A Cruel Romance (1984) User Reviews

Russian Beauty

[jannetpadilla · 8/10 · 28 October 2015]

On the surface, this movie looks like it's possibly just another romantic drama about a girl and her suitors, but take a look again!! There is much more to this precious film than meets the eye. For starters, our lead lady, Larissa, appears to be every guy's dream girl. She is beautiful, graceful, has a soothing voice and has different males vying for her attention. With all these qualities, one would think that she is in control of her life and should get what she wants, but instead she is caught in a world where she is powerless and is pushed and pulled one way and another. As strong as she appears, she seems to have an inescapable fate no matter what she does, and her attempts at removing herself from it just causes further issues. Upon her realization, it is interesting and a bit gloomy what she chooses to do upon realizing her fate(but you'll have to watch to find out).

There are many subtle symbols spread throughout the film and they are enjoyable to spot. I love when movies tell their story not only with the characters, but with the environment and this film definitely adds those eye catching little details. It adds a sense of artistry, to what is an already a visually pleasing film. However you do not need to understand or spot the small inferences to enjoy the film, the film as a whole is enjoyable as is as well. However if you are familiar with a little Russian culture, literature, or the play altogether it will get you thinking.

It is important to note that the film is originally based on the play called "the Dowerless bride." A dowry is the property or money a bride will bring to a man if he gets married to her. Well, the film is centered around wealth, the wealthy, and how to maintain wealth so for our lead to be "without dowry," (and yet still be adored) you can see how it can lead to complications. It brings to light necessary topics of women, objectivity, a patriarch society and the harsh reality of a capitalistic world.

All the surrounding men play their parts great and I love that there is a wide cast of characters. The two main male leads are intriguing in the way they develop. (or not develop in some cases). We don't just have the "charismatic" guy, but also have the shy "little man," the wealthy men, gypsies, and serfs. All part of the Russian culture. It is a great film to get a small taste of the Russian lifestyle, but there are also many aspects and behaviors that are not so different than our own.

The film itself is very pleasing to the eye. The costumes are gorgeous and sometimes looking at the modernity of the film, I forgot these folks were in Russia. The style is similar to that of a Russian Audrey Hepburn film, but definitely has its own dark take on matters inside it. I hope you enjoy it as I did.

Watch this film

[colinxanderii · 9/10 · 28 October 2015]

Typically I dislike the romance genre I don't fully know why, but it has never been my thing. However I strongly recommend watching this film. The film focuses mainly on the character Larissa, the daughter of a widowed noble woman who is poor. The mother in question is trying to marry off her daughters to wealthy and hopefully nice men. However later in the film even the daughters who were married off at the beginning of the film as well as prior to it, meet with bleak fates. Eventually Larissa meets with a similar fate as her sisters. This is just a brief synopsis the film is much deeper. It displays a situation that could have happened, or even might have happened in Russia during the late 19th century. However the situation in the film is not just an examination of things that happened in Russia. In fact it is more of an examination of the social norms surrounding women and marriage during that time period. As the film gets darker toward the end Larissa realizes how she is viewed by her suitors. She becomes aware that she is perceived as a fancy object and her life up to this point has basically been an auction. I have seen very few films regarding romance and marriage where a character becomes aware of their own objectification in such a way. There are many characters in the film that have a heavy impact on it, but the two that stand out are that stand out are Larissa and Paratov. Interestingly what makes them stand out is how much they have in common. Both are struck with misfortune as far as wealth goes, both have exceptional talent, and both are considered attractive. The main difference is that Paratov is a man which means that he can solve his misfortune in wealth through a variety of avenues. However Larissa is a woman and in this time period there's no way that she knows of out of her troubles unless it's through marriage. The music and cinematography is excellent. The camera work is stellar there are often shots through windows and as far as I know there were no signs of the cameras reflection in these. The music fits the tone and often matches up with the scenario it is accompanying. Otherwise it uses intentional dissonance. The acting is believable and is lively enough to keep me invested in the dialogue. As with any film I recommend seeing it in its native language.

Beautiful movie with great acting

[hilbunt · 8/10 · 28 October 2015]

This film has great music, acting and sets. Overall very good adaptation of the play. I enjoyed it immensely.

The film centers around a young woman who comes from a noble family but has no dowry for suitors. It explores the changing situation in the mid 1800s among the classes. At this time there were 3 classes: the nobles, peasants and the emerging raznochintsy class. Many of the characters in the film are from the latter, and the focus upon wealth and social status is apparent.

In summary, this is a great film which really shows the changing social structures of the 1850s Russia. I would highly recommend this film to anybody interested in romance or Russian history.

Drama at best.

[Hamsvoord1 · 10/10 · 27 June 2003]

Beautiful movie from `Eldar Rayazanov' about the quest of `Larisa Dmitrievna'(Larisa Guzeyeva), the most pretty girl in a small town on the Volga, for happiness.

Juliy Kapitonovich(Andrei Myagkov) is the head of the local post office and has eye set on `Larisa'. However he is not the only one who has his eye on Larisa and `Juliy', not being a cassanova, is constantly out manoeuvred, especially by the charismatic businessman `Sergey Sergeyevich' (Nikita Mikhalkov). However when he leaves town without telling `Larisa' turns the chances for every one and the cards are shuffled again. Larisa now is heartbroken and she doesn't believe in love anymore she is again looking for a husband and the main thing this time is money. She lets her eye fall on a bank director but just as she thinks that he is the right man for her he gets arrested by the police as he appears to be a thief. Larisa now desperate decided to marry the first man who asked her rich or poor and guess who asked...'Juliy'. Intrigues now start since certain other men who have eyes on her cant process the thought of losing her to an ordinary post office man.

Brilliant acting great story, when you have a chance go see this movie you wont regret it. 10/10

Timeless movie

[zapiekanki · 14 March 2004]

This movie by Eldar Ryazanov surpassed my expectations. It really is quite an experience to see how Larissa's life unfolds; how she is coveted by men old and young, rich and poor... And yet every turn of events leaves a much bitter taste on her. It seems like if tears were a permanent mark of every Russian woman, like if, by definition, no woman would dare to call herself Russian without ever tasting the bitterness of life.

Ryazanov is quickly becoming one of my favourite directors. Though here I may be coming late, since he actually achieved fame and glory during Soviet time, a long gone era. Anyway, his "Zhestokij Romans" or "A cruel Romance" tells a tale which seems to me timeless.

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.

That's why I consider this movie to be "Timeless". That's why I consider the last scene a gem of cinema, like anything I've seen before. Our lovely Larissa is embarked in that permanent quest for real love and affection.

Zhestokiy Romans (1984):the aesthetics of a Russian very picturesque and harmonious melodrama

[Cristi_Ciopron · 10/10 · 19 March 2007]

Eldar Ryazanov's greatest achievement was to make a Faubourg melodrama be suave and fresh,and to give it elegance and gusto,and a fitting fluidity;it has atmosphere,unity,gusto,the plastic is extraordinary:an enormously,lavishly delighting movie.While I was enjoying A Cruel Romance (1984),this movie picturesque and colorful and completely charming,I remembered how I saw it for the first time,in a theater,many years ago,as a kid and already a movie buff,with my late grandmother and with my godmother;at that age,I was impressed with the climactic final.An older gossip (Alisa Frejndlikh) at a pinch is pressed to marry away her third daughter,Larisa,the most profitable and advantageous way possible.Wonderfully written,and even more exquisitely constructed,Zhestokiy Romans (1984) boasts in featuring a still young beau Mihalkov as a slender and quite sluggard dandy of the slums;he was supple,nonchalant,mean and suburban.The role is mainly a physical one,and behind the mendacious slum dandy one feels the cold-hearted,evil-minded streetwise hooligan.Mihalkov is unmatched in giving "Serghei Sergheevitch",his character,a powerful interest.He is teamed with a wondrous,beaming beauty,the truly sensational Larisa Guzeyeva (here in her debut;very unfortunately,she did not make much of a career after Zhestokiy Romans ,1984,though she deserved to have one). The other characters are very well sketched, frightful figures of grotesque,the provincial fauna;a tedious and verminous clerk,two cynical and bitchy merchants,Knurov and Vojevatov.The atmosphere is chilling,a small provincial world devoured by sordidness:the ancient humanity,left to itself.A Cruel Romance (1984) succeeds in being much more than a lowbrow Faubourg tale:namely,in inspiring compassion for a human being,Larisa,and she is not a bit idealized;it is a Russian story about fate.The script may be lowbrow and conventional,but it is not in the least stupid.Ryazanov's astounding showmanship is undeniable,and the cast could not be better: Mrs. Alisa Frejndlikh,Aleksei Petrenko and Viktor Proskurin,Andrei Miagkov and Georgi Burkov are extremely good in their roles.

With such a poor,unpromising and precarious content,the movie could very easily turn into something as provincial and insipid as a Frank Capra or a Nora Ephron film;but once again,the genre is nothing,the genre is a mere premise,the film itself is everything,and Eldar Ryazanov gave his film simplicity as well as transparency,gusto and charm,a delicious coloring;it is,for me,the very definition of charm and beauty;once again,the Russians are the masters of the coloration.

Zhestokiy Romans (1984)staggers,surprises and delights by the keen sense of comprehensive width,by recreating a space traversed by the currents of freshness,life,spontaneity.The affective gamut is one of coldness,alienation and derision,mockery:the greed,the baseness,the intrigue,the lust,the brazenness have human shapes,the abominable cheek of promiscuity:Aleksandr Ostrovsky was a bitter moralist.The plastic gamut,on the other hand,unfolds relishing and cooling colors,inexhaustible treasures of visual delight,glacial colors that caress the heart.It is long since the art knew how to convincingly couch the range of threat,the embittered,ominous machinations gathering slowly under the eaves of a helpless and giddy being;Zhestokiy Romans (1984)does it;Larisa is not idealized,she is not adorned with improbable qualities.She is described simply as a being without malice. But the script is remarkably sober and balanced;the lines are well conceived.The scale confesses a Zolist impact,the influence of the Russian lesser realists and naturalists.

One of the very best movies

[Helios-7 · 10/10 · 28 September 1999]

AKA The Cruel Romance

Absolutely one the the very BEST film ever made. Powerful drama thanks to Orstrovsky, and the amazing director and his heavenly cast. Hail to Alisa Frejndlikh, who appeared in his comedy "The Office Romance". Everyone love movie as a form of art should not miss it.

Wonderful!!!!!!

[botticelli-2 · 10/10 · 30 October 2000]

It is the best Russian film I have even seen. It is based on A.H. novel. The actor and actress are the best one. It also include some nice songs which really express the theme of the film. The film won the 1985' Russian National Film Festival.

The Russian Dream ?

[bankie_bhoy · 6/10 · 23 November 2002]

Ok, this was my first Soviet-era Russian movie, so it was difficult to assess by my (western) standards. By those standards the characters seemed simplistic and exaggerated, and the screenplay cliché-ridden. Also, by those standards, the cinematography came across as ill-developed for the day.

However, 'Cruel Romance' was something of a revelation for me. Just as the American Dream is expressed repeatedly (ad nauseam?) in Hollywood movies, I had a strong feeling after watching this movie that the 'Russian Dream' had been laid bare for my comprehension at last. The worship of impossible romance combined with blindness to all practical considerations and the expression of that romance in the gift of expensive baubles and other grand gestures are the main threads running through this story. And, despite the fact that 'Cruel Romance' is a Soviet-era depiction of 19th century Tsarist Russia, these are cultural traits to be found in abundance in modern-day Russians. For this reason watching the movie was a treat to me personally, and henceforth I will view my Russian friends and colleagues with a slightly higher degree of understanding.

Also, I hope to see many more Russian movies in the future !

A beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention

[IMDbeans · 9/10 · 31 December 2011]

Reading some of the user reviews of this film, I just can't keep quiet. Some of the comments really missed the point:

"Juliy had no friends at all. He gave a pre-wedding feast at his house and could only find four people to invite, none of whom were his friends" - The film made it clear that he was trying to surround Larisa with high society, not his friends. That was the whole point! He didn't belong in that group.

"the screenplay cliché-ridden" - not at all.

"I was also taken aback by Larissa's easy acquiescence to leaving Juliy for a man, Sergie, who had just ditched her a year ago. She seemed to be resigned to her fate yet raced to get away from Juliy" - Yes, because her mother just made her realize that a marriage with Juliy was going to be a life sentence of misery and shame. On top of that, she is clearly a passionate, spirited girl.

I found it to be a beautifully crafted film about passion and the shackles of social convention set in a stunning period and location.

A little too goody-goody for Western eyes

[frankde-jong · 6/10 · 9 August 2021]

"A cruel romance" was a big success in the Soviet Union. For Western eyes the film is rather goody-goody.

The film was made in the period just after the death of Brezhnev. In this politically unstable period directers didn't dare to treat controversial subjects. A costume drama set in the 19th century was relatively save, criticizing the corruption of pre-revolutionary nobility and civil servants. All the characters in "A cruel romance" are busy keeping up appearances. Sincerity is a luxury that no one seems to be able to afford.

This theme can produce good films such as for example "Sense and sensibility"(1995, Ang Lee). The problem of "A cruel romance" is however that it exaggerates almost everything. Nobody gets drunk in a normal way for example but blind drunk at the very least.

A true love story. Or is it?

[katswaycool · 8/10 · 27 October 2015]

For me, the movie was good and had a lot of great qualities within it. This story of self discovery takes the audience on a roller coaster of emotions throughout the movie.

Larisa Dmitrievna (Larisa Guzeyeva) and her family would have been referred to as the class of the raznochintsy's. They were not peasants, but they were not nobles (they would have had noble descent). Surgey Sergeyevich (Nikita Mikhalkov) was another example of this class. There is also parts of the movie where we see Surgey act kindly towards any social class, including the gypsies, which in Russia's history was around the time when the peasants and serfs of were emancipated. One of the main themes that I noticed was the social obligation that people of the time period had to deal with, such as the women marrying someone with money, or the men marrying a woman with a dowry. Women were usually seen more as objects with money rather than real people. That is clearly shown with Larisa, as she realizes she's only an object for people to auction off. There isn't too much that happens with "true love", because the love the characters had for each other was either lust, or only for money.

As far as character development goes, I think that Juliy Kapitonovich(Andrei Myagkov) has the most. Throughout the movie he is seen as the "little man", and he stays that way more or less, but shows a side of his character you wouldn't expect. He starts off as a quiet man trying to win Larisa's heart, but he is constantly shut down. By the end of the movie, he's showing his anger and shows his true character when he tries to win back Larisa.

All together, I enjoyed the movie and thought the acting was done very well. I also liked the historical significance seen throughout it.

The story follows Larissa in a love triangle within the raznochintsy society.

[galvanoliver · 7/10 · 28 October 2015]

Overall, it was a good romantic movie. The reflections shots that were captured must have been very difficult to capture, but it really added to the camera work. Yes, this movie is mostly about a love triangle, but it gave insight to how life really was in Russian at this time. Women were often treated as property and this movie definitely demonstrates this with Larissa getting tossed back and forth between possible suitors. This movie also touched on the topic of people marrying for wealth not necessarily love. In the movie this happened with Larissa's sisters and including herself Overall, it demonstrated how life was like in the raznochintsy social class of Russia

Another "classic" that disappointed me.

[deanc2000 · 3/10 · 23 December 2012]

I started to watch this film because of all the glowing reviews. The main character is Juliy, who is a postman, and he's trying to court this girl even though everyone just ignores him. The girl is in love with this rich Sergey dude, and he's always showing off to her. She is also being pursued by a banker, but then he gets arrested. Sergey leaves without saying a word, and then now is Juliy chance to win her heart. What does he do? He ruins the whole thing by getting drunk and embarrassing her. So the character I was rooting for the whole time, ends up to be another idiot. Sergey comes back and romances her, but in the end tells her he's engaged.

So, there's no happy ending here, very disappointing.

Rare Masterpiece Transcending The Time and Place

[Zen-2-Zen · 3 June 2011]

I'll try not to spoil the plot for anyone, especially since while you will guess the direction in which the fate of the heroine is moving you won't guess the final resolution till the last moment.

What makes this masterpiece so rare is the confluence of four exceptional artists which allowed unprecedented blending of music into a thriller with well developed characters. Not as a background but as a part of the story. Let's just say that if you skip the lyrics you won't be able to follow the motivation of main characters. This is what allowed it to stand the test of time. I watched it 27 years after it was made and it is as fresh and vibrant as if it was this year's production.

First of the four is of course Ostrovsky who wrote a thriller with character development and emotional story that will keep you guessing to the very end even after you know each character, it's motivation, and sometimes even fate. It's close to knowing that is Titanic going to sink but you can't stop watching since it's the "how" and fine grained aspects that really matter.

Even without the other cinematic elements the play itself would make for a good movie, but for director (Eldar Ryazanov) this is just the beginning. Ryazanov is the principal artist here who takes the credit not just for the exceptional blending of music but also for making the actual big river (Volga) and an old steamboat integral parts of the story and metaphors. One can easily imagine Missisippy and Jazz instead of Gypsy music, or Danube and a Strauss waltz band without any change to the story. He made conceptual structure completely universal while keeping the full flavor of the old Russia.

The composer (Andrei Petrov) is the next artist equally responsible for this rare blend and not just the instrumental part but also vocal, actual poetry used for lyrics and the stylization and blending of Russian Gypsy music.

Last but not least - Nikita Mikhalkov as the male lead and the heart and soul of the ensemble who managed to combine tragic, comic and even musical aspects in impeccable performance with surprising facial and physical acting capabilities.

This is the ensemble play/film, meaning that most actors had to work hard to make their characters alive, but female lead (Larisa Guzeyeva ) deserves special praise for effective blending of dramatic and musical aspects doubling up as narrative. Also, there are virtually no precision cutting tricks (director cutting into replicas to make it look like less capable actors actually played emotions and transitions). Scenes are mostly filmed in long shots with minimal editing. Just that aspect provides the quality an order of magnitude above a comparable Hollywood production. It's not that it's not doable but that the cost of production would be prohibitively high to reach that level.

And in the end I will say (А напоследок я скажу :-) this is one of the films to keep and watch again every several years. Like the big river, it constantly flows, and is constantly fresh.

Was Juliy that Frindless?

[anthony_retford · 9/10 · 9 June 2010]

My wife and I just watched A Cruel Romance last night and both of us agreed it was a good film that was tragic.

I wondered though why Juliy had no friends at all. He gave a pre-wedding feast at his house and could only find four people to invite, none of whom were his friends? I thought that was unreasonable and detracted from the story. Even Larissa's mother did not participate at the feast when if she had she could have headed off the plot against Juliy. Yet at the other gatherings we saw many people, most of whom were repeaters. They were at Larissa's house, with Juliy present, so why were not any of these invited? I was also taken aback by Larissa's easy acquiescence to leaving Juliy for a man, Sergie, who had just ditched her a year ago. She seemed to be resigned to her fate yet raced to get away from Juliy. Her decency would have come into play and prevented her from such a flighty move.

Classic live

[sunlion · 23 February 2004]

I read a comment from one of the readers that he has a difficulty understanding the film from the Western point of view. At least this time the viewer admits having problems with crossing the cultural boundary. Film is not riddled with cliches, it`s theatrical and highly artistic. It should be viewed almost as a poem translated into reality. It doest`n ask from actors just stand there and act natural, it asks for a brilliant, almost satirical work, which is performed in this movie perfectly. Realism is not the goal here. And yet, story like that very well could happened at that time, to the smallest details.

Gender Inequality In 19th Century Russia

[dlloyd505 · 28 October 2015]

Film Review: Cruel Romance Cruel Romance is a 1984 Classic Russian film made in the final years of Soviet Russia. The film stars Larisa Guzeeva as Larisa and Nikita Mikhalkov as Paratov. Larisa is a 19th century noble women that is stuck in the difficult position of trying to pick a suitor that she love while in a society where love a marriage are inextricable linked to one's wealth and the amount of social and capital gain that can be had from arranged marriages.

Overall, Cruel Romance is a very enjoyable representation of Russia as it is engulfed in a cultural, social and political flux. We see the influence and variety of the growing middle class, also known as raznochintsy, in Russia as the nobles are making attempts to keep their societal position. Although Cruel Romance ends in despair, we are shown a very detailed and complicated picture of the gender roles, and the rights that accompanied those roles, within Russia during this tumultuous in Russia's history. The film does waver on the side of over dramatic at times; however, the quality of the cinematography and editing overshadows much of the rather corny moments in the film.

There are several themes that Cruel Romance seems to repeatedly emphasize throughout the film. One of the subtler, yet consistently emphasized themes throughout the film, is the presentation of women, particularly Larisa, as objects instead of people. Although many would say that this theme is not subtle at all, due to the fact that almost every man that is presented in the film in some way or another tries to purchase the rights to Larisa, there are other aspects of the film that would suggest that women are property to be owned and not people to be won over by love and affection. An aspect that presents this idea, while being largely unannounced, is the fact that we are constantly seeing Larisa through glass. Although some may see this as simple necessity due to space constrictions, in actuality it is meant to have us see Larisa as if she were an item displayed in a shop window. This aspect is finally emphasized in the final moments as we see Larisa sliding across the front of the boat looking at each of her would be buyers through the class, each recognizing her as an item, which cannot be bought.

Of coarse, the problem of gender inequality is not a problem that is secular to Russia nor is it a fictional issue. Although it was much worse in the 19th century, gender inequality is still a major issue today. However, Cruel Romance focuses on primarily arranged marriages and the role that a woman or man's dowry played in those marriages. This of coarse was a very real issue in Russia during the 19th century. With the rising raznochintsy class in Russia, we saw a whole new wave of suitors that depended entirely on their economic value due to the fact that they had no official title. This is displayed very well throughout the movie as Larisa is torn between suitors. An almost comical assembly of these suitors is scene towards the end at Larisa's fiancé's dinner party. Overall, I would say if you enjoy tragic romances and would like an interesting look into another culture of the 19th century than Cruel Romance is for you.