IMDb > "Idiot" (2003)

"Idiot" (2003) More at IMDbPro »TV mini-series


Overview

User Rating:
8.4/10   608 votes
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Director:
Vladimir Bortko
Writers:
Vladimir Bortko (writer)
Fyodor Dostoyevsky (novel)
Contact:
View company contact information for Idiot on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
12 May 2003 (Russia) more
Genre:
Drama more
Plot:
The thrilling drama based on the world's greatest masterpiece by Fyodor Dostoevsky. Half-sane Prince... more
Awards:
2 wins more
NewsDesk:
Ben Whishaw: A Spotlight On The Play ...some trace of her
 (From The Movie Fanatic. 17 August 2008, 5:49 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Yes, it covers the entire novel, very well... more (13 total)

Cast

  (Series Cast overview, first billed only)
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Additional Details

Runtime:
550 min
Country:
Russia
Language:
Russian
Color:
Color

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Version of L'amour braque (1985) more

FAQ

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21 out of 23 people found the following comment useful.
Yes, it covers the entire novel, very well..., 4 October 2004
Author: gkbazalo from Scottsdale, AZ

Vladimir Bortko's Idiot is a faithful translation of Dostoyevsky's novel. I had read the novel again just recently before watching this 10 part, nearly 10 hour miniseries and I don't think that any of the key characters or events are left out, which is quite a feat in itself. All the characters are true to the novel. I found that parts, especially in the second half, were slow, but I found the novel to be slow in those parts as well.

As an American with no knowledge of Russian, I had to rely on the translation, which varied from very good (at least grammatically correct) to nearly incomprehensible. It was as if the translator went occasionally crazy and then recovered. However, it was good enough in all parts to follow although I found myself hitting the pause button to read some of the longer captions. The DVD, as far as I know, is available in the US only at www.rbcmp3.com.

I found myself comparing this version to Kurosawa's. I think the two Russian male leads (Prince M. and Rogozhin) were as good as their Japanese counterparts, which is saying a lot, since Masayuki Mori and Toshiro Mifune were great in those parts. Mironov and Mashkov both capture the essence of their characters, the Prince's innocence and Rogozhin's violent love--hate relationship with Nastassya. I don't think the two female leads were as good as their Japanese counterparts, but it's difficult to beat the great Setsuko Hara. Kurosawa's film, cut down to 166 minutes, could only present a fraction of the novel's events and characters, but did a great job in choosing the ones to include. Only the character of Lebedev was really missed in the Japanese version. Lebedev, by the way, is terrific in this version. The Russian version really lets you get acquainted with the more minor characters like Hippolite and Keller.

Inna Churikova is a standout as Lizaveta Epanchina, a key character in both the films and novel.

Definitely recommended for fans of the novel and anyone who likes to settle into a good ten hour drama.

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