The tsar, who was enticed by the fragrance of petroleum
“Babek”, “I Loved You Most Of All”, “Accords Of Long Life”, “Window Of Grief”, “Bloody Cornfield”, “Nesimi”, “On The Far Shores”, “Ghazalkhan”…
While the history of our national cinema (Here, the focus is on full-length feature films) is not abundant in biopics screening the lives of real personalities, it seems that tradition has nevertheless taken shape within this genre, even if only in a limited capacity. Making a biographical feature film is a complicated process because the creative approach demands historical responsibility beyond finding an appropriate form and bringing the director’s vision to real-life figures and event…
The four-part feature film “Taghiyev”, directed by Zaur Gasimli and produced by Baku Media Centre is not the first the first screen work about the millionaires of Baku. Rovshan Almuradli’s feature film ‘The Burden’ (1995, scripted by Shahmar Alakbarov) illuminated a pivotal episode from the life of another outstanding oil magnate, Agha Musa Naghiyev. Here, contrasted with Naghiyev’s parsimony, the brighter aspects of the period marked by the construction of the Baku Real School are reflected. Apart from the previously mentioned works, “Taghiyev” is distinguished above all by its extended running time, an expansive length. With Haji Zeynalabdin Taghiyev placed at the core, every episode traverses the different epochs of his life.
The large-scale film project has been executed with a monumental organizational scope and stands out for its high quality visual and technical specifications. Another significant aspect of tetralogy and the predominance of national personnel in the creative team render the film an important experience for our filmmakers.
The film productions “Taghiyev: Oil” and “Taghiyev: Tsar” showcased to audiences, proved a crucial point: we don’t no need for foreign specialists in many areas, and our national filmmakers are fully capable of operating effectively on major productions. Even the first part was awarded at the “Dehancer Colourist Awards 2024” festival in the nomination for high-quality color correction in feature-length film.
Regarding the visual aspect… both films draw the viewer’s attention with painterly approach. Therefore, prior to delving into analysis, I consider that the insights shared by art director Sabuhi Atabalayev about the contribution of his crew will be intriguing for the reader: “Upon reading the script, I usually imagine the visual resolution expansively. The first time I read the “Taghiyev” screenplay, I found it somewhat difficult to grasp. As it existed only on paper, we had nothing physically to work with. I was unaware of the locations or settings for the shoot. I had been involved in the process from the early stages of preparation. Zaur Gasimli provided exceptional assistance. As an artist, he has a strong sense of visuals and spaces, and has a thorough knowledge of that historical period. Because he was well acquainted with the historical periods, he also predicted how the atmosphere should be. Naturally, I had been watching local foreign feature films produced in that period. Each period has its own color and palette. In this regard, we underwent a comprehensive preparatory phase. The most crucial point for an artist is to conceptualize the film, in other word, to shape the film concept; in what form it will be structured and what approach will be taken. Our films are rarely approached conceptually. Regardless of the references we use, what matters for me is that this is an Azerbaijani film, one that embodies our nation’s unique identity. We should reflect our national identity at a high level so that the audience can feel the spirit of Azerbaijan while watching it. Our main goal is both to represent the story accurately and to achieve high-quality visuals. Very often we draft a visual sketch; it fails to satisfy me although it may be historically accurate. At that point, I make changes; deepen its artistry, because cinema is the artistic reflection of life. It is often remarked that it didn’t happen like this in history. Our work is not to screen a historical documentary but a historical–artistic film. The principles of cinema require us to heighten artistically and to adapt to dramaturgy. Cinema is about conveying the story correctly and beautifully in visual terms. Some details may not have existed in the marketplace during that era, but we have adapted. Research materials on that specific period are scarce. The most of the material relates to the post-1900 years. By consulting with historians, we structured everything logically. Every scene has a distinct color palette and the concept was adhered and the lighting was adjusted accordingly. Vusal Rahim designed costumes to match the colour scheme of each scene. Details in Taghiyev’s costumes varied from scene to scene according to colour palette. We have a conceptual framework equivalent in scope to five or six-volume books and approximately 300 hundred preparatory sketches. There was a sketch for every single wall and the students we had educated at the Azerbaijan State Academy of Art and Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts assisted us in this concept. It served as practical experience for them. We, in turn, benefit from their knowledge. This film contributed to the formation of our major art department. The 3D variant of large spaces was developed. Cinematographers, filmmakers functioned in virtual spaces. For us, it was a new and large-scale production. Artist Jeyhun Jafarquliyev and the crew, approximately consisting of thirty persons under his direction, were in charge of the set designing. Prior to this film, cinematic set design in our context had not reached a significant level of development. Film set design is a distinct concept, in which theatricality should be absent. A measure of historical, vintage distressing is demanded in some houses and costumes. In other words, we paid attention even to such nuances. The costumes were not used exactly as they were tailored.
We had craftsmen responsible for making props. I preferred individuals with artistic talent and refined sensibilities to contribute to this field, rather than simple executors; I desire them to understand the concept and
I had everyone read the script out. On our sets, only the directors were familiar with the script if you asked about it. Factually, 90 percent of the crew was unaware of screenplay. Another artist was responsible for handling all paper-related props. Newspapers, letters and documents were meticulously crafted, down to their format and the color of the paper. Everything was subjected to my supervision and every detail was based on archival sources. We consulted a historical expert on meal preparation, table staging, the mise-en-scène, and the culinary style of both affluent and impoverished classes. The task was undertaken by the artist Parvana Ismayil. There was a separate artist who handled the design of dishes and utensils. Props designated for one set could not be used in another. The props team also confronted a difficult task, as they found different objects and reconstructed them. We paid special attention to lighting. The interiors of ancient times could not have been overly illuminated…”
Regarding the other creative aspects of both films, the director Zaur Gasimli engaged with subject matter essentially and conducted the research. In this respect, both works clearly reflect a profound sense of diligence. However, the volume and abundance of materials prevented the screenwriters (Ismayil Iman, Asif Isgandarli, and Zaur Gasimli) from shaping a fully coherent structure. My impression is that the screenwriters attempted to include everything in the film that had drawn their attention about the period. To my understanding, the central plot of the first part, titled “Taghiyev; Oil,” is focusing the events on the period from 1874 to 1878. During this time, Taghiyev leased land in Bibiheybat but did not extract any oil over the course of five years. He faced financial losses and endured significant upheavals in his life. One of the reasons why the central storyline does not stand out prominently in the story is that the subplots fail to provide sufficient support to it emotionally and dramaturgically. As a reult, the main motif stays on the margins of the story. For example, the film devotes more extended attention than is necessary to the relationship between the supporting character, employee Rajabli (Yusif Gasimli)) and Taghiyev’s young son, Ismail. In some cases, Taghiyev himself is even forgotten. When Rajabli departs the oil field during Taghiyev’s hard times, the camera, for some reason, lingers on him in a long shot by giving him special emphasis. Furthermore, the proposed mise-en-scène conveys the idea that he is the protagonist. Despite having a plenty of materials to work with, the screenwriters appear to have struggled in the first part with both identifying and grounding the conflict. Therefore, Rajabli’s departure from Taghiyev’s oil field and Ismail’s conflict suffer from a lack of narrative grounding. Although Ismail is frequently brought to the center, his narrative functionality or the dramatic responsibility is not clearly defined. His relationship with his father, as well as the result of Rajabli’s departure from the team – the effect on Taghiyev emotionally and, more generally, on the progression of the plot – remains understated. While facing professional challenges and coping with his wife’s illness and subsequent death, the expressive resolution of the moral and psychological journey Taghiyev experienced has not been adequately addressed.
The screenwriters might not fully deepen the conflict associated with the above-mentioned period of the protagonist’s life. Accordingly, they were inspired by selected parts of Paul Thomas Anderson’s film “There Will Be Blood,” making specific edits. In “There Will Be Blood,” an accident occurs during the drilling of an oil well; the entrepreneur’s son was shocked and deafened. In the film “Taghiyev,” an accident occurs as well, one of the workers is injured, and Taghiyev’s son, who witnesses the event, plunges into shock.
The main conflict in “There Will Be Blood” unfolds between the oil magnate and the monk. In the film “Taghiyev”, the relationship between the clergyman and Taghiyev constitutes merely one of the conflicts. However, this conflict never escalates into a fully dramatized or profound confrontation.
Flaws within the script restricted the ability of Parviz Mammadrzayev in the role of Taghiyev to delve into the character’s inner psyche and to grasp completely the film’s concept. Despite being the central figure, he delivers a muted and understated performance and fails to occupy the narrative center much in the plot structure. Ultimately, we witness Taghiyev as a figure who does not deeply experience the contradictions and hesitations within the tense historical context of his era.
Moreover, the tandem of the art director and cinematographer frequently surpasses the director’s vision and intended perspective. It seems as if the director, being captivated by the exquisiteness of the visuals, has somewhat drifted away from the main purpose of the plot. Expressed differently, the subtle deviations are observed in the balance between visual composition and dramaturgy.
Typically, biographical films portray either a pivotal chapter of a real person’s life, the separate phases of their life, or their entire life story. However, supporting characters and plot elements should never take precedence over the central idea and the main concept of the film.
The core aim of Hasan Seyidbayli’s drama film “Nesimi” lies in depicting the protagonist’s struggle. It is observed in nearly every scene. The primary focus of Gerasimov’s “Lev Tolstoy”lies in Tolstoyizm. The depiction of events from his personal life does not overshadow it.
In James Ivory’s film “Surviving with Picasso”, the filmmaker substantially has focused on the artist’s relationships with the women around him. His creative oeuvres function as a background in the portrayal of private events.
The central focus in Kubrick’s “Spartacus”,is the protagonist’s struggle for freedom while the romantic subplot does not play the main role.
Unlike the first part, in the currently released second part of the tetralogy, “Taghiyev: The Tsar”, there was significant dramatic weight, plot-driven material, and motivated conflicts. Against the backdrop of Tsar Alexander’s visit, the central plot in the previously mentioned part consists of a depiction of the socio-political environment of Baku city: Striving of the officials of the Russian Empire relentlessly for the absolute authority over the country, Taghiyev’s resistance to their derogatory attitudes toward our national identity, situation in oil sector, living of ordinary people, the relationship between Taghiyev and his son… The screenwriters (Zaur Gasimli, Ismail Iman, Asif Isgandarov) impose two duties upon the protagonist: to restore Teymurbeyov’s oil field to his family following his self-inflicted death, to include Taghiyev’s name to the list of the delegation that greeted Alexander, to compel them to reckon with Taghiyev’s influence. The imperial representatives attempt to extend their political intervention through the instrument of religion. They are striving to demolish the Muslim cemetery and erect a church in its place… In this way, Taghiyev is living through an exceedingly complex and contradictory phase in his life. In the dramatic resolution of the story, the suspense and dramatic tension demanded by complex situations are insufficient.
For instance, the governor imposes a condition on Taghiyev: If he renders assistance in the construction of the church to be erected on the site of the cemetery, he can be added in the list of those admitted into the Tsar’s presence. The situation that confronts Taghiyev with a hard decision and one of the story’s pivotal turning points is profoundly dramatic. In his interpretation, the director, for some reason, has resolved the dramatic tension that such a difficult condition ought to generate, the protagonist’s emotional confrontation with the antagonist, and uneasy pacing in a low-key tone. The gentle, soft dynamics of the score accompanying the episode (composer Etibar Asadli) has somewhat muted the scene. A composed but tense and thrilling atmosphere is required in this scene, along with select episodes depicting Taghiyev’s meeting with other Russian officials, the discussions in DUMA, and the scenes in which Rajabli reveals the crime in the market. In the initial part, cinematographer Vladimir Artemyev devised more interesting and creative visual approaches. However, in the later part, the selected camera angles, shot compositions convey the sense of monotony. It seems that to have impacted organic development and emotional depth of the story.
Alternatively, Taghiyev talks about Musa Naghiyev and his son Ismail during the concert scene. Meanwhile, parallel montage depicts that Ismail has been kidnapped by unknown persons. Somehow, we see the scene in which an uneasy and nervous Russian official is drinking between these two events. Thus, the narrative explicitly indicates that he personally gave the order. In other words, a detail that should maintain audience suspense and intensify the conflict incongruously intrudes into the middle of the events and nullifies the intended excitement prematurely resolving the climax. The depiction of the kidnapping scenes of Taghiyev-Naghiyev and Ismail with sharply contrasting color palette fails to contribute to the necessary dramatic impact.
In the scenes preceding the climax—the return of Teymurbayov’s document, engaging in a formal reckoning with the Russian official, and the formal welcoming of the tsar—the narrative gains substantial vitality, and the conflict starts to assert itself.
Relative to the first part, Parviz Mammadrzayev appears more at ease in the role of Taghiyev in this section. As I mentioned before, the second part was marked by a weight of dramaturgical structure in comparing to the first part. This, consequently, enabled the actor to explore the psychological depth of the character…
By all accounts, the “Taghiyev” project-tetralogy in our cinema is a favourable occurrence and a creative experiment.
Sevda Sultanova