The influence of cinema on the cultural code of the contemporary transformation of the Russian folk tale

The article is devoted to the cultural code of the Russian folk tale "Emelya the Fool" and its transformation in the metalanguage of modern Russian cinema using the example of animated and feature films. The 2023 film "At the Behest of the Pike" was created in the 21st century. Unlike the 1936 film adaptation, it retained only the title, although the original tale was named differently. The tale of Emelya attracts modern viewers, among other things, because they have a visual experience from the last century. The adventures of the fairy–tale hero are connected with a meeting with the enchantress pike, which shows how close the experience of fishing is to a Russian person. Hence the repetition of the plot: fish are caught at sea and in the river, it is a part of human life, inextricably linked with his everyday life. "The Tale of the Goldfish," capable of fulfilling the three wishes of the fisherman who caught it, recalls another heroine– the pike. And although Emelya made no effort to catch fish, it came to him miraculously, but obviously only because to emphasize one of his traits – laziness, unwillingness to work. In addition to the various images presented in the two filmed feature films, three animated films have been shot. We are interested in them because they are united by the name of the main character and the presence of the enchantress pike.