The Inner Circle (1991)

The true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically ... See full summary »

Director:

Andrey Konchalovskiy (as Andrei Konchalovsky)

Writers:

Andrey Konchalovskiy (as Andrei Konchalovsky), Anatoliy Usov

Stars:

Tom Hulce, Lolita Davidovich, Bob Hoskins

12 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Hulce	...	Ivan Sanshin
Lolita Davidovich	...	Anastasia
Bob Hoskins	...	Beria
Aleksandr Zbruev	...	Stalin
Feodor Chaliapin Jr.	...	Prof. Bartnev
Bess Meyer	...	Katya (16 years)
Mariya Baranova	...	Katya (10 years)
Irina Kupchenko	...	Directress
Vladimir Kuleshov	...	Colonel Schelkasov
Vsevolod Larionov	...	General Rumiantsev
Aleksandr Filippenko	...	Major Khitrov
Evdokiya Germanova	...	Governess
Lyubov Matyushina	...	Sonia Gubelman
Aleksandr Garin	...	Vasily Morda
Mariya Vinogradova	...	Fedosia

Storyline

The true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically flawed hero maintains unwavering faith in his "Master" despite the arrest of his neighbors and his involvement with their daughter, his wife's affair with the chilling State Security chief Lavrentii Beria and her tragic decline, and the deadly political machinations within the Kremlin he witnesses firsthand.

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Plot Keywords:

projectionist | russia | stalinism | dictatorship | uniform | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

Italy Soviet Union USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 December 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Projectionist

Filming Locations:

Russia

Box Office

Gross USA:

$583,979

Company Credits

Production Co:

Numero Uno International, Mosfilm, Columbia Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

137 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Black and White Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The movie premiered in the United States on December 25, 1991 - one day before the Soviet Union dissolved and became the Russian Federation.

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Goofs

Ivan refers to German troops being so many miles from Moscow, but both Germany and Russia measure distances in kilometres.

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Quotes

Beria: You will not drink to Comrade Stalin?

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Connections

Featured in At the Movies: JFK/Grand Canyon/Father of the Bride/The Inner Circle (1991)

User Reviews

a great, underrated and almost anknow movie

I saw this movie in the 90s and there were no more than 10 people inside the cinema and the movie did impress me at that time. then i watched it again few days ago and i can only confirm my first impression. it gives a true and realistic view on what stalinism was with that feeling of terror and madness that permeates the entire movie. Hulce, Davidovich and Hoskins deliver a great performance. It is an almost unknonw movie that rivals with blockbusters such as Schindler's list without suffering any inferiority complex. We celebrate the holocaust day every year but we don't know much about stalinism and its atrocities. this movie opens the door and it does it greatly. watch it!