“The fish is my brother, but I must kill him.”|Jul. 03, 1999|Russia | Canada | Japan|22 Min.|n/A
Genre: Adventure;Animation;Drama
Description: The 1999 film *The Old Man and the Sea* closely follows the storyline of the original novel, though it highlights certain aspects more prominently. The movie begins with a dream sequence featuring Santiago, an elderly fisherman, who reminisces about his childhood spent on a ship’s masts and lions roaming the shores. Upon waking, it is revealed that Santiago has endured 84 consecutive days without catching any fish. His streak of misfortune has led to Manolin, his young apprentice, being forbidden by his parents to fish with him. Instead, Manolin is instructed to work with more successful fishermen. Despite this, the boy remains loyal and visits Santiago’s home each morning.
One day before dawn, Santiago and Manolin head to the sea. Santiago declares his intention to sail far into the Gulf Stream to fish. Although Manolin wishes to accompany him, Santiago insists on going alone. After venturing far out, Santiago sets his lines and catches a small fish to use as bait. Soon, a massive marlin takes the bait, but the fish is so powerful that it begins to pull Santiago’s skiff. For several days, Santiago endures the strain of the line, using his own body to maintain control.
During the struggle, Santiago recalls his youthful strength, dreaming of winning an arm-wrestling match against the strongest man in town. On another night, despite his injuries and pain, he dreams of swimming alongside the marlin as if they were brothers. An animated sequence by Petrov visually brings this fantasy to life. Suddenly, Santiago is awakened as the marlin attempts to escape. When the fish leaps out of the water, Santiago sees its immense size for the first time, realizing the enormity of his challenge.
Cast director: Aleksandr Petrov
Cast actor: Gordon Pinsent, Kevin Duhaney, Yōji Matsuda, Rentaro Mikuni
Original name: Старик и море