Citizen X (1995) (TV)

Director:

Chris Gerolmo

Writers (WGA):

Robert Cullen (book)
Chris Gerolmo (teleplay)

Release Date:

25 February 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Crime | Drama | History | 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 | Bureaucracy | Detective | Investigation | Train

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
Károly Korognai	...	Desk Cop (as Karoly Korognai)
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
Furedi Csaba	....	special effects technician
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
Egon Endrényi	....	still photographer
Tamas Nyerges	....	Steadicam operator

Casting Department
Éva Bognár	....	casting: Budapest
László Sipos	....	Hungarian Casting

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
Béla Vaszary	....	medical coordinator
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 (1996) (Sweden) (VHS)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1995) (Greece) (VHS)
• Líder Films (Spain)
• Top Tape (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• VCL Communications (????) (Germany) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Elizabeth Bardsley & Associates  script annotation

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated R for strong, graphic violence and related language

Runtime:

105 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Sweden:15 | Netherlands:16 | South Korea:18 | UK:18 (video premiere) (cut) | New Zealand:R16 | 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:

Burakov:You think that a man is what he says.
Fetisov:He is, if he talks for a living.

Movie Connections:

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

Four Stars

People who liked Silence Of The Lambs need to watch this film because Andrei Chikatilo makes Hannibal Lector look like Donny Osmond. This is a horrifying true story to dwarf any fiction. HBO always makes the best films and it just doesn't get any better then this. Stephen Rea gave an outstanding performance as a dedicated policeman who realizes he will basically have to catch this monster by himself. He is no cardboard cut out but a human hero. There is one scene where he dreams of this brutal child killer and then it shows him weeping and embracing both of his children. You feel so bad for this poor man and so furious at the stupid government that wont even admit there is a serial killer in their midst. I couldn't believe that one scene where Joss Ackland's character says that serial killers are a decedent Western phenomenon. If they had only staked out those train stations like Rea's character wanted they could have caught this monster much sooner and saved many innocent people from the most horrible death you could imagine. Donald Sutherland is a great actor and he gives his best performance here in the way his character evolves and changes. He is very cynical to Burakov at first but then begins to share his anger and finally there is a bond of respect between them. I loved that scene at the end where he finally tells Burakov how much he respects him. Lets no forget Jeff Demunn as well, he was in another tv movie that appeared later in 1995 called Ebbie. He is chilling as this nerdy, weak-looking monster. He doesn't rate or rave but he is terrifying in creating evil. The scene at the end where Max Von Sydow's psychiatrist reads that profile to him is excellent. Just by the expression on his face you sense this mans anguish as he realizes he is the monster in the profile. There is one footnote I wanted to add that the movie did not mention. It makes it out like Chikatilo started killing in 1982. He killed a young girl in 1978 and confessed to it after his arrest. The Soviet police were horrified because they had already arrested, charged, tried, convicted and executed another man for the crime! Another innocent victim of this monster.