"Esenin" (2005) TV mini-series

User Rating:

6.4/10   

Director:

Igor Zaytsev

Writers:

Vitali Bezrukov (book)
Vladimir Valutsky (writer)

Release Date:

October 2005 (Russia)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

Plot:

After policeman Aleksandr Hlystov receives an old photo of poet Esenin's dead body just taken out of a loop he immediately begins an investigation...

Plot Keywords:

TV Mini-Series

Cast

Sergey Bezrukov	...	Sergey Esenin
Sean Young	...	Isadora Duncan (qv)
Gary Busey	...	Zinger, Isedora Dunkan's ex-husbund
Kseniya Rappoport	...	Galina Benislavskaya
Ekaterina Guseva	...	Avgusta Miklashevskaya
Aleksandr Mikhajlov	...	Detective Aleksandr Hlystov
Oleg Tabakov	...	KGB General Simagin
Valentina Telichkina	...	Tatiana Fedorovna, Esenin's Mother
Vitali Bezrukov	...	Aleksandr Nikitich Esenin, Sergey Esenin's Father
Anatoli Gushchin	...	Ilya, Esenin's brother
Irina Apeksimova	...	Anna Abramovna Berzin'
Mariya Golubkina	...	Sofia Andreevna Tolstaya
Tatyana Lyutaeva	...	Olga Konstantinovna Tolstaya
Marina Zudina	...	Zinaida Raykh
Pavel Derevyanko	...	Aleksei Ganin

Also Known As:

"Есенин" (Russia)

Runtime:

Russia:516 min (8 parts)

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company:

Pro-Cinema Production

Trivia:

Sergey Bezrukov played Esenin on stage for seven years before this film.

One of the best serial films I have ever seen

A truly innovative look at explaining the circumstances surrounding the death of controversial and fascinating Russian poet Sergej Esenin. This film is based on a lot of historical and documentary research, and it shows.

The film goes back and forth between 1985 and the 1910s and 1920s (mostly the latter). This works unusually well. The 1985 scenes correspond to police investigator Aleksandr Khlystov putting together the puzzle of Esenin's death after receiving a disturbing new photograph of dead Esenin, who allegedly committed suicide. Khlystov becomes obsessed with finding out the truth, but runs into all sorts of obstacles, not least the danger of challenging the official version of things in Soviet times. The scenes corresponding to the early 20th century show us what happened in all detail (the film is about 10 hours long).

Outstanding performance by Sergej Bezrukov playing Esenin. I have seldom seen any actor getting so much into his role. He really transcends himself while acting. The rest of the cast is also good.

This film really works. All in all, a truly rewarding experience. Hope it will be issued with subtitles soon, so that non Russian speakers can also enjoy it.