The Theme (1979) Plot Summary Explained

Sasha, an art historian and pupil of the traditional teacher Maria Alexandrovna, sees through Kim's artistic facade. She dismisses his work as mediocre because she recognizes it lacks genuine moral depth, and immoral because she perceives it as vanity-driven rather than artistically sincere. Her critique forces Kim to confront his own doubts about whether his plays have true artistic worth.

Foreshadowing: Earlier, Kim is described as wrestling with his own biases and spiritual crisis, suggesting his work indeed lacks the authenticity Sasha demands.

• sasha
• kim yesenin
• art criticism
• mediocrity
• immoral

After initially deciding to return to Moscow, Kim experiences an internal shift late at night and changes his mind. This decision marks a pivotal turning point in his spiritual journey, rather than fleeing back to his metropolitan life, he chooses to remain and confront whatever meaning Suzdal might offer him. The change suggests he's beginning to take Sasha's criticism seriously rather than avoiding it.

Foreshadowing: The earlier criticism from Sasha has clearly affected him deeply, making him reconsider his hasty retreat.

• kim yesenin
• departure
• decision to stay
• spiritual crisis

The Hirsute is a frustrated scientist and writer who sees emigration as an escape from the constraints of his current life in Suzdal. His decision to leave for the United States represents the broader temptation of freedom and opportunity that many characters in the film grapple with. Sasha's forceful question, "What are you going to do in this America?", suggests she views his dream as hollow or delusional.

Foreshadowing: The film establishes a pattern of characters questioning whether escape to foreign lands brings genuine fulfillment.

• the hirsute
• emigration
• america
• scientist
• writer

Kim crashes because the road is slick with slippery conditions at night after he decides to drive away. However, the crash also symbolizes his internal chaos, his conflicting desires to escape Suzdal and his guilt about leaving after his moment of reconsideration. He is severely injured in the accident, which cuts short his attempt to return to Moscow.

Foreshadowing: His earlier indecision about staying versus leaving creates the emotional turbulence that accompanies him on this doomed journey.

• car crash
• road
• injury
• kim yesenin
• accident

Kim desperately tries to reach Sasha from the phone booth after his crash, but he cannot convey anything coherent before losing consciousness. The call represents his final attempt to connect with her, to perhaps confess something or seek forgiveness for his earlier dismissal of her criticism. His inability to articulate anything underscores the fragility of human connection in moments of crisis.

Foreshadowing: His earlier pursuit of Sasha and her harsh criticism created unfinished business between them.

• phone booth
• sasha
• called
• unconscious
• communication failure

The film ends with Lieutenant Sinitsyn rescuing the injured Kim and riding away into the unknown, but the frame cuts before his fate is revealed. This ambiguity serves the film's thematic purpose, leaving questions of artistic redemption, spiritual salvation, and personal transformation deliberately unresolved. It reflects the protagonist's ongoing internal struggle rather than providing closure.

Foreshadowing: Kim's spiritual crisis and his unresolved artistic doubts make a clear resolution thematically inappropriate.

• ending
• ambiguous fate
• rescue
• sinitsyn
• resolution

Sasha serves as the catalyst for Kim's self-examination. As an art historian who upholds traditional moral standards, her blunt rejection of his work forces him to confront his artistic and personal emptiness. She represents the conscience of the film, challenging whether art should serve vanity or pursue genuine truth. Their interaction drives Kim's internal transformation.

Foreshadowing: Kim's pursuit of Sasha early in the film establishes her importance to his character arc.

• sasha
• kim yesenin
• art historian
• mentor
• influence

Kim becomes a secret witness to the farewell by chance, he observes the intimate moment between Sasha and The Hirsute without their knowledge. This scene exposes him to the emotional stakes of emigration and separation, adding another layer to his understanding of the town's complexities. It also reinforces the theme of people making difficult choices about their futures.

Foreshadowing: The farewell occurs after Sasha has already challenged Kim's artistic worth, suggesting he is observing someone else facing a life-defining decision.

• witness
• farewell
• the hirsute
• secret
• emigration

Maria Alexandrovna represents traditional Russian morality, honor, and the old-world values that feel distant to Kim's modern sensibilities. As the matriarch of the family Kim encounters, she embodies the moral standards against which Kim's artistic work and personal life are judged. Her presence highlights the cultural tension between tradition and modernity that permeates the film.

Foreshadowing: Sasha, as Alexandrovna's pupil, inherits these moral expectations and applies them when critiquing Kim's work.

• maria alexandrovna
• tradition
• morality
• teacher
• values

Kim wrestles with both personal and artistic emptiness, he questions whether his metropolitan success and his plays have genuine meaning or value. His journey to Suzdal represents an attempt to find authentic inspiration, but his mistress Natalya accompanying him suggests his personal life lacks stability. The spiritual crisis encompasses his artistic doubts, moral uncertainty, and search for purpose beyond his city existence.

Foreshadowing: The crisis manifests in his receptiveness to Sasha's harsh criticism, which he might otherwise dismiss.

• spiritual crisis
• kim yesenin
• artist
• emptiness
• doubt