Roman Arbitiman: just above the plinth

In 1996, the American actor and director Danny de Vito put the film "Matilda" based on the book of Roald Dal. A year later, the film was duplicated into Russian. Twenty years later, a document appeared, the authors of which, representatives of the "Orthodox public", saw in the film "Matilda" (quoted) "Mocketing and slander over Emperor Nicholas II." “The actions of the persons who created the film are not only criminals in relation to believers of the country's country, but also in relation to the state, as they are aimed at undermining national security,” we read in a letter posted on the Russian People’s Line website. Citizens are invited to sign this letter and send it to the Prosecutor General’s Office so that the creators of the film are brought to criminal liability.

“Stop-stop-stop!” The attentive reader will be indignant. “What kind of nonsense did you write here? All this is said not about that film!” Not the American Matilda is accused of insulting religious feelings, in which the main character is a little schoolgirl with extraordinary abilities. The letter is dedicated to the Russian film by the director Alexei Teacher, whose heroine is quite an adult ballerina, although also not without abilities.

The "Orthodox public" in Russia was by no means excited the tape of Danny de Vito. On the other hand, his picture today is the only Matild, accessible to the Russian viewer, simply cannot be found. The director of the teacher is not in the box office, nor on the DVD, nor on the Internet - nowhere, formally it does not exist in nature. The premiere is scheduled for autumn, only a trailer is available to the public. Judging the film by trailer is like judging the literary virtues of the novel by its cover or the taste of wine - by label. But who cares about these trifles in the country, in which millions of workers in a single impulse condemned the "Doctor Zhivago", not even seeing the cover?

The scandal around the film "Matilda" turned out to be noticeable precisely because of the absurdity of this story: anger is directed against what is not yet; Jealousness of morality demand that the artist involve the artist for intention, for an opportunity that has not yet been realized, almost for the Orwell’s “thought -euplicitation”. Previously, in similar situations, something specific, already accomplished - an opera performance in Novosibirsk or a photo exhibition in Moscow fell under the blow. According to Sigmund Freud, culture is a system of prohibitions that should curb human aggression and dark instincts. In Putin’s Russia, so many dragon laws have already been adopted that the postulate of Freud has been turned upside down: the same “Orthodox community” can now teach Femide to any phenomenon of culture and aggressively demand from the authorities its ban.

You can cross out Harry Potter for occultism and suspect a secret pedophile in Carlson

Under suspicion - everything, including the classics. “Anna Karenin” and “resurrection”, if desired, can be removed from the appeal for the preaching of debauchery, “Eugene Onegin” and “Dubrovsky” - because their main characters of the killer, and the “Tale of the Pope and the employee of his Balde” is a direct attempt to honor and dignity of the Orthodox clergy. By the way, all children's literature is an area where prohibitions could easily take a walk. Heroes of the Crocodile Genes can be condemned for arbitrariness, a bear from Vinnie the Pooh-for gluttony. You can cross out Harry Potter for occultism and suspect a secret pedophile in Carlson. Hundreds of books about sailors, polar explorers and a detective with Baker Street can be hidden from library shelves in special guards, for example, for promoting smoking. By the way, it is not difficult to find fault with the inspiring de Vito Matilde, Roalda Dal , accusing the authors of the book and its film adaptation of violating family values.

I think there are new scandals ahead, new "stuffing" and new violent discussions in the media and social networks. Soap bubbles, similar to news, displace real news. This is a conscious and shallow policy. People of the authorities in today's Russia do not always like to be newcomers, attracting attention, they want to stay in the shadow, so that ordinary citizens know as little as possible about their apartments and bank accounts, luxurious yachts and real estate abroad, friends who grab state orders, and musical friends transporting diamonds in the signal of cello Stradivari. That is why the arrows are transferred to culture: it is cheap, culture is not a pity.

Who is given to the news today? Marginals, soldiers, mummers, small political speculators and other alternatively gifted creatures who have long been realized - it is impossible to become famous for good deeds. All of them carry aggressive nonsense, get their 15 minutes of PR, simultaneously producing informational noise. For that, they, in fact, were required.

It is easy to give free rein to the marginals, but it is difficult to then control them. The director, the teacher is quite loyal to the Putin regime, he signed the “correct” letters, approved, supported everything necessary, but it did not save him: today everything that is even a millimeter above the skirting board is in danger. It seems even Nikita Sergeyevich, Andron Sergeyevich and Stanislav Sergeyevich, who joined them, begin to understand this. Yes, it seems late.

Roman Arbitman - Saratov writer

Opinions expressed under the heading "Law" may not reflect the point of view of the editorial office