Two men come into a small town diner looking for a third man that they have been hired to kill. Directors Marika Beiku, Aleksandr Gordon, and Andrei Tarkovsky do a masterful job of creating a bleak and haunting fatalistic atmosphere, build plenty of tension (the scene in which the counterman waits on a whistling customer while the two killers watch him the whole time is incredibly nerve-wracking), and maintain a tough gritty tone throughout, with especially startling casual use of the n-word. The fine acting by the able cast keeps things humming: Valentin Vinogradov and Vadim Novikiv are appropriately cold and menacing as the two killers, Gordon excels as pragmatic "bright boy" counterman George, Vasily Shaksin brings a chilling resignation to his role as the doomed Ole Andreson, and Yuliy Fayt does well as Ole's loyal friend Nick Adams. The lack of music gives this one a potent sense of stark realism. Gorgeously shot in crisp black and white by Alfredo Alvarez and Aleksandr Rybin, it's well worth a look.
Review of The Killers
