Removed from screening: “The Master and Margarita” (1972, Italy-Yugoslavia)
The celebrated novel began its screen life in Germany in 1971. A year later the second cinema adaptation appeared, directed by Yugoslav filmmaker Alexander Petrovich. He initially planned to shoot in Yugoslavia with backing from French producers, but a crisis in the local film industry halted any start of production. In the end Italians stepped in as producers, and the film appeared in two versions: Italian and Serbian-Croatian.
Casting proved difficult. Gian Maria Volonte, invited to portray the Master, refused to participate for political reasons, while Romy Schneider, considered by Petrovich for Margarita, was replaced by an American actress, Mimsy Farmer.
Yet that was only the beginning. The Tuna Film studio, which co-produced the project, decided to pull the film from distribution after two days of Belgrade screening for political reasons. The work was deemed strongly anti-government, anti-communist. For years Petrovich’s name faded from the public eye; offers to direct vanished and his films stopped touring. In 1976 Petrovich left his homeland and settled in Germany.
On the shelf for more than 15 years: “The Master and Margarita” (1994, Russia)
The most dramatic tale surrounds the film adaptation directed by Yuri Kara. Rumors say that during filming near Patriarch Ponds a mysterious man warned the crew that nothing would go well. The prophecy, however, was not fully accurate. The film, featuring stars of Russian cinema such as Anastasia Vertinskaya as Margarita, Valentin Gaft as Woland, and Mikhail Ulyanov as Pontius Pilate, remained shelved for more than a decade and a half before finally seeing release.
From 1994 to 2011 the film’s producers argued with Bulgakov heirs over copyright while attempting to align with financiers on release timing. A health issue delayed the project, and the producers remained resolute. The director’s cut stretched to three hours and twenty minutes, but the final version ran two hours, leading to some scenes being cut and stirring dissatisfaction among the cast.
A series of actor deaths: “The Master and Margarita” (2005, Russia)
In 2005 Russia’s Rossiya television channel premiered a ten-episode adaptation directed by Vladimir Bortko, which is often regarded as the best film interpretation to date. Bortko first received the offer to direct in 1987 after finishing work on Bulgakov’s The Heart of a Dog. He hesitated and handed the project to his friend Elem Klimov, who intended a collaboration with Italian and American partners but never brought it to fruition. In 2000 Bortko returned and reportedly considered Galina Tyunina, Dmitry Pevtsov, Sergei Makovetsky and Viktor Sukhorukov for leading roles. The author’s heirs later sold the rights to American producers, but Rossiya ultimately secured the rights to move the project forward.
There was talk of Oleg Yankovsky as Woland, but he refused, saying that the Devil could not be played like the Lord God. Alexander Kalyagin was invited for Berlioz but could not participate for health reasons, so Berlioz ended up played by Alexander Adabashyan and Woland by Oleg Basilashvili. Whether mystical or not, one actor lost his voice after Woland’s monologue on set and was hospitalized. Technical hurdles and cast difficulties persisted, even prompting a priest to be brought to the set to bless the crew with equipment. With or without divine help, the film released on schedule and drew an audience of millions.
The run of good fortune did not last. A string of actor deaths followed the premiere, including prominent figures such as critics and actors, with several passing away in the years that followed, a wave that added an eerie hush to the project and its legacy.
Pandemic, name change and budget problem: “The Master and Margarita” (2024, Russia)
The film’s production began under pressure from a global pandemic that redirected timing and resources. Production was delayed from the planned start in March 2020 to mid-2021 as quarantine measures were lifted. Early ambitions to cast Hollywood stars for Margarita and Woland gave way to tighter budgets. Olga Kurylenko and Gary Oldman were considered but the high fees forced a rethink. A director change occurred when Nikolai Lebedev could not continue and Mikhail Lokshin, the creator of Silver Skates, stepped in.
During filming, the project’s title shifted from The Master and Margarita to Woland to reflect a new artistic direction. Yet in April 2023 producers reconsidered and the project returned to its roots, with the film retitled The Master and Margarita. The premiere is slated for January, restoring the book’s original identity for audiences worldwide.