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Goncharov (meme)

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by SilviaASH (talk | contribs) at 23:40, 24 November 2022 (→‎Fictitious plot and production history: saying "produced" since it was fictionally unreleased). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Goncharov is an internet meme surrounding a nonexistent 1973 homoerotic gangster film of the same name.[1][2] Goncharov was imagined by users on Tumblr as a joke, often with the tagline "The greatest mafia movie ever made."[3][4] Goncharov is usually described as a mafia film set in Naples, with the involvement of Martin Scorsese. Those discussing the film have devised a fictionalized cast list that includes Robert de Niro, Al Pacino, Gene Hackman, and Harvey Keitel.[2]

Fictitious plot and production history

Goncharov is described as a mafia film, produced in 1973. Set in Naples in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it is said to star Robert de Niro in the role of the titular protagonist, Goncharov, who is a Russian hitman and previously managed a discotheque. The narrative includes a love triangle subplot surrounding Goncharov's wife, Katya (said to be portrayed by Cybill Shepherd in the film's fictional cast) and the character Andrey (Al Pacino).[5][2][6] The story additionally features a frequently recurring motif of clocks.[6][5]

In the metafictional narrative of the film's existence, it is generally imagined as having had a troubled production, and ultimately never receiving a proper release, thus becoming a lost film. This serves as an explanation for its supposed obscurity.[6][5][1][7]

Origin and development

A fan artist created a fake poster for the fictitious film.

In 2020, a user posted a picture of a tag found on a pair of boots which featured details on the nonexistent film Goncharov in place of a brand label, which suggested it was "A film by Matteo JWHJ0715" and "presented" by Martin Scorsese. Users have inconsistently described the film as being directed by either Matteo JWHJ0715 or Scorsese. This label was speculated by several users to be a misprint of Gomorrah.[6]

Goncharov picked up traction again in late November 2022 when a user created a poster for the film that featured a lineup of actors and character names, ultimately sparking an elaborate fiction of the film's existence.[7] Discussion of the film involved detailed critical analysis of the plot, themes, symbolism, and characters, as well as creation of gifs, fan art and erotic fan fiction,[7] and theme music, all presented as if the film were real.[5] Archive of Our Own, a fan fiction site, had over 450 entries for Goncharov as of November 23, 2022.[8] A game jam of Goncharov was ran by Autumn Chen on itch.io.[8]

Reception and analysis

The New York Times reported that Goncharov had become the top trending topic on Tumblr, and Scorsese was the second most popular topic.[2][4][6] Kelysey Weekman of Buzzfeed cited Goncharov as "evidence of the unique power of Tumblr’s creative, collaborative minds".[9] Eve Edwards of The Focus described the meme as an attempt to induce the Mandela effect.[3] Linda Codega of Gizmodo remarked on the enthusiasm around the meme as "an inspiring example of collective storytelling and spontaneous fandom generation, inspired by the community itself. Essentially, Goncharov (1973) is not a film, but a game. And only Tumblr knows the rules, because the rules of Goncharov (1973) are the rules of Tumblr itself."[10] The Daily Fix cited Tumblr user David J Prokopetz's analysis as pinpointing its appeal: "The Goncharov meme isn’t so much impenetrable to outsiders as it is indistinguishable from business as usual. Goncharov shitposts sound exactly like how film nerds actually sound when discussing a real film which they have not seen, but do not wish to admit they have not seen, so from the uninvolved perspective nothing has changed."[4]

Cast and crew

Cast

Crew

References

  1. ^ a b Johnson, Stephen (2022-11-23). "Where to Stream 'Goncharov,' Martin Scorsese's Lost Masterpiece". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  2. ^ a b c d Kircher, Madison Malone (2022-11-22). "The Fake Scorsese Film You Haven't Seen. Or Have You?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Edwards, Eve (2022-11-21). "Did Martin Scorsese direct Goncharov 1973? Tumblr fiction debunked". The Focus. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  4. ^ a b c Colombo, Charlotte (2022-11-21). "Lost Martin Scorsese movie, Goncharov, takes over the internet". The Digital Fix. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  5. ^ a b c d Radulovic, Petrana (2022-11-21). "'Martin Scorsese's lost film' Goncharov (1973), explained". Polygon. Retrieved 2022-11-22.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Baker-Whitelaw, Gavia (2022-11-21). "Martin Scorsese's 'Goncharov' is the hottest film on Tumblr. It doesn't actually exist". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  7. ^ a b c d O'Keefe, Meghan (2022-11-21). "Where to Stream 'Goncharov' (1973), The Mysterious Martin Scorsese Movie Dominating Tumblr". Decider. Retrieved 2022-11-21.
  8. ^ a b Rowe, Willa (2022-11-23). "How A Fake Martin Scorsese Movie Became A Real Video Game". Inverse. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  9. ^ Weekman, Kelysey (2022-11-24). "Tumblr Is Obsessed With A 1973 Scorsese Movie That Doesn't Exist". Buzzfeed. Retrieved 2022-11-24.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Codega, Linda (2022-11-22). "Martin Scorsese's Goncharov (1973) Is the Greatest Mafia Movie Never Made". Gizmodo. Retrieved 2022-11-24.

External links

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