Cidadão X

"Citizen X" tells the story of "The Butcher of Rostov", nickname for a heinous and perverse Russian serial killer who claimed 52 lives from 1978-92. The film focuses on the novice detective (Rea) who doggedly pursued the killer against all odds in the face of an uncooperative bureaucracy in self-serving and convenient denial. An HBO product for t.v., the film offers a solid cast, good performances, spares the audience much of the grisly details, but plays out like a docudrama sans the stylistics of similar Hollywood fare. An even and straight-forward dramatization of a serious and comparatively little known story more interesting than "Jack the Ripper". (B)

I remember following the case of Andre Chicatillo in the newspapers while I was living in South Africa. They had photos of him sitting in his cage while being prosecuted in court. Not, as it turned out, to protect the court members, but to protect him from the public. This was fascinating, albeit morbid, reading. I later heard that a film had been made by HBO about the case, but it was made for American TV. Bummed! Strangely, CITIZEN X got a limited cinematic release in South Africa. I charged down to the local Ster Kinekor complex and duly bought a ticket (I was alone; my girlfriend at the time was only interested in the likes of STEEL MAGNOLIAS and FRIED GREEN TOMATOES). Wow! What a brilliant film. Why wasn't it released to a wider audience? Had it not been made for TV, it could have got an Oscar nomination or 2. There is no way to spoil the ending; who the killer is is never kept from the audience. Jeffrey DeMunn portrays a truly terrifying psycho. He is calm, downtrodden, considered a failure by his wife and subjected to constant ridicule and humiliation by his superiors at work. By committing these horrendous acts, he gets to feel strong, powerful.

Fighting to catch him against all odds is a pathologist, played to excellent turn by Stephen Rea, in one of his strongest performances. He must battle the snail-pace of Russian bureaucracy, the primitive resources he has at his disposal and (above all) the refusal by his superiors to acknowledge that the USSR even has a serial killer. The general in charge (Joss Ackland) says that serial killers are "a decadent, Western phenomenon". Only Donald Sutherland is willing to help, but his help must be under the counter. The ever-brilliant Max Von Sydow plays a Russian psychiatrist who breaks protocol and decides to help the investigators in their quest. It is the first time in Russian history that a shrink is used to build a profile of a serial killer still on the loose, and he has everything to lose if his involvement is made public.

CITIZEN X is brilliantly acted, well written and the music and editing only add to the tension and theme of the film. Excellent support from a horribly underused Imelda Staunton and a real sense of impending doom make CITIZEN X a film worth seeing. This was too good to be made for TV

Imagine being so hampered by a bureaucracy that a one man spends 8 year's of his life, and has a mental breakdown trying to solve a mass murder case virtually by himself! The murder technique is clear, but a government unwilling to admit the truth let's a monster destroy dozens of lives. When I think my job is stressful, I merely remember the true story behind this wonder flick. The devotion to duty of the main character was masterfully portrayed by Rea. The comic (and almost tragic at times) relationship between Rea and the Sutherland character made this one of my favorite movies of the last 5 years. The catching of one of the worst mass murderers in history had me on the edge of my seat. While not nearly as well advertised and talked about as "Silence of the Lamb's", the plot was just as suspenseful. Rent or buy this movie today!

Citizen X is one of those films where you don't just wait to see who the killer finally was the enjoy the rolling end credits. This movie is a very taut and tense affair. It has minimal dialogue, less locations and that's what makes it almost theatrical. The story is about the serial killer manhunt in Communist Russia in the 1980s. Stephen Rea, his is a master subdued performance, is the main intelligence incharge, who is helped in his search by a Colonel, played by Donald Sutherland. The movie takes its time to unfold the sequences. there is no rush of fast editing, loud action sequences or shouting dialogue. It's an underplay all the away, and the performances, and setting encourages that. An unforgettable Docu-drama, i would recommend CITIZEN X to everyone who like drama movies.

This is very hooking movie,but you can immediately tell that it is straight to DVD or made-for-TV. If you are not familiar with the story of Andrey Chikatillo,you better read a few articles about this event.For unfamiliar minds this movie might get choppy,because there is not enough explanation or motives and also to define dramatization from reality. In reality,citizen X actually was more brutal then depicted in the movie,dramatization again maybe,but you must know the truth. Also movie needs to be focused on Chikatillo a little bit more,because we don't really understand his motives.He has them,except then sexual,his origins are also pretty important. Also,if you live outside former USSR (i was born here),you shouldn't take the depiction of USSR as real.Because this more looks like Hungara,where it was shot.In real 80s,we already had culture,hippies,disco and other stuff.No grannies and mustached farmers like there. I am not very old,but i remember those times,and documentaries made about it.It was far more dirtier,then in the movie. But overall,it is VERY enjoyable movie.I recommend it as one of the few dramatic movies about USSSR without matreshkas,vodkas,balalaikas,snow and bears.In fact,i never seen any of those.