Goncharov (1973): An Exercise in Collaborative Creativity
Commitment to the bit in the highest degree.
Have you heard of legendary director Martin Scorsese’s 1973 film “Goncharov”? Of course you haven’t, because it was made up by incredibly dedicated Tumblr users.
Over the past two weeks or so, there’s already been some fantastic coverage on the Goncharov (1973) phenomenon, which I highly suggest reading if you’d like to hear the full origin story of this strange-yet-completely-predictable Tumblr meme.
So, what is Goncharov? If we’re speaking strictly in terms of reality, it’s nothing. “Goncharov” is a real Russian name, but it is not the name of a movie directed by Martin Scorsese. The title and other details surrounding this alleged 1973 Martin Scorsese film (such as the name of its screenwriter, Matteo JWHJ0715) surprisingly come from the label on a pair of knockoff boots. A photo of the boots’ label was originally posted to Tumblr years ago, but it seems that site users have just now begun to create an elaborate backstory around the “film”.
So, what is Goncharov? According to Tumblr users, it’s a “lost” 1973 mafia movie directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Matteo JWHJ0715 (yes, that’s the screenwriter’s name). It stars Robert De Niro as the titular Russian mafia man Goncharov; Al Pacino as Mario Ambrosini, a friend of Goncharov’s; Gene Hackman as Joseph “Ice Pick Joe” Morelli, Harvey Keitel as Andrey, Goncharov’s friend; and Cybill Shepard as Katya, Goncharov’s wife.
The exact plot is unclear, but there are some generally agreed-upon facts: Goncharov is a member of the Russian mob and a former discotheque owner. He’s moved to Naples, Italy, with his wife Katya to try and escape his previous life of violence but, of course, things don’t go according to plan. Violence and death ensue.
There are appearances from the aforementioned characters — their significance to the plot varies depending on who you’re talking to. There is definitely homoerotic tension (because of course there is) between Goncharov and Andrey, with loads of fanart already existing of them. There are might be some more subtle sapphic stuff going on between Katya and another woman called Sofia. There’s also a very prominent motif of a ticking clocking throughout the “film”, which symbolizes Goncharov’s anxieties regarding his legacy and choices.
If you couldn’t tell by now, everything is all very symbolic, detailed, and character-focused, à la Scorsese’s real previous works.
Despite the general confusion around Goncharov (1973)’s plot and whether or not it actually exists — let me reiterate, it is not a real film, regardless of what Mr. Scorsese himself says — one thing is very clear: the phenomenon is a classic example of what I like to refer to as “collaborative creativity”.
Collaborative creativity, as I’d define it, is simply when whoever would like to contribute something to a work, creativity, can do so successfully, accessibly, and without judgment. It’s not quite the same as collaborative writing, because not all contributions to the work are written — instead, they may come in the form of art, scripts, music compositions, or simply a character detail.
Collaborative creativity is everywhere on the internet, and, I’d argue, is an inherent part of it. Once you are able to recognize it, you can find it everywhere — in fan theories and headcanons, ARGs, and even long-running creative writing projects like the SCP Foundation. Memes in general are also another fantastic example.
Goncharov (1973) is just the latest iteration of that, and I think it’s kind of poetically beautiful that a fake Martin Scorsese movie has brought out the creativity in random people who want to “play to the game” of Goncharov (1973), as this Gizmodo article put it.
The concept of collaboratively developing a work online might seem alien to those who are (fortunately) aren’t always online: How does anyone agree on what is “officially” part of the lore? How can a creative work even come to be when it’s being developed by a decentralized group of people from all across the world? When is the project considered “finished”?
Those are all great questions. None of them have a clear answer. Again, that’s what I find so endearing and fascinating about this type of collaboration that’s seemingly unique to online spaces. The creative potential for these types of internet-based stories is quite literally never ending.
There is no governing body of Goncharov lore, so to speak. And because it’s not a real movie, there’s no one who will challenge you about what you’d like to add to the backstory or your own personal ideas on what Goncharov means to you.
Like, sure, generally people have been saying that it is a mafia movie taking place in Naples, Italy. But in your head, Goncharov (1973) could involve time travel! Maybe there’s a unicorn. Maybe in your version, none of the characters die and Goncharov realizes the ticking clock he’s been hearing is a symptom of his worsening tinnitus, and in the end he leaves his life of crime to go seek treatment. Maybe Goncharov, Andrey, Kayta, and Sofia are all in a polycule. And if you’d like to “officially” add your ideas to the lore of Goncharov (1973), you can. The Goncharov fandom was a product of Tumblr, but really, you can post your Goncharov ideas anywhere. All you have to do is put them out there.
That’s the beauty of collaborative creativity, — particularly in the context of the Goncharov phenomenon. You can build on what others have already started and others can build on what you’ve created. You can have meaningful discussions without fear of being attacked or criticized for your opinions.
Because, for the last time, it’s not a real movie.
But… if someone asks you if you’ve seen Martin Scorsese’s Goncharov (1973)? You say yes, you have, and it’s the greatest mafia movie ever made.
