Assol (Russian: Ассоль) is a 1982 film directed by Boris Stepantsev and based on The Scarlet Sails. Unlike the more conventional 1961 adaptation of the story, this one goes for a surrealistic feel. It's Deliberately Monochrome with an occasional Splash of Color, is made in Rotoscoping, and the only voice is provided by the narrator. Plot-wise, however, it's pretty faithful to the novella and with an even more optimistic feel, thanks to nearly all of the canon antagonists getting much nicer and redeeming themselves in the end.
Tropes present in the film:
- Adaptational Context Change: Both in the book and in this movie, Menners Jr. tells Grey Assol is crazy and mockingly describes her dream of the scarlet sails. However, in the book, he does it just out of general nastiness, while here, he is in love with her himself and wants to make sure Grey would lose interest in her.
- Adaptational Heroism: All the villagers of Kaperna are much nicer than in the book, while in the book, there is no indication that anyone except Assol, Longren, the coal-burner and the neighbor who cared for Assol wasn't a jerk or at least didn't succumb to Angry Mob mentality.
- The children are shown playing with Assol (well, at least until Menners Jr. changes the mood with You Killed My Father) when at the corresponding time in the book they fully shunned her.
- The Gossipy Hens make amends with Assol closer to the end.
- In the book, Menners Jr. makes sure to tell Grey (who, it should be noted, only asks him about Assol) that Longren is a vile murderer; here, when they talk, Longren isn't even brought up.
- The entire village undergoes a Heel–Face Turn thanks to the whole adventure of the scarlet sails.
- Adaptational Mundanity: Inverted. Egl has no magic powers in the book, but here he vanishes into thin air.
- Adaptational Villainy: The only one to get hit with it is Menners Sr. Not only does he assault Mary, he also puts the blame on her when they are surprised by his wife, leading to the latter kicking Mary out into the cold rain. In the book, going to the pawnbroker's through the cold rain was at least Mary’s own decision and she had an alternative (taking some food offered by the neighbour).
- Age Lift: In the book, Menners Jr. is seven years older than Assol. Here, they are about the same age.
- Betty and Veronica: Situation-wise, Menners Jr. is the Betty since he has known Assol since childhood and is well-respected in the village as the local innkeeper, while Grey is the Veronica, as he, for a long time, is only known to Assol as her imaginary Prince Charming, and is shown to be a Rebel Prince when he does appear onscreen. Personality-wise, Grey is the Betty, being kind, noble and idealistic, while self-assured, cynical Reformed Bully Menners Jr. is the Veronica.
- Composite Character:
- Menners Sr. is also the pawnbroker whom Mary brings her wedding ring. In the novella, the pawnbroker's business was located in the town of Liss.
- Instead of a random beggar, it's now Menners Jr. who overhears Longren and Assol talking about the scarlet sails and spreads the story around Kaperna.
- Cycle of Revenge: Menners Sr. causes Mary's death. In revenge for that, Longren refuses to rescue him. In revenge for that, little Menners Jr. punches Assol so hard she falls into the water.
- Deliberately Monochrome: The mundane everyday life scenes are monochrome.
- Gone Horribly Wrong: Menners Jr. tells Grey that Assol is a madwoman dreaming of a prince under scarlet sails – hoping, it's implied, to discourage a potential rival. Instead, he achieves the exact opposite. Grey only becomes even more certain Assol is his true love.
- Graceful Loser: Menners Jr. certainly has a major freakout when he first sees the ship with the scarlet sails, but by the time he gets to the port, he has calmed down and accepted that Assol is lost to him, and he even hands out toy ships with scarlet sails to the rest of the villagers.
- Maybe Magic, Maybe Mundane: Early in the film, Assol briefly sees her mother and talks to her. It's not clear whether it's her imagination, a hallucination, or an actual ghost of Mary.
- Oh, Crap!: Menners Jr. stares in shock and then freaks out when he sees a ship with scarlet sails approaching Kaperna. It's not just that it means he Did Not Get the Girl: his whole outlook on life is being turned upside down.
- Pretty Boy: Grey is slender, blond-haired, and delicate-looking (key word looking, since he is a highly strong and resilient sailor).
- Promoted to Love Interest: Menners Jr. has an unrequited crush on Assol.
- Protagonist Title: Named after the main heroine.
- Reformed Bully: After being Assol's main bully in their childhood, Menners Jr. becomes better as they grow up – even before he completely reforms, along with the entire village, in the end. Unlike his counterpart from the musical, he is respectful of her in his attempt at flirting.
- Splash of Color: Whenever something out of the ordinary (not necessarily fantastic) appears, it is shown in color. The final scene, where the residents of Kaperna watch Grey's ship leave, is entirely in color, implying the villagers' view of life has been completely changed.
- Widow's Weeds: When Longren looks, furious, at the boy who punched his daughter, he sees him wearing a black armband and realizes it's Menners Jr., whose father Longren has refused to rescue.
