The episode when Ivan sings a Nightingale at professor Kuznetsov’s tablefull doesn’t seem very significant at first. However in top ranked Soviet movies like “Courier”, there are no unimportant scenes. The author of this post (http://art-otkrytie.narod.ru/shahnazarov.htm) offers the following explaination of this episode. We shortened the article and translated it into English.

– I do not want! – Katya refuses to the disgustingly petty-bourgeois, in her opinion, request of her father to sing to the guests “Nightingale”. This song was almost on every official event or celebration.

And then Ivan finally made her lose temper.

– Can I sing? – He suggests. And started singing in a high goat voice.

Katya exploded. Because of what? We know that Ivan knows how to sing (in his duet with his mother). Does Katya know? Well, at least she knows that he could sing not so ridiculously high. And, therefore, once again (as always), it was his “performance”. Again he extols the pretendence of his behavior. However not everyone might have realized it. Especially because the singing goat is rescued by an opera singer, who came to the rescue the situation and therefore, almost nobody heard Ivan. “But no: would not you rest in hypocrisy!” – most likely thought Katya, and when the duo successfully finished “Nightingale,” Katya rose her rebellion.

– Want me to tell you what I dream about? I want to be attractive and irresistible for all the men.. I want to be driving a sport car wearing a red scarf. And on the seat I want a tape recorder and a tiny dog. This is for real.

And by the nervous and agitated voice, everyone understood that this was not just a typical for youth rebellion, it was truth. Shameful, naked truth – the dream of them all.

Everybody is astonished.