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Writer's pictureQare X

Roman Strugatsky - 'Hard to be a god'

Updated: Apr 3, 2022

The story of Arkady and Boris Strugatsky "It's hard to be God", according to readers, is more philosophical than fantastic. Even though the plot of the book is somewhat fantastic, for example, the action takes place on a planet stuck in the Middle Ages. One can talk endlessly about the meaning of this book. The question is whether a person alone, but endowed with unlimited power and power, can influence other people, change the course of history.

There are several film adaptations of this story, but I would like to highlight one work by director Alexey Herman in 2013. In fact, the director decided to make a film adaptation of "It's Hard to be God" back in 1968, four years after the book was published. The filming took place in a Czech castle called Tochnik, which is located 50 kilometers from Prague.

Excerpt from the Film 'Hard to be God' (2013; directed by A. Herman-art.)

After finishing the script, he got permission to shoot and left for Koktebel. However, on August 21, Soviet tanks were introduced to Prague and the film adaptation had to be forgotten, but on the same day he met his future wife and 32 years later they went to Prague with a new joint script to continue filming. In total, the filming of the film "It's hard to be God" lasted seven years, the same amount took editing.

Departing from the theme of the film, the main character of the story Don Rumata - the messenger of the Earth Anton, does everything possible to save scientists and prevent the destruction of science on the planet. However, the staff of the Institute of Experimental History were sent to Arkanar to observe, not to interfere. But, according to Rumata,

My heart is full of pity.

he cannot passively observe everything that is happening. His goal is to save science on the planet, to fight the evil that hinders development. The figure of the main character is very symbolic. The outside world looks hostile, dirty and gray, it lives by primitive orders, which consist only in the rightness of force, stupidity. Against this background, the main character is an exalted being who remains as if unaffected by circumstances and is engaged in fulfilling his own higher goal.

Excerpt from the Film 'Hard to be God' (2013; directed by A. Herman-art.)

Throughout the book, the hero fights evil in the face of Don Reba and the black army, he fights evil in the face of "gray" people. Rumata says:

I know only one thing: man is an objective carrier of reason, everything that prevents a person from developing reason is evil, and this evil must be eliminated as soon as possible and in any way.
No state can develop without science – its neighbors will destroy it. You can persecute booksellers as much as you like, ban sciences, destroy the arts, but sooner or later you have to catch yourself and gnash your teeth, but open the way to everything that is so hateful to power-hungry dullards and ignoramuses.

Which is why Rumata decides to intervene in the fate of Arkanar. He manages to save the ataman of the peasant revolt, Arata the Hunchback, by flying after him by helicopter, the astrologer Bagir Kissensky, who was redirected to the metropolis, the alchemist Sinda, by ambushing him at his house. However, powerful people always hindered him, and his first defeat was the rescue of the life-healer Tata, along with five other life-healers,

Trying to save him, Rumata distributed thirty kilograms of gold, lost four agents, almost got caught himself, wounded during an attempt to recapture the convicts, but could not do anything

It was after this that Rumata realized that Don Reba was not a random figure. As for Tsuren the Truthful, he was also sent by Rumata to the metropolis, and Gur the Writer himself began to get rid of his books by throwing them into the fire on the Royal Square.

Excerpt from the Film 'Hard to be God' (2013; directed by A. Herman-art.)

After reading to the end, it becomes clear that even God cannot change anything in people's lives. In a conversation with Budakh, Rumata outlines the reasons that do not allow God to improve or at least make people's lives easier.

According to Budakh,

Evil is indestructible. No man is capable of reducing its number in the world.

And if there are no ways to help humanity, Budakh asks him to wipe everyone off the face of the earth and create anew more perfect ones, or even better, leave them and let them go their own way. He understands that he can be destroyed by the forces ruling in the country.

He realizes that he may not see a bright future, being tortured in the "Merry Tower". But despite this, he believes that the country should follow its historical path, as it was destined from above. Obviously, fascism flourishing in Arkanar is necessary for some reason for the society of Arkanarians, because every country, planet, civilization must go its own way with all obstacles without jumping over them. The Middle Ages also reigned on Earth, wars were going on, and all this contributed to its development.

Excerpt from the Film 'Hard to be God' (2013; directed by A. Herman-art.)

The authors' attitude to the problems discussed in the book can be defined as tragic optimism. The main character, experiencing not only external, but also internal conflict related to the policy of non-interference, eventually comes to a definite decision – to actively fight against injustice. The most acceptable option, according to the authors, is an active struggle. The other two options lead to a dead end. For example, the option of non-interference is synonymous with condoning the outrage of evil and violence. Rumata himself says about this:

I don't like that we have tied ourselves hand and foot by the very formulation of the problem. I don't like that it is called the Problem of Bloodless Exposure. Because in my conditions, this is scientifically justified inaction... I know all your objections! And I know the theory. But there are no theories here, there is a typical fascist practice here, animals are killing people every minute! Everything is useless here. There is not enough knowledge, and gold loses its price because it is late.

Another option - the one proposed by Rumata Budakh, simply giving Arkanarians everything they need threatens to deprive them of independence and hard work:

And this will not benefit people, Rumata sighed, because when they get everything for free, without labor, from my hands, they will forget work, lose their taste for life and they will turn into my pets, which I will have to feed and clothe forever from now on.
Excerpt from the Film 'Hard to be God' (2013; directed by A. Herman-art.)

The best quality of a person is humanity, divinity is not available to him, no matter how much he wants it. This is the conclusion that the Strugatskys come to at the end of the story. Rumata understands how difficult it is to be a God, he could not just watch the bullying, torture, murder, lawlessness without interfering, because he is a real person,

He suddenly felt that he was not a god protecting the fireflies of reason in his palms, but a brother helping his brother, a son saving his father.

It is as difficult to be a God as it is to be a man.


Sources

1.Трудно быть богом : [фантастическая повесть]/ Аркадий и Борис Стругацкие. - Москва : Издательство АСТ, 2018 - 256 c.

2. реж. Алексей Юрьевич Герман, 2013, 'Трудно быть богом'.

3. Трудно быть богом (фильм, 2013) — Википедия, [Электронный ресурс], URL: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Трудно_быть_богом_(фильм,_2013)

4.Трудно быть богом — Википедия, [Электронный ресурс], URL: https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Трудно_быть_богом


 

Содержание на русском

Повесть Аркадия и Бориса Стругацких «Трудно быть Богом», по мнениям читателей, является больше философской, нежели фантастической. Даже несмотря на то что сюжет книги в какой-то степени фантастический, например, действия разворачиваются на планете,, застрявшей в средневековье. Рассуждать на тему смысла этой книги можно бесконечно. Вопрос состоит в том, сможет ли человек в одиночку, однако наделенный неограниченной властью и силой, повлиять на остальных людей, изменить ход истории.

Существует несколько экранизаций этой повести, но хотелось бы выделить одну работу режиссера Алексея Германа 2013 года. На самом деле, режиссер решил снять экранизацию «Трудно быть богом» еще в 1968 году, спустя четыре года после выхода книги. Съемки фильма проходили в чешском замке под названием Точник, который находится в 50 километрах от Праги

Закончив сценарий, он получил разрешение на съемки и уехал в Коктебель. Однако 21 августа в Прагу были введены советские танки и об экранизации пришлось забыть, но в тот же день он познакомился со своей будущей женой и спустя 32 года они отправились в Прагу с новым совместным сценарием продолжать съемки. В общей сложности съемки фильма «Трудно быть богом» длились семь лет, столько же занял монтаж.

Отходя от темы фильма, главный герой повести дон Румата – посланник Земли Антон, делает всё возможное, дабы спасти ученых и предотвратить уничтожение науки на планете. Однако, сотрудники Института экспериментальной истории были отправлены в Арканар, чтобы наблюдать, а не вмешиваться. Но, по словам Руматы «Сердце мое полно жалости», он не может пассивно наблюдать за всем происходящим. Его целью является спасение науки на планете, борьба со злом, которое препятствует развитию. Фигура главного героя весьма символична. Внешний мир выглядит враждебным, грязным и серым, он живет примитивными порядками, которые заключаются только в правоте силы,, глупости. На этом фоне главный герой представляет собой возвышенное существо, которое остается как бы не затронутым обстоятельствами и занимается выполнением своей собственной более высокой цели.

На протяжении всей книги, герой борется со злом в лице дона Рэбы и черной армии, он борется со злом в лице «серых» людей. Румата говорит: «Я знаю только одно: человек есть объективный носитель разума, все, что мешает человеку развивать разум, - зло, и зло это надлежит устранять в кратчайшие сроки и любым путем». «Никакое государство не может развиваться без науки – его уничтожат соседи. Можно сколько угодно преследовать книгочеев, запрещать науки, уничтожать искусства, но рано или поздно приходится спохватываться и со скрежетом зубовным, но открывать дорогу всему, что так ненавистно властолюбивым тупицам и невеждам», именно поэтому Румата решает вмешаться в судьбу Арканара. Ему удается спасти атамана крестьянского бунта Арату Горбатого, прилетев за ним на вертолете, астролога Багира Киссэнского, который был перенаправлен в метрополию, алхимика Синду, устроив засаду у него дома. Однако, властные люди ему всегда препятствовали, и первым его поражением было спасение лейб-знахаря Тата вместе с пятью другими лейб-знахарями, «Пытаясь спасти его, Румата роздал тридцать килограммов золота, потерял четырех агентов, едва не попался сам, раненный во время попытки отбить осужденных, но сделать ничего не смог». Именно после этого Румата понял, что дон Рэба фигура не случайная. Что касается Цурена Правдивого, то он тоже был отправлен Руматой в метрополию, а Гур Сочинитель сам начал избавляться от своих книг, бросая из в огонь на Королевской площади.

Прочитав до конца, становится ясно, что даже Бог не может ничего изменить в жизни людей. В разговоре с Будахом Румата излагает те причины, которые не позволяют Богу улучшить или хотя бы облегчить жизнь людей.

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