Ward No. 6 (2009)

Simultaneously nihilistic and heartening, Ward No. 6 is based on a story by Chekov, in which a psychiatric doctor becomes a patient in his own asylum. Updated to contemporary Russia, the ... See full summary »

Directors:

Aleksandr Gornovskiy, Karen Shakhnazarov

Writers:

Aleksandr Borodyanskiy (screenplay), Anton Chekhov (short story)

Stars:

Vladimir Ilin, Aleksey Vertkov, Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy

4 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Vladimir Ilin	...	Ragin
Aleksey Vertkov	...	Gromov
Aleksandr Pankratov-Chyornyy	...	Mikhail Averyanovich
Evgeniy Stychkin	...	Khobotov
Viktor Solovyov	...	Nikita
Aleksey Zharkov	...	Old chief physician
Albina Evtushevskaya	...	Darya
Anna Sinyakina	...	(as A.Sinyakina)
Alina Olshanskaya	...	(as A.Olshanskaya)
Stanislav Eventov	...	(as S.Eventov)
Dmitriy Gusev	...	(as D.Gusev)
Oleg Shapko	...	(as O.Shapko)
Ye. Golyandin
Yu. Soroka
S. Semenkova

Storyline

Simultaneously nihilistic and heartening, Ward No. 6 is based on a story by Chekov, in which a psychiatric doctor becomes a patient in his own asylum. Updated to contemporary Russia, the film is a cocktail of anxieties and riddles, showcasing how easy it is to become what we fear most.

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Plot Keywords:

new year's eve party | russia | doctor | doctor as patient | stroke | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Mosfilm [rus] Official site [Russia]

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

27 November 2009 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ward No. 6

Filming Locations:

Mental Health Nursing Home No. 3, Dmitrov Rayon, Moscow Oblast, Russia

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$115,095

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mosfilm

Technical Specs

Runtime:

83 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Many scenes, if not most of them, were shot in Mental Health Nursing Home No. 3 of Dmitrov District of Moscow Oblast, located in a former monastery. The story of the nursing home is briefly told in the film, its administration are thanked in the credits and most supporting characters are or were real patients of the nursing home, including those interviewed at the beginning of the film and appearing in some scenes afterwards. The roles that have the characters' names appended to them in the credits, plus some others, were played by professional actors while all the patients who appeared in the film are listed as extras although the interviewees had more on-screen time than Albina Evtushevskaya, Darya, or Aleksey Zharkov, the Old Chief Physician. The interviewer who never appears on screen is also listed as an extra.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Vladimir Kozlov: Vladimir Vladimirovich Kozlov, born in 1979, on August 15.
Interviewer: For how many years have you lived here?
Vladimir Kozlov: This is... the fifth year.
Interviewer: Where did you live before you came to this nursing home?

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Connections

Version of ITV Playhouse: If Only the Trains Come (1968)

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Soundtracks

AKAPULKO
Performed by Laima Vaikule
Music by Igor Krutoy (as I. Krutoy)
Lyrics by Viktor Pelenyagre (as V. Pelenyagre)
Played at the New Year party

User Reviews

Crime, Punishment and Philosophy

I had such high hopes for Ward No. 6. The summary made it sound like a Shutter Island type thriller case, where you're not sure who's really insane, who's really criminal, who's really qualified to be asking the questions.

What I got was a series of clinical interviews that sort of reminded me of the beginning of District 9. The quality of the lighting and shot set up was very flat. Patients are talking to the camera about why they're institutionalized, and it's incredibly sad. Most were dropped off at an orphanage by their own parents and once they aged out, they were moved to the psychiatric facility. They've never had a chance to have a life, because their parents couldn't handle their responsibility. That is horrible! But, I actually would not have minded a more intense study of that situation. Instead, a doctor begins to lead a tour and eventually reveals that his predecessor is now, in fact, a patient. Dr. Ragin had a sort of comfortable life going. But rather than any kind of therapy sessions, he got into philosophical discourses with friends and one patient, in particular, and seemed to be spiraling into a depression about existential issues. The plot is slow. The conversations are like Crime and Punishment. Ward No. 6 is based on a short story by Anton Chekhov, so I shouldn't have been surprised, but honestly, I had a hard time staying focused. It made me sleepy. Ward No. 6 gets a 6 out of 10.