Leviathan (2014)

In a Russian coastal town, Kolya is forced to fight the corrupt mayor when he is told that his house will be demolished. He recruits a lawyer friend to help, but the man's arrival brings further misfortune for Kolya and his family.

Director:

Andrey Zvyagintsev

Writers:

Oleg Negin, Andrey Zvyagintsev

Stars:

Aleksey Serebryakov, Elena Lyadova, Roman Madyanov

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 36 wins & 44 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aleksey Serebryakov	...	Nikolay
Elena Lyadova	...	Lilya
Vladimir Vdovichenkov	...	Dmitriy
Roman Madyanov	...	Mer
Anna Ukolova	...	Anzhela
Aleksey Rozin	...	Pasha
Sergey Pokhodaev	...	Romka
Platon Kamenev	...	Vitya
Sergey Bachurskiy	...	Stepanych
Valeriy Grishko	...	Arkhierey
Alla Emintseva	...	Sudya
Margarita Shubina	...	Prokuror
Dmitriy Bykovskiy-Romashov	...	Nachalnik politsii (as Dmitriy Bykovskiy)
Sergey Borisov	...	Operativnik
Igor Savochkin	...	Sledovatel

Storyline

On the outskirts of a small coastal town in the Barents Sea, where whales sometimes come to its bay, lives an ordinary family: Kolya (Aleksey Serebryakov), his wife Lilya (Elena Lyadova) and their teenage son Romka. The family is haunted by a local corrupted mayor (Roman Madyanov), who is trying to take away the land, a house and a small auto repair shop from Kolya. To save their homes Kolya calls his old Army friend in Moscow (Vladimir Vdovichenkov), who has now become an authoritative attorney. Together they decide to fight back and collect dirt on the mayor.

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Plot Keywords:

mayor | lawyer | corrupt politician | alcoholic | alcohol | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexuality/graphic nudity

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [Japan] Official Website

Country:

Russia

Language:

Russian

Release Date:

5 February 2015 (Russia)

Also Known As:

Leviathan

Filming Locations:

Kirovsk, Murmansk Oblast, Russia

Box Office

Gross USA:

$1,092,800

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$4,396,821

Company Credits

Production Co:

Non-Stop Productions,A Company Russia,Russian Ministry of Culture

Technical Specs

Runtime:

140 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

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Quotes

Dmitriy Seleznyov: No-one is out of reach.

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Connections

References WALL·E (2008)

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Soundtracks

Akhnaten -Act 1 - Prelude: Refrain, Verse 1, Verse 2
Written by Philip Glass

User Reviews

"Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord?"

I must say I was very excited to see this movie in the international film festival hosted here in Auckland.

Set in corrupt small northern Russian town, that could very much be any other town, or even country, in the world, Leviafan explores the confrontation of a man against the mayor. The last wants to kick him out of his house for his own benefit.

Superb photography, superb acting, spine chilling music, solid plot and dark humor touches make Leviafan a truly rewarding experience. One of the best movies I have seen in some time. Do not let the duration discourage you, hours fly. When you glance at your watch for the first time the movie will be over.

Be ready to pity, hate and love the characters. Laugh, feel anguish and rage and enjoy this emotional roller-coaster.