Burnt by the Sun Movie Review 1994

Masterful evocation of '30s Stalinist Russia, covering a day in the life of Soviet revolutionary hero Serguei (Mikhalkov) and his family, far from the purges and gulags. Enjoying a country existence with wife Moroussia (Dapkounaite) and daughter Nadia (played by Mikhalkov's daughter), his idyll is disturbed by mystery man Dimitri (Menchikov), and Serguei realizes their fates are bound by the difference between their Communist dreams and reality. Symbolism is a little heavy but film delivers emotionally. Russian with subtitles.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS
Running time 134 minutes.
Originally from Russian, French.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Period Piece: 1930s, Russia/USSR, Politics, Family Ties

Screenplay

Nikita Mikhalkov, Rustam Ibragimbekov

Cast

Nikita Mikhalkov, Ingeborga Dapkounaite, Oleg Menshikov, Nadia Mikhalkov, Andre Oumansky, Viatcheslav Tikhonov, Svetlana Krioutchkova, Vladimir Ilyine

Cinematography

Vilen Kalyuta

Director

Nikita Mikhalkov

Music

Eduard Artemyev

Producer

Leonid Verechtchaguine, Jean-Louis Piel, Vladimir Sedov, Sony Pictures Classics

Awards

Oscars 1994: Foreign Film; Cannes 1994: Grand Jury Prize.