The Russia House (1990)

An expatriate British publisher unexpectedly finds himself working for British intelligence to investigate people in Russia.

Director:

Fred Schepisi

Writers:

John le Carré (novel), Tom Stoppard (screenplay)

Stars:

Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	Barley
Michelle Pfeiffer	...	Katya
Roy Scheider	...	Russell
James Fox	...	Ned
John Mahoney	...	Brady
Michael Kitchen	...	Clive
J.T. Walsh	...	Quinn
Ken Russell	...	Walter
David Threlfall	...	Wicklow
Klaus Maria Brandauer	...	Dante
Mac McDonald	...	Bob
Nicholas Woodeson	...	Niki Landau
Martin Clunes	...	Brock
Ian McNeice	...	Merrydew (as Ian McNiece)
Colin Stinton	...	Henziger

Storyline

Three notebooks supposedly containing Russian military secrets are handed to a British publisher during a Russian book conference. The British Secret Service are naturally keen to learn if these notebooks are the genuine article. To this end, they enlist the help of the scruffy British publisher Barley Blair, who has plenty of experience with Russia and Russians. Barley, an unconventional character who doesn't respond well to authority, finds himself in a game more complex than he first thought when he digs into the origin of the notebooks.

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Plot Keywords:

east west | british intelligence | unsubtitled foreign language | moscow russia | mi6 | 

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Taglines:

A Spy Story . . . A Love Story . . . A Story to Cross all Boundaries.

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Genres:

Drama | Romance | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language

Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie is one of the few adaptations where John le Carré does not have a cameo appearance.

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Goofs

When Barley first meets Katya, they're in the big square and he tells her that 3 years ago he was nearly arrested in the same place for suspicion of being a spy. Katya asks "were you?", and Barley replies "of course not" .. He then goes on to explain "a soldier and his girl friend..." followed by a short pause during which Katya smiled satisfactorily, but then Barley continues to explain "..asked me to take a photo of them."! Katya should have waited until Barley finished the whole sentence before smiling (laughing) with satisfaction.

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Quotes

Bartholomew "Barley" Scott Blair: I love you. All my failings were preparation for me to you. It's like nothing I have ever known: it's unselfish love, grown up love. You know it is. It's mature, absolute, thrilling love.

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Connections

Referenced in MI-5: Legitimate Targets (2003)

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Soundtracks

Ain't Misbehavin'
Written by Fats Waller (as Thomas "Fats" Waller), Harry Brooks & Andy Razaf
Published by Bienstock Publishing Co. & Filmtrax

User Reviews

Fine Performances, Ordinary Film!

Based on John le Carré's novel of the same name, 'The Russia House' offers Fine Performances, but as a film, its plain ordinary. It does have some captivating moments, but overall, the slow pace & a half-baked Adapted Screenplay, act as a disadvantage.

'The Russia House' Synopsis: An expatriate British publisher unexpectedly finds himself working for British intelligence to investigate people in Russia.

'The Russia House' begins nicely, but loses momentum after 45-minutes into the film. Sure, the second-hour has some interesting moments, but the Writing isn't striking. The Climax, however, works. Tom Stoppard's Adapted Screenplay isn't without merit, but is flawed as well. Also, the slow-pace left me restless at times. Fred Schepisi's Direction is skilled & well-done. Cinematography is excellent. Editing is fair.

Performance-Wise: Sir Sean Connery, with a flawless Russian accent, is in good form. Michelle Pfeiffer, also with a superbly picked-up Russian accent, is natural to the core. Roy Scheider is flawless. He stands out. James Fox is effective. Klaus Maria Brandauer is terrific in a small, but significant role.

On the whole, 'The Russia House' could've been so much more.

Details

Official Sites:

MGM

Country:

USA

Language:

English Russian

Release Date:

21 December 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

John le Carré's The Russia House

Filming Locations:

Novospassky Monastery, Moscow, Russia

Box Office

Budget:

$21,800,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,435,650, 25 December 1990

Gross USA:

$22,997,992

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$22,997,992

Company Credits

Production Co:

Pathé Entertainment, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Star Partners III Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

123 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1