Vassilisa the Beautiful (1940) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Release, runtime and language

1940 · 72 mins · Russian

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Directed by

Aleksandr Rou

Starring

Georgi Millyar, Mariya Barabanova, Irina Zarubina, Lidiya Sukharevskaya, Nikita Kondratyev, Lev Potyomkin

Based on a Russian folk tale, the story follows a father who sends his three sons to find brides. The two elder brothers each return with ordinary girls, while the youngest, Ivanushka, brings home a seemingly ordinary frog from the marshes. Unaware that the frog is actually Vasilisa, a beautiful maiden cursed by a magical serpent after refusing his marriage, Ivanushka must face great trials to break the spell and restore her to her true form.