A Cruel Romance (1984)

Original title

Жестокий романс

Directed by

Eldar Ryazanov

Genre

drama film, romance film

Country

Soviet Union

Runtime

2h 25m

Rating

7.2 of 10 from 64 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A young woman in 19th century Russia falls for a charismatic but dishonest man who pursues her for sport. Her desperate love leads to betrayal and tragedy.

melancholicpassionatemeasuredromanticsorrowfuldramaticpoeticvisually lush

What happens

A Cruel Romance (Russian: Жестокий романс, romanized: Zhestokiy romans) is a 1984 Russian romantic drama directed by Eldar Ryazanov. It is based on Alexander Ostrovsky's classic play Without a Dowry (1878). which had earlier been adapted into a film in 1937. The main female role was played by Larisa Guzeyeva in her cinematic debut. The film was shot on location in the Upper Volga region, including Kostroma. It features a set of Russian romances written by Bella Akhmadulina, Marina Tsvetaeva and Eldar Ryazanov, composed by Andrey Petrov and Nina Shatskaya and performed by Valentina Ponomaryova. These songs have gained widespread popularity in Russia. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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