The internet agrees: Martin Scorsese’s unjustly forgotten 1973 masterpiece Goncharov was ahead of its time. A whole cinematic universe about “Goncharov” is currently going viral on the Internet: trailers, movie posters, preview images, soundtrack. The catch is: the movie doesn’t even exist. The whole thing is an incredibly entertaining network phenomenon. Martin Scorsese himself takes it with humor.
Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Gene Hackman in a movie
A black limousine stops in front of an Italian villa. One gun, one homicide. The trailer belongs to the film “Goncharov” with Robert De Niro.
Supporting actors: Al Pacino, Gene Hackman and Cybill Shepherd – all young people between 20 and 30 years old. The film is said to have been made in 1973. It is presented by the quintessential mob director: Martin Scorsese.
It started with a photo montage on Tumblr
If you search for Goncharov on the Internet, you will not only find the trailer, but also a poster and a link to the soundtrack. The whole thing has only one problem: the movie doesn’t even exist.
The fake movie’s incredible story begins on the photo and blog site Tumblr. “A few years ago, a Tumblr user posted a photo of fake shoes,” explains journalist Rachelle Hampton in a podcast on culture site Slate.
“On the tongue, instead of the shoe company name, there was a sign that said ‘Greatest Mafia Movie Ever Made – Martin Scorsese Introduces Goncharov’.”
Users create a whole universe around the film “Goncharov”
The original post was deleted, but there was a repost from another user two years ago. And about two weeks ago it was fished out of Tumblr and commented on.
Users report that it is the best film, which has long been lost, and Hollywood passed it to various festivals.
“Suddenly everything went viral and Tumblr did what it does best: users create an entire cinematic universe around this film. Everyone can read it again and learn the details of a film that, I must repeat, does not exist”.
“Goncharov” – a bloody show with homoerotic overtones
The story of “Goncharov”: a Russian club owner, played by De Niro, wants to retire from his life of crime together with his wife Katia and ends up in Naples. But then his past catches up with him again.
The gory spectacle is accompanied by homoerotic undertones, at least Tumblr users write. The trailer is made up of snippets from various films. Clips of Scarface meets Taxi Driver, for example.
“Goncharov was inexplicably ahead of his time”
It’s as if “Goncharov” is the perfect distraction in the gray of November, a great internet joke that even Tumblr itself has gotten into. The official Tumblr Twitter account itself posted the following:
“Goncharov was inexplicably ahead of his time and his contribution to cinema is remarkable. Rarely does a film tell such different yet interconnected stories. It’s hard to believe that so few people have seen it.”
Lynda Carter and Henry Winkler post alleged photos from premiere
Even celebrities appreciate the fake movie. Lynda Carter, for example, who once played Wonder Woman, published a photo of himself and the actor Henry Winkler with the note that the photo shows the two at the premiere of “Goncharov”.
Goncharov’s wave is now spilling over to other networks. On TikTok, users tell how much they love the film and have always seen it in high school, or how they would have launched a remake of “Goncharov”, for example.
Martin Scorsese takes it with humor
The only question that remains is what director Martin Scorsese has to say about the hype itself. His daughter Francesca recently posted a video on TikTok in which she apparently asks him if she has read the news about the film.
To which he replies: “Yes, I made the film years ago”. Which at least proves it: Martin Scorsese has humor.
