The World of Movies: Adventures of a Dentist
Written by Rachael Crawley
The World of Movies is a series that explores global cinema, drawing on films from many countries, industries and eras. This week, we follow an (extra)ordinary dentist in the Soviet Union.
Adventures of a Dentist.
May contain spoilers.
Can you imagine a pain-free dental procedure? Chesnokov can deliver. The small-town dentist has figured out how to extract teeth painlessly, no anaesthetics needed. While the movie wisely does not go into detail about this magic device (apart from a delightful “boing!” when it is used), the message is clear enough – Chesnokov’s method has the power to revolutionize dentistry. But should it?
This magical feeling is kept up throughout Adventures of a Dentist (Elem Klimov, 1965) – an interesting choice at a time when science and technology were developing rapidly in the region. Townspeople narrate the film by breaking the fourth wall, always addressing the camera in the same closeup (in fact, the film is rather fond of closeups). Random musical numbers appear, with little to no leadup, courtesy of a local musician – and yes, also in a head-on closeup. In between, there is an upbeat, alternately classical and jazzy score. The shots are often framed beautifully, especially in Chesnokov’s little cottage, where he sits pensively in front of a window that looks straight out of Hobbiton.
All of these factors combine give the movie a dreamy edge, a world that is at once very normal and not quite real. The movie bounces back and forth between ordinary scenes and fantastical asides. The town has a comic, tight-knit community feel that made me think of a Pagnol film. During an afternoon in the office, Chesnokov casually chats with his colleague as patients go in and out via sped-up film. At one point, the background literally blurs, as different backdrops pass behind the two characters speaking. Their conversation runs along the screen in a text crawl. The characters themselves, it is implied, are somewhat unconcerned with time and space, and treat rather illogical situations quite casually. This average town has the potential to embrace the unusual. Whether they will forms the film’s main conflict.
(Also, I have to wonder – how many extractions does a town that size actually need to do per day, even in the mid-Sixties?)
Adventures of a Dentist.
Chesnokov becomes a local celebrity. He is fêted by the townspeople and always has a long line in the waiting room. The fame begins to distract him, to the point where he is barely aware that he is driving the other dentists out of town. Eventually, the unusual activity alerts the authorities. Chesnokov becomes increasingly stressed by his attempts to cover up his methods. His reputation begins to deteriorate. This was a big break for Andrey Myagkov, later famous for the holiday classic The Irony of Fate, and it’s not hard to see why – he deftly navigates his character through a variety of conflicting emotions, something within the same moment.
Throughout the movie, Chesnokov is faced with personal and professional choices, all really asking the same question - should a person try to be content and fit in, or stand out and take the chance of full potential? Which option provides the greater benefit? This discussion did not sit well with censors of the time, who drastically limited the film’s release, but it has enjoyed greater viewership in recent years.
The movie is short (one hour and twenty minutes, including music and credits), but it’s very compact – a longer runtime would probably jeopardize its carefully balanced tone. As a movie based in dualities, it zigzags handily between comedy and drama, alternately immersed in the film’s world and entirely self-aware. For anyone who has ever had to balance fitting in and standing out, it will undoubtedly resonate, and it is well worth a viewing.
Rachael Crawley holds a Master's Degree in Film and Photography Preservation and Collections Management from Ryerson University, and has worked with film in Canada and in Europe. She adores language and cinema, and how these subjects interact with each other.