Yefim Kopelyan
- 1976
Sponsored by both the Polish and the Soviet states, the Polish military officer in this movie was a notable leader in an uprising against the ruling and aristocratic classes of both of those countries. The officer died fighting for the Paris Commune in 1871. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zygmunt Malanowicz, Zigmunt Malyanovich, (more)
- 1973
One of the most popular Soviet TV miniseries of all time, The Seventeen Moments of Spring is a tale of the heroic exploits of a Russian spy in Germany during the last months of World War II. The movie is a battle of wits rather than a regular glamorized spy fare, with a heavy reliance on dialogues and atmosphere. Vyacheslav Tikhonov is quietly convincing as the leading character but the film's popularity owes a lot to its great supporting cast of which Leonid Bronevoy and Oleg Tabakov stand out. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Leonid Bronevoy, (more)
- 1972
The 19th-century Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's classic drama The Seagull continued a theatrical movement known as "realism," which focused on the everyday crises and foibles of more believably real people. In order to perform the roles of the new dramatic movement properly, the Actors Theater of Moscow refined a new style of acting, later synthesized under Konstantin Stanislavsky, and known in the U.S. as "method acting." Thus Chekhov's plays represent a theatrical peak to be scaled, and are challenging somewhat in the manner of Shakespeare's or Moliere's plays. This lavish Soviet Russian production attempts to scale that summit. The story concerns an actress, Arkadina (Alla Demidova) who is distressed by the complexity of her life, and of the lives of her friends and family. All the people around her are consumed by self-doubt and dark obsessions, which they discuss at length. Her lover, Tregorin (Yuri Yakovlev), is a self-important but renowned writer who is playing psychological tricks on a simple country girl who has a crush on him. Her son, a playwright, is fascinated by death and may be suicidal. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alla Demidova, Vladimir Chetverikov, (more)
A young and carefree Cossack competing with a neighborhood rival for the love of a beautiful girl is forced to grow up faster than expected when World War I breaks out in this romantic Russian war drama from director Viktor Tregubovich. Roman is a reckless adolescent living in the Baikal region in the waning days of the October Revolution. Thus far, Roman's biggest concern in life was whether he or his neighbor would win the love of ethereal village beauty Dashutka. When news of the war breaks out and Roman is forced to choose a side on which to fight, he soon finds out just how big of a place the world truly is. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Arkadiy Trusov, Petr Shelokhonov, (more)
This Russian adaptation of Dostoyevsky's Crime and Punishment packs nearly every pivotal event from the mammoth novel into its 200 minute running time. Georgi Taratorkin stars as Raskolnikov, the impressionable student who believes himself to be above the law-and commits murder to prove his theory. Innokenti Smoktunovskiy, best known for his brilliant interpretation of the title character in the Russian Hamlet (1964), costars as police inspector Porfiry, who humbly but diligently wears down Raskolnikov's alibi. Most cinemadaptations of Crime and Punishment end with the protagonist's arrest; this one retains Dostoyevsky's lengthy post-prison epilogue, in which Raskolnikov learns at long last how to be a human being. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Georgi Taratorkin, Victoria Fyodorova, (more)
- 1968
This Russian feature entry appeared at the 1969 San Sebastian Film Festival. A group of Russian women struggle against the brutality of their Nazi-occupation aggressors, as their husbands, brothers, sons, and lovers are off to fight the war elsewhere. Gathering all their resources, the women form a successful collective farm and overcome tremendous obstacles to thrive in a war-torn era. The women gather strength from each other to survive and prosper. The film is a tribute to the resourcefulness and bravery of Russian women during the war and is based on actual events that transpired. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rimma Markova, Svetlana Sukhovey, (more)
