Ben Kingsley in a comedy? Oops, this slow, slow, slow film was anything but...yet even if you expect the classic tale, this will have you giggling at just how far a film can go wrong, as if Mobil Masterpiece Theatre got taken over by the Acme Film Company for a night.
The main character Rodya is a teacher activist, angry that the Tzar lives so well while people beg for food in the streets. To make matters worse, an old lady who pawns things seems even less compassionate, and Rodya feels that she should be killed as a symbol of his country's injustice. But his quick emotional plan goes badly awry, which is where he meets police investigator Kingsley, who suspects him from the start, warning him that the guilt will soon consume him and drive him mad. A few surrounding subplots of romance but nothing worth noting...
This tale may have been a classic but the accents here leave you thinking of Kenneth Mars doing his Russian parody in "What's Up, Doc?" But that was a comedy! And it's tough to get those voices out of your head so you can watch the story. And although they tried to portray the poverty of the time, it somehow all doesn't seem real; even the minimal rich man/poor girl story leaves you yawning. A "Dr. Zhivago" this ain't...
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