Underplayed Gems

A Cruel Romance (1984)

A Cruel Romance poster
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
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this film is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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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)

More like this

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