What Is The Theme About?
The premise of The Theme in 303 words, with nothing given away. The full story follows below.
In a sharply observed Russian comedy, a weary metropolitan writer sets out for the provincial heartland in search of fresh material. The film opens on the quiet, timeless streets of Suzdal, where ancient wooden churches and a slow‑moving river contrast starkly with the frenetic pulse of Moscow. The mood is simultaneously biting and buoyant, painting the countryside as a place both alien and oddly familiar, a canvas on which absurdity thrives without the usual melancholy that often shadows such pilgrimages.
Kim Yesenin arrives with a restless spirit, his creative ambitions tangled with a deep‑seated spiritual doubt. He is accompanied by his alluring mistress Natalya Seleznyova and his loyal friend Yevgeni Vesnik, each offering a different shade of city‑born perspective. Their presence underscores the cultural gap between the bustling capital and the provincial folds they now occupy. The writer soon encounters the venerable old teacher Mariya Aleksandrovna, whose steadfast moral code feels both distant and oddly compelling, hinting at a world where honor still carries weight.
Amidst the town’s modest rhythm, Sasha—an art historian and museum guide—emerges as an intellectual beacon, challenging Kim’s notions of art, vanity, and authenticity. A subtle, unspoken tension flickers between her and the enigmatic scientist‑writer known only as The Hirsute, a dissident with plans to leave for America. Their lingering, unvoiced dialogue hints at a fragile love triangle, offering a glimpse of conflicting desires and ideological divides that the protagonist can only observe from the periphery.
The film’s tone remains unapologetically satirical, weaving together crisp dialogue, wry observations, and a lingering sense of curiosity. As Kim navigates this new landscape, the contrast between his metropolitan habits and the provincial steadiness forces him to confront the very purpose of his quest, leaving the audience to wonder whether inspiration will be found—or whether the city’s pull proves too strong to resist.
What Happens in The Theme?
The complete story of The Theme, from the first scene to the last, in 267 words (about 1 minute). Spoilers throughout. Names in the text link to 7 cast member pages.
Spoilers ahead
Popular playwright Kim Yesenin arrives in Suzdal on his Volga, searching for historical themes for his next play, while wrestling with his own biases and a deep spiritual crisis, accompanied by his mistress Natalya Seleznyova and his friend Yevgeni Vesnik. In this quiet town, he crosses paths with the family of the venerable old teacher Mariya Aleksandrovna, who embodies traditional notions of morality and honor that feel distant to his modern sensibilities. As he stalks the idea of inspiration, Kim attempts to win over the art historian and local museum guide Sasha, a pupil of Alexandrovna, yet she bluntly assesses his work as mediocre and immoral, challenging him to see the difference between art and vanity.
Later, Kim becomes a secret witness to a farewell between Sasha and her lover, the enigmatic figure nicknamed The Hirsute. The Hirsute is a frustrated scientist and writer, who contemplates emigrating to the United States, a prospect that sharply contrasts with Sasha’s sharp, prophetic rebuke. In a pivotal moment, Sasha confronts this departure with a forceful cry: > What are you going to do in this America?!
That night, Kim tries to leave for Moscow, but he changes his mind along the way and crashes his car on a slick road. Severely injured, he reaches a phone booth and attempts to reach Sasha, yet cannot convey anything coherent before losing consciousness. By chance, Lieutenant Sinitsyn appears and lifts him onto his motorcycle with a sidecar, carrying the wounded writer away as the scene fades. The film leaves Yesenin’s ultimate fate unresolved, hanging on the uncertain turn of the ride into the unknown.
The Theme Timeline: Every Key Event in Order
11 key events in the order they happen, from “Arrival in Suzdal by Volga” to “Yesenin's unresolved fate”. 10 events name a place, across 4 locations.
- 1
Arrival in Suzdal by Volga
Yesenin arrives in Suzdal by his Volga, accompanied by his mistress and a close friend as he searches for historical themes for his next play. He moves through the town in a state of inward torment, wrestling with his own biases and a growing spiritual crisis. The journey frames his conflict between art, morality, and personal desire.
Where:Suzdal
- 2
Meeting Maria Alexandrovna's family
In Suzdal, he encounters the family of Maria Alexandrovna, an old teacher who embodies venerable notions of morality and honor. Their presence presses Yesenin with traditional expectations and social boundaries that constrain his ambitions. The clash heightens his sense of alienation from both the past and the present.
Where:Suzdal
- 3
Kim pursues Sasha
Kim makes advances toward Sasha, the art historian and local museum guide who studied under Alexandrovna. Sasha responds with cool bluntness and resilience, challenging his self-image. The encounter exposes the gap between his theatrical aspirations and the standards she upholds.
Where:Suzdal
- 4
Sasha's blunt verdict
Sasha's verdict lands cruelly as she tells him his plays are mediocre and immoral. The criticism shocks Yesenin and forces him to confront the moral and artistic hollowness he fears in his work. The moment reinforces the tension between his ego and the ethical expectations surrounding art.
Where:Suzdal
- 5
Sasha's farewell with The Hirsute
Yesenin secretly witnesses Sasha's farewell with her lover, The Hirsute, a frustrated scientist and writer who plans to emigrate to the United States. The scene underscores themes of exile, longing, and the temptation of a new life abroad.
When:evening Where:Suzdal
- 6
The Hirsute's emigration plan
The Hirsute declares his intention to emigrate, illustrating the allure of America and the possible escape from local constraints. Sasha's complicity and the looming possibility of separation intensify the emotional stakes of the moment. The dynamic hints at the broader choices people face when tradition and opportunity collide.
When:evening Where:Suzdal
- 7
Night reflection and decision to stay
Late at night Yesenin contemplates departing for Moscow, but then changes his mind and decides to stay. This internal pivot marks a turning point in his search for meaning and in his relationship to Suzdal and its moral pressures.
When:night Where:Suzdal
- 8
Car crash on the slippery road
Yesenin drives away toward Moscow, but the car skids on a slippery road and crashes. The collision leaves him severely wounded and fighting to stay conscious, cutting the scene short on his escape and ambition.
When:night Where:Road
- 9
Phone call from the booth
In a nearby phone booth, Yesenin reaches for Sasha with a desperate call, but he cannot articulate anything coherent and sinks toward unconsciousness. The moment underscores the barrier to expression and the fragility of human connection in crisis.
When:night Where:Phone booth
- 10
Rescue by Lieutenant Sinitsyn
Lieutenant Sinitsyn, passing by, lifts the injured playwright onto his motorcycle with a sidecar and rides away. The frame freezes at this moment, leaving the fate of Yesenin unknown and the audience in suspense.
When:night Where:Roadside
- 11
Yesenin's unresolved fate
With the frame cut at the moment of rescue, the audience is left to ponder Yesenin's ultimate fate. The narrative emphasizes the fragility of life and the ambiguity surrounding the artist's destiny.
Who Are the Main Characters in The Theme?
6 characters, among them Kim Yesenin (Mikhail Ulyanov), Sasha Nikolayeva and Svetlana: who each one is and the part they play in the story. Every profile links to the actor’s page.
- KY
Kim Yesenin (Mikhail Ulyanov)
Played by Mikhail Ulyanov
A celebrated playwright tormented by bias and a spiritual crisis as he searches for compelling, historically rooted themes for his next work. His pursuit of meaning strains personal relationships and exposes a restless, introspective psyche. His attempt to woo Sasha ends in blunt rejection, and the night’s accident pushes his fate toward an uncertain horizon.
- 🎭 Artist
- 💭 Intellectual
- 🌀 Crisis
- SN
Sasha Nikolayeva
Played by Inna Churikova
An art historian and museum guide, pupil of Maria Alexandrovna, who is blunt about the mediocrity and immorality she sees in Yesenin’s plays. She embodies independence and intellectual rigor, challenging the playwright’s pretensions. Her relationship with Yesenin is marked by rejection and moral clarity.
- 🎨 Art
- 🗣️ Critique
- S
Svetlana
Played by Natalya Seleznyova
She represents traditional morality within the old teacher Maria Alexandrovna’s circle and embodies a conventional worldview. Her presence emphasizes the clash between enduring cultural norms and modern artistic experimentation. She reacts to Yesenin’s ambitions with skepticism and reverence for the past.
- 🧓 Elderly
- ⚖️ Tradition
- TH
The Hirsute
Played by Stanislav Lyubshin
A frustrated scientist and writer, nicknamed The Hirsute, who intends to emigrate to the United States. He embodies the restless, forward-looking intellectual current opposed to conventional values. His farewell scene with Sasha marks a pivotal emotional moment in the narrative.
- 🧔 Intellectual
- 🗽 Emigration
- MA
Maria Alexandrovna
Played by Yevgeniya Nechayeva
An elderly, venerable teacher whose traditional notions of morality and honor form the moral center of the story’s setting. Her family’s presence contrasts with Yesenin’s modernist ambitions and frames the conflict between cultural heritage and new ideas.
- 🎓 Elderly
- 🏛️ Tradition
- LS
Lieutenant Sinitsyn
Played by Sergey Nikonenko
A passing police lieutenant who happens to rescue Yesenin after the car crash, lifting him onto a motorcycle with a sidecar. He represents a chance encounter with authority and a possible turn toward an uncertain future as the film ends.
- 🧰 Authority
- 🛵 Rescue
Where and When Is The Theme Set?
The Theme is set in Suzdal and Volga River. Here is why the place matters to the story.
Where
Suzdal, Volga River
The action unfolds in Suzdal, a historic Russian town along the Volga River, where a traditional family life and local culture center the drama. The town’s old houses, museums, and religious heritage set a backdrop for Yesenin’s quest for historical themes. The setting contrasts conservative morality with the restless ambitions of an iconic playwright, driving the film’s tensions.
- 🏛️ Historic town
- 🗺️ On the Volga
- 🎨 Cultural hub
What Are the Themes of The Theme?
3 ideas the story keeps returning to, among them Morality vs Art, Love and Rejection and Fate and Crisis.
-
01
Morality vs Art
The film juxtaposes traditional moral codes with bold artistic ambitions as Yesenin searches for historical themes. He encounters a family bound to conventional notions of honor, causing friction with his modern, sometimes provocative work. This tension questions whether art must conform to legacy or redefine it, shaping Yesenin’s inner spiritual crisis.
-
02
Love and Rejection
Sasha’s blunt rejection of Yesenin’s advances exposes the gap between personal longing and artistic identity. Her critique of his plays reveals how personal relationships are entangled with creative validation. The farewell with The Hirsute heightens emotional stakes and loneliness, underscoring the cost of fame.
-
03
Fate and Crisis
Yesenin confronts a spiritual crisis and fate-driven uncertainty about his future. The near-fatal car crash interrupts his quest, leaving questions about whether his search for a meaningful theme will ever resolve. The chance rescue by Sinitsyn introduces ambiguity about destiny, with the final outcome left unknown.
What Kind of Film Is The Theme?
Melancholic in tone, with slow pacing and a moderate story, going by the plot summary.
- Tone
- Melancholic
- Pacing
- Slow
- Story
- Moderate
- Intensity
- Medium
- Ending
- Ambiguous
A slow-burning, melancholic Russian drama that follows a writer's search for meaning, portraying a world of spiritual emptiness and quiet desperation with a biting, critical eye.
- melancholic
- introspective
- wistful
- critical
- atmospheric
- dissonant
- spiritual crisis
- artistic integrity
- provincial life
- midlife crisis
Quiz
How well do you remember The Theme? Test yourself on the story.
