Line #28 Film/TheGirlAndTheEcho


1	[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the_girl_and_the_echo.jpg]]
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3	''The Girl and the Echo'' ("Девочка и Эхо", "Devochka i Ekho"), also known as ''Paskutine Atostogu Diena'' ("Last Day of Holidays") is a Russian movie by the famous director A. Zherbjunas (who later went on to create such classics as "Let's wait till monday"), based on the short story ''Literature/TheEcho'' by J. Nagibin.
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5	The story revolves around Vika, a dreamy girl on vacation (hence the other title) who loves the sea, mountains and echoes, and does not ''want'' to fit in with local kids, and Romas, a boy also on vacation, who ''does'' want to fit in, but cannot. The boy becomes her confidant and their friendship blossoms, but then she is harassed by bullies and the boy doesn't muster up courage to stand to her, which ruins their relationship forever.
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7	The film achieved a CultClassic status in USSR and was a "Blockbuster" - despite nearly being shelved and receiving little advertising, even by Soviet standards.
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9	!!This story provides examples of:
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11	* AccidentalPervert: When Vika meets Romas for the second time, she is naked from her SkinnyDipping, and he is sitting on her panties.
12	* AdaptationDistillation: the adaptation is much more condensed, touching and thought-inducing than the book. It makes Vika's charachter stronger, and thus the contrast between her and Romas also grows much deeper.
13	* AdaptationNameChange: Viktorina instead of Vitalina as a full name, and most important, Vika instead of Vitka as the name the girl prefers.
14	* AnAesop: "Mountains answer only to honorable and honest." Taken from the book.
15	* BittersweetEnding: The girl stands up to bullies, quickly recovers from her plight and seems stronger than before. But this doesn't change the fact that she is much less innocent now. And the boy is now left alone, abandoned by her and the other boys and morally devastated.
16	* CollectorOfTheStrange: Vika collects '''echoes''' and strange phone numbers. Romas "collects" cars of unusual models.
17	* ComingOfAgeStory
18	* TheCorruptible: Romas.
19	* DefeatByModesty: invoked and subverted. The bullies ''try'' to do this with Vika, but are shamed into stopping the harassment instead.
20	* ExtremelyShortTimeSpan: the whole film takes just one day, just as the alternate title implies.
21	* FilmOfTheBook
22	* ForgivenButNotForgotten: Vika ''does'' forgive the young narrator, but she doesn't trust him anymore. Also, unlike in the book, Vika subtly reminds Romas that he, and ''only'' he, failed at the beach.
23	* FreeRangeChildren: Both Vika and Romas. The spend the whole day without adult supervision, and this includes swimming in a sea, wandering alone and climbing mountains - without bothering to tell anyone where they are, of course. Even for that period, climbing mountains alone was a biggie.
24	* HeelRealisation: Romas, and arguably the bullies.
25	* HeroicBSOD: Vika's behaviour after her harassment shows signs of this. However, here it happens ''after'' she resolved the situation, and she quickly snaps out of it.
26	* {{Hypocrite}}: the bullies. They also admit to skinny dip sometimes, but consider Vika doing so a valid reason for harassment.
27	* InnocenceLost: both Vika and Romas, though in a different way.
28	* KickTheDog: The bullies, towards Vika.
29	* KidsAreCruel: The bullies, at least.
30	* LaserGuidedKarma: the protagonists' betrayal of Vika backfires on him completely.
31	* MoralGuardians: were in arms because of that film, seeing Vika as nothing mora that ShamelessFanserviceGirl. Not to mention AnAesop about how fitting to collective isn't always good was absolutely unwelcome in a Soviet film.
32	* NakedPeopleAreFunny: subverted / deconstructed. Surely it is funny to pick on somebody who is naked, but the naked person '''definitely''' has no fun in it.
33	* NotHisSled: Vika ''not'' succumbing to BreakTheCutie.
34	* TheNounAndTheNoun
35	* PeerPressureMakesYouEvil: The reason Romas betrayed Vika is his wish to fit in with the locals, not simply fear.
36	* PerspectiveFlip: told mostly from Vika's perspective. The book was from boy's perspective.
37	* PluckyGirl: Vika
38	* PleasePutSomeClothesOn: Romas' reaction to Vika's nakedness. A constant source of subtle irritation between Romas and Vika.
39	* {{Retirony}}: in a non-lethal sence. Vika's antics never got her in trouble during vacation, until the very last day.
40	* TheReveal: the echo's secret. Vika does share it with Romas as her final gift.
41	* SadisticChoice: for Romas of whether to help Vika or side with the bullies. And possibly for Vika, who probably could abandon her clothing and swim away, but chose not to.
42	* SceneryCensor: the bullies see Vika fully naked. The viewers obviously don't. (MoralGuardians were still upset)
43	* ShamingTheMob: Vika coming out of water. Instead of DefeatByModesty, she makes the bullies ashamed of themselves.
44	* SilkHidingSteel: Vika can be very... intimidating if she is angry.
45	* SkinnyDipping: Vika does this all the time. Ultimately, this brings her in trouble when the bullies start harassing her because of this.
46	* SoundtrackDissonance: During Vika's TraumaCongaLine, the music plays "Yakety Sax" to convey how the bulles see the whole thing. When Vika comes out, the music rapidly stops - mirroring the mood change.

Context Film / TheGirlAndTheEcho