Cruelty (Russian: Жестокость, romanizedZhestokost) is a 1959 Soviet dramatic film directed by Vladimir Skuybin and written by Pavel Nilin.[1][2][a]

Cruelty
Directed byVladimir Skuybin
Written byPavel Nilin
Produced byValentin Maslov
StarringGeorgi Yumatov
Boris Andreyev
Nikolai Kryuchkov
CinematographyTimofey Lebeshev
Edited byLidia Lysenkova
Music byMikhail Meyerovich
Production
company
Release date
  • 7 July 1959 (1959-07-07)
Running time
92 min.
CountrySoviet Union
LanguageRussian

Synopsis

edit

Set in the vicinity of a small Siberian town, the film centers around a brutal gang led by the character Kostya Vorontsov. The local police, assisted by members of the Komsomol, investigate the operations of the gang and attempt to liquidate them.

In one of the clashes with the bandits, the deputy head of the investigation, Veniamin Malyshev (a Komsomol member of the Civil War) is seriously wounded. In addition, Vorontsov's assistant Lazar Baukin (a former hunter and a soldier), is captured. Having ascertained during the interrogation that the gangster did not intend to help the policemen, the head of the criminal investigation department proposes to shoot the enemy. This is in accordance with the laws of revolutionary times. Suddenly, the wounded Malyshev intervenes, deciding that Baukin is a lost man who can be re-educated.

A complex drama of character unfolds and ends with the suicide of Malyshev, who believes that it is impossible to live with a lie. The young policeman could not stand the contrast between revolutionary ideals and the activities of careerists and demagogues.

Cast

edit

Release

edit

In 1959, the film was watched by 29 million Soviet viewers, placing it 415th in the history of rentals.[7]

Notes

edit
  1. ^ A Russian film with the same name, Cruelty (Zhestokost), directed by Marina Lyubakova was released in 2007.[3][4] In addition, there are also similarly-titled films Cruelty (Grimmd) (2016, Iceland), and Cruelty (2017, United States).

References

edit
  1. ^ Жестокость at the Mosfilm
  2. ^ Раззаков, Федор (September 5, 2017). Свет погасших звезд. Люди, которые всегда с нами. Litres. ISBN 9785425088215 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Kulikov, Ivan (6 December 2007). "Подруга госпожи Месть" [Lady Vengeance's Girlfriend]. Film.ru (in Russian).
  4. ^ Slawinski, Emma (4 October 2008). "Cruelty". Eye for Film.
  5. ^ "Виктор Мережко: Георгия Юматова считали чужаком в кино". sobesednik.ru.
  6. ^ Kirill Razlogov. Первый век нашего кино
  7. ^ "СССР: Самые кассовые фильмы — списки лучших фильмов". КиноПоиск.
edit