Scarecrow



Scarecrow (Чучело, Chuchelo) is a 1983 Soviet Rolan Bykov film starring Kristina Orbakaite. Lena is a new girl in school whom her classmates come to despise. After an incident for which she takes the blame because she does not want to see her friends get punished, the people turn against her, and even burn her in effigy. She and her grandfather are forced to leave town. But the children at the school regret what they have done, and at the end write on the blackboard "Scarecrow, forgive us!"

This film caused a huge shock to the public, who were used to depictions of the Soviet Pioneers as universally honorable and always willing to lend a fellow a hand. Now, there was a film showing just how cruel and treacherous even the Pioneers could be. Gos Kino wanted to stop filming, but the director Rolan Bykov successfully prevented any details from leaking out about the plot. Despite the controversy and the attempts at state intrusion, the film was shown, became popular, and won several awards.

Now there is a YMMV page here.

Do not confuse with Batman villain Scarecrow or Buster Keaton comedy The Scarecrow.

Tropes

 * All of the Other Reindeer
 * Alone in a Crowd
 * Apathetic Teacher
 * Broken Bird
 * The Bully
 * Complaining About Shows You Don't Like: The reaction of Gos Kino.
 * Crapsack World
 * Downer Ending
 * Everyone Calls Him "Barkeep": Everyone calls Lena "Scarecrow."
 * Hair of Gold
 * Humans Are Bastards
 * I Just Want to Have Friends
 * Important Haircut
 * It Gets Worse
 * Kids Are Cruel
 * Misunderstood Loner with a Heart of Gold: Lena, to the other children.
 * Moral Guardians: Gos Kino worried that the film would set the image of the Pioneers back sixty years.
 * Oh Crap: "Scarecrow, forgive us!"
 * The Scapegoat
 * She Really Can Act: Kristina Orbakaite surprised everyone by getting the part, and her strong performance allayed any concerns she had been cast under pressure from her mother Alla Pugacheva.
 * Shoot the Shaggy Dog
 * Silent Scapegoat
 * Star-Making Role: For Kristina Orbakaite.
 * Strange Girl: Lena.
 * Taking the Heat
 * Teens Are Monsters: Not quite in Eden Lake territory, but very close.
 * What Could Have Been: Alexei Fomkin was almost cast.