Prestuplenie i nakazanie

First, I should admit that I have never read the novel on which this movie is based. Therefore, I don't know how well I can review the movie. But even so, I will say that "Prestupleniye i nakazaniye" (called "Crime and Punishment" in English) really chills you. We see how Raskolnikov completely loses his mind in the aftermath of his deeds. The black and white photography - plus the bleak, eerie setting - help give that feeling.

I don't know whether or not this is the best adaptation ever of Dostoyevsky's novel, but it's certainly not one that you're likely to forget. It's as chilling as St. Petersburg looks. I definitely recommend it.

PS: the name Rodion Raskolnikov describes his character. "Rodion" comes from the word meaning birth (implying rebirth), and "Raskolnikov" comes from the word meaning schism (implying mental breakdown).

Many scholars agree, that Fjodor Dostoevsky is a writer, whose works are notoriously hard to adapt into movies. This is not solely due to the length of many of his later novels, but because of the author's psychological storytelling, and the importance of inner monologue in his works. I've read "Crime and Punishment" twice, I really like it, and it's my favorite of his books next to "The Brothers Karamazov". If the adaptations of "Karamazov" have a nasty way of turning into simplified "whodunnits", the adaptations of "Crime and Punishment" are often tempted to become "perfect crime" narratives, if not straight-up Columbo episodes.

This being said, I usually have a fondness for adaptations of this novel, just like I have toward adaptations of Shakespeare's Hamlet or MacBeth. Even if the films are not masterful, they might still greatly benefit from the source material and stand out above average. The version by Sternberg and Peter Lorre is comically short, but has a certain charm. The same goes for the modernized treatment of Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki. Just because adapting Dostoevsky is hard, doesn't mean you can't try it.

This adaptation, by director Lev Kulidzhanov, is often hailed as one of the best "Crime and Punishment" adaptations. And it is very good. Due to the lengthy duration clocking in at almost four hours, this film has time for proper character development and thorough depiction of Raskolnikov's agony. And the visuals of the whole thing serve it great. This film is black and white, but most often it's really nothing but gray in its color palette, making it feel like a fever dream that refuses to end. It's dead calm and tormenting, which fits the novel perfectly.

The lack of a novel-like storyteller in a movie is fixed by giving the characters long monologues and dialogues, that can last small eternities. This really adds some feel of the book to the film. There are minor differences and things omitted from film, but this is always the case with adaptations, and not against the law. If some versions show Raskolnikov commit his crime mostly because of his Nietzche-like super-mensch theories, this adaptation stresses the financial difficulties that he faces. I love the look of his apartment in this film, with his living quarters being much smaller than in some western adaptations. When the protagonist has visitors, which is nearly always, it feels like they are really pressing towards his skin. This film is very claustrophobic.

My favorite character in this adaptation, and in most adaptations, is Porfiri, who is played in quiet determination by Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy. This was my favorite performance in the film, the character is sparingly used and many of his lines are kept in tact from the novel. The Raskolnikov in this version is one of the most distant, and least-relatable I have seen in any film. This might have to do with the subtle way, that the lead performance has been written and directed. He has many great scenes too.

In conclusion, in all areas of film-making, this Soviet film has merits to it. Though it's not perfect, and no adaption can beat the book, it's dark, ambitious, made with determination and appreciation for the source text.

Despite a 3 hour 40 minute running time, this film just scrapes the surface of Dostoevsky's great novel. It manages to lose all trace of the (usually bleak) humor that pervades the work and also every hint of the religious message that provides the underpinning of the story. Despite these reservations, this film is nonetheless worth seeing for the performances -- especially those of Georgi Taratorkin as Raskolnikov and Yefim Kopelyan as Svidrigailov. Innokenti Smoktunovsky appears as a quirky Police Inspector on Raskolnikov's trail. The film also does a good job of depicting the shabby milieu in which Raskolnikov lives. This is slated for release on DVD, one of these days, by Ruscico.

Crime & Punishment being one of my favorite books, I've been trying to find a film adaptation that does the book justice. This is it! Prior to this version, I'd attempted to watch a couple American versions, which were loosely based on the novel but, of the few I found, I couldn't get through the first five minutes. This Russian adaptation, on the other hand, sucked me in immediately. Georgi Taratorkin was near perfection as the paranoid intellectual, Raskolnikov. On all accounts, the roles were well cast, the book's characters coming alive in three dimension on the screen. The screenplay also translated well from Dostoevsky's original, which is rare. And the film editing, though dated and in black-and-white, I would argue reflected the book's dark storyline. Great movie, and even greater book!

Anyone with a love of Dostoyevsky's classic novel cannot fail to be enraptured by this marvellous film. It captures the heart and soul of that complex tale more closely than any other version. Perhaps this is because it is Russian, for there are those who believe non-Russians require a leap of imagination to grasp the meaning of Crime and Punishment. And I believe that Dostoyevsky himself would have liked this film!

The picture is visually stunning and the casting is immaculate. Some of the performances are quite breathtaking; Georgi Taratorkin is totally convincing as the haunted, conflicted Raskolnikov, depths of emotions playing in his dark, expressive eyes; Maya Bulgakova tugs at the heartstrings as the wretched Katerina Ivanovna; Innokenti Smoktunovsky puts in a masterly performance as Porfiry, playing him with a regretful, fatherly air whilst Tatyana Bedova is simply sublime as a beautiful, fragile, holy Sonia.

It is a darkly claustrophobic film and flicking the pause button can seem like coming up for air - but that's the point - that's just how reading the novel feels! The film has been described as lumbering - but I longed for it to last even longer!

The print isn't the best quality and the subtitles are sometimes difficult to read - but persevere if you can...it's worth it...it's a masterpiece.