"Flights in Dreams and in Reality" by Viktor Merezhko, summary

Viktor Ivanovich Merezhko’s screenplay, written in the late 1970s and early 1980s, chronicles three days in the life of engineer Sergei Makarov on the eve of his 40th birthday. The work became a landmark reflection of the midlife crisis and the era of stagnation, capturing the turmoil of a hero who, despite his intellect and charm, finds himself unable to find a place in the existing reality, ruining his own life and that of those around him.

Based on this script, director Roman Balayan made a cult film of the same name in 1982, which became one of the pinnacles of Soviet cinema. The film won the USSR State Prize, and its lead actor, Oleg Yankovsky, created the iconic image of the "superfluous man" of the late Soviet period.

A one-man show in a design bureau

The events begin in the architecture department, where Sergei bursts in with theatrical pathos, begging his boss, Nikolai Pavlovich, to let him off work. Makarov stages a tragicomedy, claiming that his mother, whom he hasn’t seen for many years, is unexpectedly visiting. His colleagues react in different ways: the experienced Nina Sergeyevna mocks his constant "misfortunes," Larisa Yuryevna, who is in love with Sergei, watches silently, and the young draftswoman Svetochka enters into an altercation. Sergei aggressively lectures the younger generation, accusing the girl of disrespecting her elders, and gets his way — his boss, tired of his antics, lets him go meet his mythical mother.

After leaving the office, Sergey borrows Larisa’s car keys and heads into town. His mood changes dramatically: he relishes the freedom, the speed, and the music. At the market, he buys flowers and runs into his ex-wife, Natasha. They have a strange conversation, full of barbs and old grievances. Natasha gets in the car, and Sergey drives her, reminiscing about their past encounters.

Random fellow travelers

The idyll is shattered when Sergei spots his young lover, Alisa, on the street. Without hesitation, he puts her in his ex-wife’s car. Alisa, unaware of who’s sitting in the backseat, chatters cheerfully about the upcoming plein air painting and Sergei’s 40th birthday. The situation escalates when Makarov introduces the women. Alisa, shocked by the cynicism of the situation, becomes hysterical and demands to be let out. Sergei takes the scene to the extreme, asking both women for advice on who he should stay with. Alisa runs off in tears, throwing her bouquet.

Left alone with Natasha, Sergei shows no remorse. He drives his ex-wife to work, where she takes his apartment keys, leaving him without access to the house. Returning to the office, Makarov announces that the meeting with his mother was cancelled because no one showed up. He continues to clownish himself, mock-proposing marriage to Svetochka, and then, when his lie becomes obvious, admits he was simply going on a date.

Break with the team

Sergei’s confession angers Nikolai Pavlovich, who calls him a scumbag. In response, Makarov writes a mocking resignation letter, demanding his dismissal "at his own request" as a "complete scumbag." The team condemns him for exploiting the sacred concept of motherhood. Sergei, counterattacking, publicly exposes his boss’s secret affair with Larisa, asking direct questions about their time together during work hours. Humiliated, his colleagues leave the office, and Sergei, satisfied with the effect he’s had, leaves, taking his briefcase.

Trying to win back Alice’s affections, Sergey goes to visit her at her workplace, the telephone exchange. He puts on another show, pretending to be her uncle from Alma-Ata, offering her a melon. When Alice refuses to speak to him and runs away, he feigns a heart attack, collapsing to the floor. The frightened girl rushes to him, crying, and calling him hers. Having won her forgiveness, Sergey immediately proposes marriage, but Alice, realizing it’s just another game, runs away again.

Night wanderings

That evening, Sergey finds himself at a youth party, where he feels like an outsider. He watches Alisa dancing, attracted to a handsome young man. Larisa also appears, trying to look younger and dance to modern rhythms. Sergey cruelly remarks on her age and the absurdity of her attempts to catch up with youth. Seeing Alisa leave to dance with someone else, he leaves the party.

Drenched and cold, he arrives at Natasha’s apartment. His ex-wife refuses to let him in, but his young daughter, Masha, intercedes on his behalf. Once in the kitchen, Sergei behaves defiantly: he eats sour cream intended for the child and gets into a heated argument with Natasha. The argument escalates when Natasha hints that Masha is not his daughter. Enraged, Sergei breaks down the bathroom door where his wife is hiding, but, seeing her frightened, retreats. Before leaving, he tenderly kisses his sleeping daughter, asserting his paternal rights.

At the bottom

Trying to get to his mother’s in Sinelnikovo, Sergei discovers there won’t be any trains until morning. He persuades the freight train driver to give him a lift. En route, at a remote station, he spots thieves robbing train cars. An attempt to stop them ends disastrously: the criminals brutally beat Sergei.

Waking up battered and dirty in the morning, he finds refuge in the switchwoman’s booth. The simple woman cleans his wounds and listens to his confession. Sergei declares his desire to start his life anew by taking a job as a simple switchman. The woman’s laughter becomes a voice of conscience for him. However, his attempt to find work at the station turns into a farce: Sergei flirts with the secretary, and when the stationmaster appears, he panics and jumps out the window, fleeing the police and railway workers on a passing train.

The Last Refuge and the Pursuit

Returning to the city, Sergei goes to see Larisa. She accepts him without further ado, cleans him, and gives him men’s clothing. Makarov asks her about the large wooden wheel at the dacha, claiming to have seen it in his dreams during his flights. Despite Larisa’s concern, he steals her car keys again and runs away, citing the need to say goodbye to his loved ones.

A wild chase through the city streets ensues. Sergei ignores traffic police orders to stop, triggering a pursuit involving several patrol cars. When he is finally stopped, he calmly surrenders, explaining his behavior by his approaching forty. After questioning, he is released.

Loneliness in a crowd

Having been released, Sergei tries to connect with his daughter on the playground, but the girl is engrossed in a game with her friends and quickly runs away from her father, leaving him alone. He then goes to Nikolai Pavlovich. Kneeling outside his boss’s door, he begs for forgiveness. The evening ends with them drinking vodka and singing "Blue Handkerchief." Sergei confesses to his friend his emotional emptiness and his intention to "fly" from a tree at Larisa’s dacha, but Nikolai Pavlovich dismisses this as drunken delirium.

That night, Sergei keeps watch outside Alisa’s house. He witnesses her passionate farewell to a young man from a party. Makarov, hiding in the entryway, watches the kiss, not daring to reveal himself. When he quietly calls out to Alisa, she slams the door in his face in fear. He spends his final night before the anniversary on a folding bed in Natasha’s apartment, warning her that he’ll soon be moving very far away.

Flight in reality

On Sunday, guests gather at Larisa’s dacha to celebrate Sergey’s 40th birthday. The feast is lively, with toasts praising the birthday boy. Sergey is the center of attention, cheerful, clean-shaven, and active. At the height of the festivities, he leads the guests to the river, where, despite the chilly autumn weather, he dives and demonstrates his excellent physical fitness by performing acrobatic tricks on the bank.

When the guests return to the table, Sergey notices the same wooden wheel near the barn. Suddenly, he begins to climb a tall tree growing nearby. Having reached the very top, he swings from a branch, as if preparing to fly. The branch gives way and breaks. Sergey falls into the tall grass. The party continues, and no one notices his fall except Larisa. She finds him lying on the ground. Sergey, looking up at the sky, weeps silently and inconsolably, while Larisa strokes his head like a child, sharing with him the moment of complete collapse.