Pro urodov i lyudey (1998)

Director:

Aleksey Balabanov

Writer:

Aleksey Balabanov (writer)

Release Date:

8 September 1999 (France)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Dariya the maid getting a boy to touch her large breast is just one incident that occurs when Yohan and Victor infiltrate two families, forcing young Liza and blind Ekaterina to appear in porn, but they are not so innocent themselves. |

Plot Keywords:

Maid | Spanking | Pornographer | Buxom | Siamese Twins

Awards:

6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Sergei Makovetsky	...	Yohan
Dinara Drukarova	...	Liza
Anzhelika Nevolina	...	Ekaterina Kirillovna (as Lika Nevolina)
Viktor Sukhorukov	...	Victor Ivanovich
Aleksei Dyo	...	Kolia (as Dyo Alyosha)
Chingiz Tsydendambayev	...	Tolia
Vadim Prokhorov	...	Putilov
Aleksandr Mezentsev	...	Doctor Stasov
Igor Shibanov	...	Engineer Radlov
Dariya Lesnikova	...	Grunia
Tatyana Polonskaya	...	Dariya
Olga Straumit	...	Nurse
Richard Bogutskii	...	Notary
Valeri Krishtapenko	...	Owner of photographic studio
Evgeniy Erokhin	...	Priest

Also Known As:

Про уродов и людей (Russia)
Of Freaks and Men
Tikhie lyudi (Russia) (working title)

Runtime:

93 min | Argentina:97 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival)

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Certification:

France:U | Hong Kong:IIB | Ireland:(Banned) | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

St. Petersburg, Russia

Company:

Kinokompaniya CTB

Soundtrack:

Din, Din, Din

A haunting, dreamlike and bleakly comic fable of exploitation

A friend lent me the DVD of this strangely compelling film. I was vaguely aware of its "arthouse" cinema release here in England a couple of years ago and thought that I had remembered it as having been well-reviewed. I don't know about you, but I love it when a film takes me by surprise, confounds my expectations and gives me the impression that I am being treated to a film-makers unique vision. "Of Freaks and Men" is a remarkable vision of exploitation amongst the middle classes of (what I presume to be) turn of the century Russia. Photographed in black and white and exquisite sepia tones it playfully uses Freudian imagery - trains, funnels, tunnels, stairways and doors - to create a dreamlike evocation of an apparently cultured and respectable society whose parlours may be used for the creation of titillating sado-masochistic pornography. The repression of sexual fantasies is mirrored by the subdued emotions that all the characters display when confronted by their trials. If you bring your own emotions to your viewing of this film you may, like me, find it occasionally heart-rending. The image of the beautiful siamese twins naked and cowering in terror from Viktor the leering, abusing pornographer is an image which I think will haunt me for a long time. All in all a richly poetic nightmare. To be viewed with an open mind and compassion.