Maria's Lovers

Maria’s Lovers
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Andrei Konchalovsky
Produced by	Bosko Djordjevic Lawrence Taylor-Mortorff
Written by	Gerard Brach Andrei Konchalovsky Paul Zindel Marjorie David
Starring	Nastassja Kinski John Savage Robert Mitchum
Music by	Gary S. Rema
Cinematography	Juan Ruiz-Anchia
Editing by	Humphrey Dixon
Distributed by	Cannon Group
Release date(s)	1984
Running time	109 minutes
Country	USA
Language	English

Maria’s Lovers is a 1984 drama film directed by Andrei Konchalovsky and starring Nastassja Kinski, John Savage and Robert Mitchum. The plot follows a soldier returning from World War II who marries the woman of his dreams, but he is unable to consummate his marriage ruining the couples chances of a share happiness.

Plot

In the spring of 1946, Ivan, an American soldier, returns home psychologically scarred after spending some time in Japanese prison camp during World War II. Once back in his small Pennsylvania town, Ivan settles in, trying to put his life back together while living with his stoic peasant father.

Shortly after his arrival, Ivan looks for his childhood sweetheart, Maria, a beautiful woman who is taking care of her old deaf grandmother. However, he is disappointed to find Maria in the arms of Al, a captain. Ivan’s father thinks that Maria is too good for his son, but perhaps good enough for himself. He pairs his son with Mrs. Wynic, a flirty neighbor. Ivan has sex with her, but he is tormented by the traumas of the war. He tells her that it was his dreams about Maria that allowed him to survive the prison camp.

Ivan is given a hero’s welcoming by his community, formed by Immigrants from Yugoslavia. During the celebrations, when Al goes to dance with one of Maria’s friends, Ivan grabs the opportunity to get close to her. Together they leave the party in his motorbike and head for their favorite spot of years ago. He gives her a pair of earrings that he planted there for her, before leaving for the war. The next morning Al is furious and breaks his relationship with Maria. Ivan's goal is fulfilled and he marries Maria in an orthodox ceremony, but his dream of a happiness share with Maria is soon broken. Having adored Maria for so long and from a far now that he has her close to him, Ivan is unable to consummate the marriage. Their happiness is shattered.

Maria works as a nurse and would like to have children. Deeply in love with Ivan, she has to deal with her increasing sexual frustration. On the advice of Clarence, a drifter singer passing by the town, Ivan reaffirms his sense of manliness with Mrs Wynic. He is not impotent with her. Maria discovers this and a terrible argument occurs between them. The couple are invited by Al to his engagement party to Maria’s girlfriend. In the middle of this gathering, Al breaks off the engagement realizing that he is still in love with Maria. Al and Ivan have a confrontation. Ivan offers him to take Maria,but to prove how much he loves her put his hand in a burning stove. Maria very much in love with Ivan tells Al that she does not love him.

Maria heals Ivan’s hand, but the unhappiness between them increases further. She is pursued by Clarence who tries to seduce her, but she remains faithful to Ivan and resist his advances. One day, unexpectedly, Ivan leaves town on a train without coming back. He moves to a new city, stars to work in a slaughter house and makes new friends. Left on her own devices Maria finally succumbs to Clarence advances, but immediately after vehemently rejects him. As a result of this encounter she gets pregnant. While going out with his friends one night, Ivan meets Clarence once again. Clarence does not remember him and tells the story of how he seduced Maria, but later she refused to have anything else to do with him. Furious, Ivan hits Clarence who still does not know what is going on. Maria finds Ivan and tells him of her pregnancy and of the death of her grandmother, but Ivan is cruelly indifferent towards her.

Still tormented by nightmares of his war experiences, Ivan is visited by his father. He tells him that he is dying and that he must come back to Maria. Ivan returns home, he tells Maria that he loves the baby. Now that the pure image of Maria has been broken, they are able to happily make love for the first time.

Cast

• Nastassja Kinski - Maria
• John Savage - Ivan
• Robert Mitchum – Ivan’s father
• Keith Carradine - Clarence
• Anita Morris – Mrs. Wynic
• Bud Cort - Harvey
• Vincent Spano - Al Griselli
• Karen Young - Rosie
• John Goodman - Frank

DVD release

The film was released on DVD in the U.S.A. in December 2001 .

External links

• Maria’s Lovers at the Internet Movie Database