The Gadfly (1980 film)

Ovod

Directed by	Nikolai Mashchenko
Written by	Yuli Dunsky Valeri Frid Ethel Lilian Voynich (novel)
Produced by	Eduard Rusakov
Starring	Andrey Kharitonov Sergei Bondarchuk Anastasiya Vertinskaya
Cinematography	Sergei Statsenko
Edited by	Aleksandra Goldabenko
Distributed by	Dovzhenko Film Studio Gosteleradio
Release date	1980 (1980)
Running time	210 minutes
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

The Gadfly (Russian: Овод, romanized: Ovod) is a 1980 Soviet drama film directed by Nikolai Mashchenko based on the novel by Ethel Lilian Voynich.^[1] Its screenplay was written by Yuli Dunsky and Valeri Frid.^[2]

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Plot

Series 1. "Memory"

Student Arthur Burton, the son of a wealthy English shipowner from Livorno, is fascinated by the idea of uniting Italy into one country and liberating it from the Austrian Habsburgs. Elder brother James and his wife Julia openly dislike Arthur, and the only person close to him is the rector of the seminary, Bishop Montanelli. Due to the circumstances, Arthur is briefly imprisoned, and after leaving there, he experiences a serious quarrel with Gemma. On the same day, he learns from his brother's wife that his father is in fact Montanelli. Arthur decides to go to South America, and pre-simulates his death…

Series 2. "Gemma"

Many years later, Arthur returned to Italy under the name of Felice Rivares. He is a popular pamphleteer "Ovid", known for his intolerance of ministers of the Catholic Church. Here he meets again with Gemma, who does not recognize him, and he himself does not seek to reveal his secret to her. Despite some controversy, Ovid and Gemma begin preparations for an armed uprising in the Papal States. During one of his business trips, Ovid, disguised as a traveler, meets in the cathedral with his father Montanelli, who has already become a cardinal and is firmly convinced of Arthur's death. Right in the cathedral he was arrested by the guards and sent to prison…

Series 3. "Father and son"

Friends try to arrange for him to escape from prison, which breaks down due to a sudden exacerbation of chronic Ovod's disease. Montanelli comes to his cell for a spiritual conversation, but Arthur does not want to compromise, constantly showing his hostility to the priest. In the end, he reveals his secret to the cardinal, but refuses to accept help from his father. Ovoda is soon shot, and Montanelli goes mad and dies during a service in the cathedral.