I watched the series Plevako (2024), which everyone is talking about. What a scope, Bezrukov is a talent

In “Salvan”, the online cinema Premiere began showing a multi-part historical detective story about a brilliant lawyer of the 18th century, Nikolai Fedorovich Plevako played by Sergei Bezrukov.

At the moment, 8 episodes out of 10 are already available for viewing, so most of the time they talk about impressions of this series, which some critics are already comparing with the cult “Sherlock” and the less cult, but popular in our country, hero Erast Petrovich Fandorin.

Is the project of Anna Matison, Sergeyarukov’s wife, really good, and is it worth devoting your time to it? Let’s find out.

Not a trial, a theatrical performance

What is the series about?: Nikolai Fedorovich Plevako – the best lawyer in St. Petersburg in the 1870-1880s. Every conversation with his participation turns into a performance with a full hall. The audience laughs, cries, screams and cheers. In 1879, Plevako takes on the case of the orphan commoner Praskovya, who, in a fit of passion, killed her former lover, hereditary nobleman Branislav Bajrashevsky. The lawyer delves into the criminal’s past and reveals the dark secrets of the unfortunate defendant.

The serial transfer of the viewer took place at an unusual time, when, thanks to the sudden reform of Alexander II, jury trials and the legal profession appeared in Russia. Thanks to this innovation, a real verbal duel broke out between the prosecutor and the sworn attorney at the hearings (this was the name of the position of lawyer in the Russian Empire at the district court from 1864 to 1917.).

The main character has a real prototype. Fedor Nikiforovich Plevako (b.A complete blow in the family Oh!) actually existed and worked as a lawyer and trial lawyer. He became one of the best in his profession, and his speech is still studied today in various law faculties.

The prototype of Bezrukov’s hero is the current lawyer and Cobb speaker Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako (1842 – 1908)

It was due to this that the people in the Russian Empire became a spectacular show and enjoyed great advantages among the aristocracy and the common people. Even Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky drew ideas for his characters and plots, including from high-profile judicial practices of the second half of the 19th century.

In the series, Fyodor Nikiforovich Plevako turns into Nikolai Fedorovich. Bezrukov’s hero leads a social life, visits theaters and restaurants and discusses political reforms and the future of his country with friends and relatives.

But his main mission is to protect the lower class of the population from judicial lawlessness and injustice in the courts, because Plevako comes from a rather ordinary family with only one level of education behind him.

The hero simultaneously appears both in the videos of a lawyer and in the videos of a detective studying the life of his client in order to rethink the motives of the criminal’s actions in his acquittal speeches.

So the viewer sees both luxurious glasses and high-flying parties with an abundance of designer suits, as well as dirty gateways with slums that Plevako constantly encounters in Aliexpress as part of his investigations.

Why is the series compared to Sherlock?

The authors of the experiments studied on the same level with Cobb drama, historical detective and action. Therefore, Without a Hero, Rukova quotes almost verbatim the real statements of her prototype, periodic restrictions on dragons on the dirty streets of poor areas.

Moreover, the fights shown in slow motion just like in Guy Ritchie’s Holmes movie. In addition, the familiar technique of showing Plevako’s deductive thinking is constantly used, when at the crime scene he deliberately demonstrates a picture of what is happening.

There are also strange flashbacks in the series, which seem to show the complex emotional state of the hero. However, they are rather uninformative and do not evoke empathy. Although, in the overall viewing experience it looks organic.

The image and motives of the main character

The way of life of people in the Russian Empire of the 1870-1880s is subject to serious criticism, when there is a huge gap between classes and the life of a nobleman is much more valuable than a peasant or tradesman. I’m not even talking about women’s equality, which is not even in sight.

Plevako is a kind of hero and defender of all the poor and disadvantaged, who treats all people equally and does not divide them by gender or origin. However, the authors shift the emphasis of established opinion, the period of “heroes of the revolution”, underground fighters and other enemy monarchies rather in a contemptuous manner.

Thanks to this view, the series learned to argue that the activities of the revolutionaries of that time were extremely useful, and whether the monarchical order was really a real evil for Russia.

In this regard, the “Plevako” project may not appeal to people of the older generation who were raised in the ideology of the USSR.

What’s ultimately worth watching?

Plevako has every chance of becoming one of the main domestic hit series of this year. There is excellent camera work, beautiful costumes and picturesque surroundings. Sergei Bezrukov plays his character flawlessly, although sometimes his speech sounds too pompous. However, the overall atmosphere of the game is a strong A+.

It is clear that in their work the authors used proven visual techniques from Western projects, but they did it quite organically and slow scenes or visualized mental reasoning of the hero do not cause any rejection. Personally, I have enjoyed watching all 8 episodes available to date and am looking forward to the outcome of the remaining two.

This series, set in the scenery of 18th-century Russia, is perhaps the only one today that can be safely watched. The closest in spirit projects to Plevako that come to mind are “Khitrovka. The Sign of Four” and “Sherlock in Russia”, but Plevako looks much richer visually and in terms of plot it looks much more interesting.

Viewing pleasure is guaranteed.