Citizen X (1995) (TV)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Chris Gerolmo

Writers (WGA):

Robert Cullen (book)
Chris Gerolmo (teleplay)

Release Date:

25 February 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Tagline:

You don't want to know what he does... You just want to know when he's caught.

Plot:

Based on the true story of a Russian serial killer who, over many years, claimed victim to over 50 people...

Plot Keywords:

Serial Killer | Detective | Investigation | Murder | Child Murder

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 8 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Stephen Rea	...	Lt. Viktor Burakov
Donald Sutherland	...	Col. Mikhail Fetisov
Max von Sydow	...	Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky
Jeffrey DeMunn	...	Andrei Chikatilo
Joss Ackland	...	Bondarchuk
John Wood	...	Gorbunov
Radu Amzulescu	...	Federenko
Imelda Staunton	...	Mrs. Burakova
András Bálint	...	Ignatiev
Géza Balkay	...	Procurator
László Váradi Balogh	...	Peasant
Zsolt Biro	...	Older Gay Man
Ion Caramitru	...	Tatevsky
Balázs Csapo	...	Gayy Partner
Imre Csuja	...	Front Detective
Zoltán Dózsa	...	Execution Guard
Jozsa Elek	...	Burakov's Daughter
Marton Elek	...	Burakov's Son
Murray Ewan	...	Office Manager
Klára Falvay	...	Peasant
Erika Fenyes	...	Vague Looking Girl
Zoltan Galbacs	...	Train Track Boy
Balázs Galkó	...	Station Drunk
Zoltán Gera	...	Doctor
Jono Gero	...	Plainclothesman
Chris Gerolmo	...	Militiaman
Simon Gévai	...	Hanging Boy
Czeslaw Grocholski	...	Ivanov
István Hunyadkürthy	...	Drunk Father
Attila Király	...	Wall Eyed Boy
Karoly Korognai	...	Desk Cop
Kati Kóti	...	Peasant Mother
Ferenc Lengyel	...	Young Announcer
Katalin Lestyan	...	Peasant
György Miklósy	...	Constable
Ralph Nossek	...	Dunenkov
Anna Orosz	...	Announcer
Wojciech Piekarski	...	Strutty Man
Tamás Puskás	...	Young Attendant
Mari Rajna	...	Slow Woman
Tusse Silberg	...	Mrs. Chikatilo
Eva Toth Siman	...	Drunken Woman
Laszlo Stier	...	Man in Robe
Mihály Szabados	...	Kid Militiaman
Petra Szabo	...	Beautiful Blonde Girl
Miklós Székely B.	...	Older Partner
Tibor Szervét	...	Detective
Balázs Tardy	...	Eating Soldier #1
Sándor Téri	...	Gypsy
Dénes Ujlaky	...	Farmer
Katalin Várnagy	...	Wizened Peasant Woman
Zoltán Vekony	...	Eating Soldier #2

Directed by
Chris Gerolmo

Writing credits (WGA)
Robert Cullen		(book "The Killer Department")
Chris Gerolmo		(teleplay)

Produced by
Laura Bickford	....	executive producer
Matthew Chapman	....	executive producer
David R. Ginsburg	....	executive producer
Timothy Marx	....	producer
Robert Stone	....	co-producer
Webster Stone	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Randy Edelman

Cinematography by
Robert Fraisse

Film Editing by
William Goldenberg

Casting by
Joyce Nettles

Production Design by
József Romvári

Art Direction by
Lóránt Jávor

Costume Design by
Maria Hruby

Makeup Department
Karoly Balazs	....	makeup artist
Edit Basilides	....	makeup artist

Production Management
József Cirkó	....	production manager
Adrianna A.J. Cohen	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrea Albert	....	third assistant director
Éva Bognár	....	second assistant director
Michelangelo Csaba Bolla	....	first assistant director
Jono Gero	....	second second assistant director
Gyorgy Herczeg	....	third assistant director
Csilla Szigeti	....	key assistant director

Art Department
Lajos E. Szabó	....	stand-by painter

Sound Department
Gregg Barbanell	....	foley artist
Brendan Donnison	....	adr supervisor: London
William Dotson	....	supervising sound editor
William Freesh	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jason King	....	dialogue editor
Mike Moser	....	sound effects editor
George Nemzer	....	sound editor
Vince Nicastro	....	foley artist
Cathie Speakman	....	supervising sound editor
Pál Szûrös	....	boom operator
Ken Teaney	....	sound re-recording mixer
Eric Thompson	....	foley mixer

Special Effects by
Ferenc Deák	....	special effects technician
Katalin Jakots	....	special effects makeup
László Pintér	....	pyrotechnician
Evan Campbell	....	sculptor: children's corpses (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Csaba Bankhardt	....	grip
Tamas Nyerges	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Éva Bognár	....	casting: Budapest

Costume and Wardrobe Department
János Papp	....	costumer

Editorial Department
Richard Byard	....	first assistant editor
Mark V. Phillips	....	assistant editor
Lisa Romaniw	....	assistant editor (as Lisa Mozden)

Music Department
Elton Ahi	....	score mixer
Elton Ahi	....	score recordist
Sandy DeCrescent	....	orchestra contractor
Ralph Ferraro	....	orchestrator
Laura Perlman	....	music editor

Transportation Department
Csaba Annus	....	driver

Other crew
Hans Berggren	....	production accountant
Andrew Jack	....	dialogue coach
Peter Seres	....	location manager
John V. Stuckmeyer	....	production executive
Brenda K. Wachel	....	script supervisor

Production Companies

• Asylum Films
• Citadel Entertainment
• Home Box Office (HBO)

Distributors

• Home Box Office (HBO) (1995) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (1996) (USA) (VHS)
• Scanbox Entertainment AB (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Líder Films (Spain)
• Top Tape (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (????) (Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation

MPAA:

Rated R for strong, graphic violence and related language.

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 (video premiere) (cut) | Spain:18 | USA:R | Norway:18 (video premiere)

Filming Locations:

Budapest, Hungary

Company:

Asylum Films

Goofs:

Factual errors: When KGB General Ivanov is first introduced to the committee, he actually wears a colonel's shoulder strips.

Quotes:

Fetisov: I have here...
Bondarchuk: I don't care what you have there!
Fetisov: Information...
Bondarchuk: Who cares!
Fetisov: About the nineteen year old boy you maintain in the town of Shakti! And the apartment you have arranged for him... and the gifts that you have given him... and the dates of your last three overnight visits. If you attempt to fire Lieutenant Burakov... now, or at any time... I will send all this to your wife.
Bondarchuk: I recommended you for this position.
Fetisov: I will always be indebted to you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Cinemania: Oi pio diavoitoi dolofonoi: Alithines istories!" (2009)

A serious docudrama from HBO

"Citizen X" tells the story of "The Butcher of Rostov", nickname for a heinous and perverse Russian serial killer who claimed 52 lives from 1978-92. The film focuses on the novice detective (Rea) who doggedly pursued the killer against all odds in the face of an uncooperative bureaucracy in self-serving and convenient denial. An HBO product for t.v., the film offers a solid cast, good performances, spares the audience much of the grisly details, but plays out like a docudrama sans the stylistics of similar Hollywood fare. An even and straight-forward dramatization of a serious and comparatively little known story more interesting than "Jack the Ripper". (B)