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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers (WGA):
Timur Bekmambetov (screenplay) and
Laeta Kalogridis (screenplay) ...
more
Release Date:
8 July 2004 (Belarus) more
Tagline:
All That Stands Between Light And Darkness Is The Night Watch.
Plot:
A fantasy-thriller set in present-day Moscow where the respective forces that control daytime and nighttime do battle. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
2 wins & 2 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(4 articles)
The Holy Grail, Knights and Mother Effin Vampires!
(From Bloody-Disgusting.com. 5 May 2008, 9:31 PM, PDT)
Russian Film Industry Revives
(From Studio Briefing - Film News. 29 June 2006)
User Comments:
Night Watch is better watched at night more (296 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Konstantin Khabenskiy | ... | Anton Gorodetsky | |
| Vladimir Menshov | ... | Geser | |
| Valeriy Zolotukhin | ... | Kostya's Father | |
| Mariya Poroshina | ... | Svetlana | |
| Galina Tyunina | ... | Olga, the sorceress | |
| Yuriy Kutsenko | ... | Ignat (as Gosha Kutsenko) | |
| Aleksey Chadov | ... | Kostya (Anton's young vampire neighbor) | |
| Zhanna Friske | ... | Alice Donnikova | |
| Ilya Lagutenko | ... | Andrei | |
| Viktor Verzhbitskiy | ... | Zavulon | |
| Rimma Markova | ... | Darya Schultz, the witch | |
| Mariya Mironova | ... | Irina, Yegor's mother | |
| Aleksey Maklakov | ... | Simeon | |
| Aleksandr Samoylenko | ... | Ilya (Bear), mage-transformer | |
| Dmitriy Martynov | ... | Yegor (as Dmitri Martynov) |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Night Watch: Nochnoi Dozor (International: English title) (UK)
Ночной дозор (Russia)
more
MPAA:
Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images and language.
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
114 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Netherlands:16 | Spain:18 | Germany:16 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Australia:MA | Argentina:16 | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Iceland:16 | Malaysia:18SG | Malaysia:U (cut) | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | South Korea:18 | Peru:14 | Japan:PG-12 | Canada:14A | Ireland:18 | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Czech Republic:15 | Singapore:NC-16 | Finland:K-15
Filming Locations:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
In the original book "Night Watch", Alissa Donnikova wasn't a singer and wasn't in a group of four girls. This came from the actress who portrays her, Zhanna Friske, who once was in a group called "Blestyaschiye" (the glittering). more
Goofs:
Continuity: As Yegor is about to enter the subway station, his hair is still wet. But when he enters the subway (and is spotted by Anton), his hair is dry and neat. more
Quotes:
Vampiress Larisa, initiate:
I want to live.
Anton Gorodetsky:
So live. Live. Who's stopping you?
Vampiress Larisa, initiate:
I want to be human again.
Anton Gorodetsky:
You want to be human? Then act like a human.
more
Movie Connections:
Version of Nochnoy bazar (2005) more
Soundtrack:
Vybor more
FAQ
What does CLC/"Gorsvet" stand for?In the last scene on the rooftop where the armoured warriors are fighting each other on the building, was that actually happening?
The Night Watch get to issue the Dark ones licenses to do bad, can Light Others do whatever they want?
more
more (296 total)
Message Boards
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Related Links
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I was reluctant to see this film for so long.
It was mainly in defiance towards that frantic promotion campaign positioning it as the first ever "unrivalled Russian blockbuster" and "a groundbreaking achievement of the decade".
The soundtrack is annoyingly offered for the cell phones: you saw the movie - now set your ringtone to the Night Watch terrific score!
Now it is allegedly considered as the most possible nominee for the Academy Award, while American either remake or sequel is underway.
A real misfortune of the contemporary Russian cinema is that hardly concealed inferiority complex. Some filmmakers no longer shoot movies just to entertain the moviegoers. They strive with their last bit of strength in pursuit of the ultimate goal: TO MAKE AN EXCEPTIONAL FILM THAT WOULD BLOW UP THE Hollywood.
I don't really much incline to the idea that we are somehow aesthetically and culturally above the rest of the world and that we should obligatory go our own way.
But I'm afraid that the efforts to prove, at any cost, that WE ALSO CAN DO A COOL STUFF with bells and whistles, (at least not worse than the "big guys") may be not exactly the right path to the top.
Well, it's a way better than the arms race, but a work of art falls into somewhat self-sufficient category and shouldn't be an object of that sort of competition.
I believe a film doesn't have to bear a specific nationality. Once it is considered irrespective of the country of origin, and could be valued purely as is, just for it's inner virtues, it may look much more appealing.
To be honest, all that my reasoning, however, refers to the hysteria around the Night Watch, rather than to the film itself.
Unexpectedly to myself, I've bought an occasional (licensed) DivX with the Night Watch just to test MPEG4 capabilities of a DVD player.
And I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised. I found it rather atmospheric, gripping and engaging as well as neatly produced. I may say I liked it.
The cast was great, acting - almost impeccable and not over the top (what frequently degrades modern Russian fantasy, sci-fi or action movies). Some dialogues, nevertheless, could have been a bit more articulate.
The cinematography was equally nice - I liked that fancy shooting angles and professional camera-work. Effects were descent and balanced.
The closing titles background song was pretty cool. Frankly I'm not so much enthusiastic about that sort of tiresome music. What is really awesome about the song is its humorous lyrics embracing the entire movie plot.
The idea of the film/book is quite interesting (though not brand new). Numerous dark forces lurk somewhere in a parallel world unseen to unsophisticated humans. Until the time when some of their most villainous representatives would be eager to play with their unsuspecting victims. It is, however, contrary to a certain pact between the good and the evil specifying that both good and evil doings should be controlled and approved by both parties that have established for that reason the respective teams of guardians, the Night Watch and the Day Watch.
Entirely new for the movies with such kind of a pleasant premise is that none has ever got killed, except for a handful of malefactors (like that stoned bloodsucker). Just some pinpoint accurate destructions here and there, minor violence and mild torture. A close-up shot of the finger pinned for a blood sample was the only scene that made my temporal vein twitch of disgust. Menshov's healer-like manipulations with Khabensky's entrails were impressively staged.
A serious drawback of the film is the lack of explanation on some principle points. It's not that the philosophy was too complex for my convolutions. But the coherency of the storytelling was impaired at times. Like certain chunks of the film have been lost among leftovers on the cutting room's floor.
My son, familiar with the Lukyanenko's novel, was giving brief tips in the course of the action, which were conducive to the overall comprehensibility.
Final verdict: not for all tastes, but refreshing and worth watching, at least once.
P.S. Amazingly, the majority of the IMDb positive reviews comes from overseas audience, while the Russian reviewers lash the Night Watch with a scathing sarcasm.