A Cruel Romance
by Eldar Ryazanov
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Aleksey Petrenko, Alisa Freyndlikh, Andrey Myagkov, Larisa Guzeeva, Nikita MikhalkovDirector: Eldar Ryazanov
Cinematographer: Vadim Alisov
Writer: Eldar Ryazanov
Editor: Valeriya Belova
Writer: Aleksandr Ostrovsky
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); German (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Italian (Subtitled); Portuguese (Subtitled); Swedish (Subtitled); Chinese (Subtitled); Russian (Subtitled); Dutch (Subtitled); Arabic (Subtitled); Japanese (Subtitled); Russian (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1
Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 142 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-11-19
Audience Rating: Unrated
Studio: Image Entertainment
Movie Reviews of A Cruel Romance
Movie Review: Beautiful movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Consider the plot of a very beautiful young woman, whose life ahead is full of promise.. But consider also that this girl's life is actually torn apart by events which seem (apparently) out of her immediate control, like if fate was conspiring against her at every other corner. Even her mother, willingly or not, at some point "sells" her -though like every other mother she blindly believes doing what's best for her daughter's future. Zhestokij Romans is sinonimous to drama: just watch the final scene, which is so powerful, telling and poetic...I especially enjoyed the Gipsy scenes. All that dancing, joy and vodka were very moving in this film. Just as Yugoslav director Emir Kosturica has immortalised the Gipsy people (i.e. "Underground") we also see in "Zhestokij" droves of joyful Gipsies carrying everywhere they go that sound which is at the same time melancholic and joyous. Some other scenes reminded me of "Svadba" (Pavel Lounguine) a film which also features lots of partying and rivers of vodka despite the imminent disgrace and bitterness of life. I even found some parallels with "Luna Papa" another film from the former Soviet republics in which a young and pretty girl has to rapidly mature and leap from childhood into adulthood.
The Gipsy scenes also served as a very effective contrast between joy and doom. While they kept dancing, tragedy was occurring elsewhere. It's like they say: one man's happiness is another man's suffering.
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