Of Freaks and Men (1998)

Dariya the maid getting a boy to touch her large breast is just one incident that occurs when Yohan and Victor infiltrate two families, forcing young Liza and blind Ekaterina to appear in porn, but they are not so innocent themselves.

Director:

Aleksey Balabanov

Writer:

Aleksey Balabanov

Stars:

Sergey Makovetskiy, Dinara Drukarova, Anzhelika Nevolina

11 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sergey Makovetskiy	...	Yohan
Dinara Drukarova	...	Liza
Anzhelika Nevolina	...	Ekaterina Kirillovna (as Lika Nevolina)
Viktor Sukhorukov	...	Victor Ivanovich
Alyosha Dyo	...	Kolia (as Dyo Alyosha)
Chingiz Tsydendambayev	...	Tolia
Vadim Prokhorov	...	Putilov
Aleksandr Mezentsev	...	Doctor Stasov
Igor Shibanov	...	Engineer Radlov
Darya Yurgens	...	Grunia (as Darya Lesnikova)
Tatyana Polonskaya	...	Dariya
Olga Straumit	...	Nurse
Richard Bogutskii	...	Notary
Valeri Krishtapenko	...	Owner of photographic studio
Evgeniy Erokhin	...	Priest

Storyline

Dariya the maid getting a boy to touch her large breast is just one incident that occurs when Yohan and Victor infiltrate two families, forcing young Liza and blind Ekaterina to appear in porn, but they are not so innocent themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

russia | eavesdropping | obsession | female frontal nudity | female rear nudity | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | History

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Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Vdud (2017)

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Soundtracks

Leaf from an Album (Lyric Pieces, Opus 12)
Composed by Edvard Grieg
Arranged by Vladimir Radcenkov

User Reviews

Bleak but refreshingly different and evocative

In an era in which the video shop shelves and TV schedules are dominated by formula-pap, it is refreshing to find a film that stimulates thought for days afterwards. The question is: what's it all about? Is the film commenting on life in pre-revolutionary Russia, on the exploitation of 'freaks', on the corrupting power of pornography, or perhaps none or all of these? I came away from it thinking that the film was primarily about the ways in which film-making can be misused; that it examined the role of those drawn into 'the pornography industry' whether exploiter, exploited, or idealistic artist more interested in technique than subject matter. In thinking about that interpretation I found myself pondering the role of Putilov, seemingly an idealist; would it not be more accurate to describe him as amoral, as the artist determined to remain aloof from the degradation and humiliation required for completion of his projects?

I think the film raises questions about the extent to which the film-maker can remain untarnished by the moral issues that he purports to examine objectively and from a detached perspective. If Putilov agrees to co-operate in the filming or photography of the naked, frightened Siamese twins or of the whipping of a young woman can he really escape responsibility for their plight? Is he really entitled to walk away with his reputation intact? The immoral Johann is easier to condemn: he is a sadist who will kill at the drop of a hat to preserve his way of life and business. A jury would take much longer to decide its verdict on Putilov.

Details

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

1998 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Of Freaks and Men

Filming Locations:

St. Petersburg, Russia

Company Credits

Production Co:

CTB Film Company, Soyuzkino

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 97 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1