This is Russian Twilight... No, not like that. THIS IS RUSSIAN TWILIGHT!!!. That's what cunning Russian producers wanted you to think after watching the trailer of Devil's Flower (Цветок Дьявола).
Ekaterina aka Katya Grokhovskaya had started filming of Devil's Flower based on her original scenario in autumn of 2007. At the same month in February 2008 when she finished the shooting, director with the same name Catherine Hardwicke began filming of Twilight in Oregon.
During post-production Russian director ran out of money due to financial crisis. So the film Devil's Flower that should have been released before Twilight, had been frozen for about 2 years. By the end of 2008 Twilight had been released and got unexpected success.
By a mystical coincidence both films look similar, so that's probably why some Russian producer or producers gave money to finish the movie, looking on financial success of Twilight. But in return, they made Devil's Flower look more twilight-ish. For example, they dubbed Russian actors with the same voices as in Russian dubbed version of Twilight. They changed color schemes to make it look like Twilight. They also made the poster look similar to Eclipse.
But that was a slight change, because just as I said by a strange coincidence both films looked similar from the very beginning and somehow both films are original in their similarity. However, of course Devil's Flower has differences: instead of vampires, Devil's Flower has Dark Magician, and boyfriend of heroine is not a vampire.
I want to warn authors of other sites. After I've written about the teaser of Devil's Flower, one author wrote that this film is a "Russian cheaper copycat of Twilight". NO, IT IS NOT! Click this link to check the date of Devil's Flower's teaser, that was published on youtube in February 2008 BEFORE the filming of Twilight had started.
The synopsis:
College student Polina has a dream of mysterious Flower on the gate of medieval castle, that continues to attract and haunt her in reality. Together with female friend that has a hobby of mysticism, they find ancient book, that carries them into mysterious world beyond reality.
Now Polina is pursued not only by mysterious Flower, but by enigmatic Dark Horseman, to whom she begins to feel irresistible attraction.
The trailer is available in HD:
Translation:
It all began 3 months ago. At that time I was studying in the college, and i've got everything that any girl can dream about. I had beloved guy.
Sasha: Do you know that birds always return home.
Polina: Don't they ever make mistakes?
Sasha: Never.
And I thought that nobody and nothing can stand between us.
Polina: It's so wonderful. I didn't ride horse for many years.
Sasha: Will we see each other tomorrow?
Polina: I don't know.
But one day everything had changed.
Polina: Listen, I had such strange dream. I'm in the forest in the white dress and the ancient castle is in front of me with the Flower on the gate. Can you imagine that?
Redhead girl: Had you seen this flower in the dream?
Sasha: So you've got a dream, then you've found a magical book.
Redhead girl: The book has six blank pages.
Polina: It seems like a puzzle.
Redhead girl: This became apparent today in the night.
Polina: I've seen this today in the dream. He called me to come with him.
Redhead girl: Ancient estampa will be opened only to one, whose destiny will be linked with him.
Now I know exactly what I want.
Sasha: Polina!
Redhead girl: He will kill her.
The sign: Devil's Flower
Sasha: You attract me.
Polina: Like a magnet.
Sasha: Yes.
Polina: And who am I? Plus or minus?
The sign: Seduction is inevitable. 16.09.2010.
The trailer looks really good, i mean atmosphere, production values and graphics. As you can see, the trailer gives you the feeling that it's Russian Twilight.
But I've found the early trailer, that was published on kinoros.ru on May 2008. As you can see, it has unfinished special effects, it's without color correction and looks very different from the current look. And voices are different also. For example, the voice of the main heroine Polina in the trailer of 2008 migrated to redhead girl in the trailer of 2010.
Polina (main heroine) is played by Olga Hohlova who was 20 yr old during the shooting, her boyfriend Sasha is Sergey Krapivintsev (he also played the main role in Grokhovskaya's debut movie The Man of No Return that was a very solid drama), Dark Magician is Oleg Sukochenko. Redhead girl is Natalia Naumova.
Devil's Flower will be released in Russian theaters on September 16, 2010.