soviet Cinema: ‘My First Teacher (1965)’ and ‘Little Soldier (1972)’ Boy As the Movie Examples

Abstract

The literary works of Chyngyz Aitmatov, who has an important place in the world literature, were adapted to the cinema for many times. As far as it can be accessed, the observation was that the dramaturgical analysis of these adaptations comparing Russian and Kyrgyz cinemas is missing. In the present research based on this absence, the film “My First Teacher” adapted by Russian director Andrey Konçalovskiy Mihailov and “Soldier Boy” adapted by Kyrgyz director Eldar Urazbayev were analysed dramaturgically in terms of “theme, society, economic and sociological background, discourse plane, opposites, narrative plane of the story, place and character design, perspective and plot, the climax of the movie, stage design (acting, sound, music etc.)” through the questions what kind of dramaturgical structure emerged when two literary works of a Kyrgyz author were adapted to the cinema by a 1) Soviet director and 2) a Kyrgyz director and 3) what dramaturgical similarities these two separate works have. In these films, My First Teacher and Soldier Boy, dramaturgical elements occupy a wide place, just like the majority of Aitmatov’s works adapted to the cinema. And these dramaturgical elements include “Soviet and Kyrgyz music tones, Epic of Manas, cultural items like calpack and qhopuz, plots in accordance with the casuality principle, conflicts between Bolshevism and traditionalism.”