Stariki-razboyniki (1973)

An old detective does not want to retire. The only way out is to prove to his boss that he still can catch criminals. The problem is that there were no crimes recently to work on. Together ... See full summary »

Director:

Eldar Ryazanov

Writers:

Emil Braginskiy, Eldar Ryazanov,

Stars:

Yuriy Nikulin, Evgeni Evstigneev, Olga Aroseva

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Yuriy Nikulin
Evgeni Evstigneev	...	Vorobyov
Olga Aroseva
Georgiy Burkov
Andrey Mironov
Valentina Vladimirova
Yuri Belov
Valentina Talyzina
Roman Filippov
Nina Agapova
Gotlib Roninson
Georgi Kulikov
Lev Durov
Boris Runge
Yuriy Yakovlev	...	Narrator (voice)

Storyline

An old detective does not want to retire. The only way out is to prove to his boss that he still can catch criminals. The problem is that there were no crimes recently to work on. Together with his retired friend he decides to commit a perfect crime himself and then quickly solve it. Real problems start when a real criminal steals money he has stolen.

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Plot Keywords:

friend | museum | philosophical narrative | selling property | pensioner | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

21 June 1973 (Hungary)

Also Known As:

Old Men: Robbers

Filming Locations:

Lviv, Ukraine

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

92 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

User Reviews

Good tragicomedy

People are usually divided concerning this Ryazanov movie. It's rather hard for an unprepared watcher and many, including Nikulin himself, did not like it. But it's an important milestone both in Ryazanov work as well as in Soviet cinema. Not everyone can read behind the lines, but it's a very deep social and moral satire. Already in this movie Ryazanov made a decisive step towards tragicomedy. Nikulin as the honest and very naive detective actually parodies his former "Gorbunkov" impersonations, coming close to grotesque. The final trial scene is excellent and surrealistic. Short contributions from Andrey Mironov, Georgiy Burkov are excellent. Olga Aroseva was know as TV comedy actress before this movie, and this film makes some insight into her deeper personality and talent. The film is also famous for showing the medieval architecture of Lvov and old vintage trams on its streets.