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IMDb > Zhestokiy romans (1984)

Zhestokiy romans (1984) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
8.3/10   736 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 1% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Eldar Ryazanov
Writers:
Aleksandr Ostrovsky (play)
Eldar Ryazanov (writer)
Contact:
View company contact information for Ruthless Romance on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
18 September 1985 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama | History | Romance more
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Timeless movie more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
Alisa Frejndlikh ... Larisa's Mother
Larisa Guzeyeva ... Larisa Dmitrievna
Nikita Mikhalkov ... Sergey Sergeyevich Paratov
Andrei Miagkov ... Juliy Kapitonovich Karandyshev
Aleksei Petrenko ... Knurov
Viktor Proskurin ... Vozhevatov
Georgi Burkov ... Robinson
Tatyana Pankova ... Yefrosinya Potapovna
Borislav Brondukov ... Ivan
Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyorny
Aleksandr Pyatkov ... Gavrilo
Yuri Sarantsev
Olga Volkova
Yevgeni Tsymbal
Sergei Artsybashev
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Additional Details

Also Known As:
Жестокий романс (Soviet Union: Russian title)
A Cruel Romance
Ruthless Romance (USA)
more
Runtime:
142 min
Country:
Soviet Union
Language:
Russian
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Finland:S
Filming Locations:
Kostroma, Russia
Company:
Mosfilm more

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Version of Bespridannitsa (1937) more
Soundtrack:
A naposledok ya skazhu more

FAQ

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12 out of 12 people found the following comment useful:-
Timeless movie, 14 March 2004
Author: Jorge Reyes from Quebec, QC

This movie by Eldar Ryazanov surpassed my expectations. It really is quite an experience to see how Larissa's life unfolds; how she is coveted by men old and young, rich and poor... And yet every turn of events leaves a much bitter taste on her. It seems like if tears were a permanent mark of every Russian woman, like if, by definition, no woman would dare to call herself Russian without ever tasting the bitterness of life.

Ryazanov is quickly becoming one of my favourite directors. Though here I may be coming late, since he actually achieved fame and glory during Soviet time, a long gone era. Anyway, his "Zhestokij Romans" or "A cruel Romance" tells a tale which seems to me timeless.

Consider the plot of a very beautiful young woman, whose life ahead is full of promise.. But consider also that this girl's life is actually torn apart by events which seem (apparently) out of her immediate control, like if fate was conspiring against her at every other corner. Even her mother, willingly or not, at some point "sells" her -though like every other mother she blindly believes doing what's best for her daughter's future. Zhestokij Romans is sinonimous to drama: just watch the final scene, which is so powerful, telling and poetic...

I especially enjoyed the Gipsy scenes. All that dancing, joy and vodka were very moving in this film. Just as Yugoslav director Emir Kosturica has immortalised the Gipsy people (i.e. "Underground") we also see in "Zhestokij" droves of joyful Gipsies carrying everywhere they go that sound which is at the same time melancholic and joyous. Some other scenes reminded me of "Svadba" (Pavel Lounguine) a film which also features lots of partying and rivers of vodka despite the imminent disgrace and bitterness of life. I even found some parallels with "Luna Papa" another film from the former Soviet republics in which a young and pretty girl has to rapidly mature and leap from childhood into adulthood.

The Gipsy scenes also served as a very effective contrast between joy and doom. While they kept dancing, tragedy was occurring elsewhere. It's like they say: one man's happiness is another man's suffering.

That's why I consider this movie to be "Timeless". That's why I consider the last scene a gem of cinema, like anything I've seen before. Our lovely Larissa is embarked in that permanent quest for real love and affection.

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