Gorky Park Reviews

I was completely intrigued by the synopsis of this one, but fairly disappointed with the film. Many boring bits throughout, but one you want to stick with to find out the outcome. It wasn't all bad, the plot was a pretty interesting one, just far too drawn out.

When three mutilated bodies are found in Moscow's Gorky Park, Chief Militia Renko suspects KGB involvement and wants to drop the case. Encouraged to continue by his superior, his suspicions are eventually confirmed but he uncovers a larger plot involving the friend of one of the victims and an American furrier who trades in rare sable pelts.

This is my favourite Cold War thriller - despite the fact that it's got nothing to do with the Cold War - based on a great book by Martin Cruz Smith filled with action and intrigue and with a first-rate script by Dennis Potter, bursting with dramatic tension and character nuance. Its best feature is the marvellous casting by Mary Selway; Hurt is sensational as Renko, a brilliantly atypical hero, gaunt and pale-faced, dogged and relentless, drab but passionate, double-crossed and always on the receiving end of beatings, but indefatigable in his pursuit. He's supported by three great actors; the elfin, amazing-looking Pacula as the key witness Irina, the solid, ever-reliable Dennehy as a New York cop whose brother was one of the victims, and the iconic Marvin, in one of his last great roles, as the decadent furrier out to smash the Russian sable monopoly. The all-British supporting cast is equally full of great players, notably McDiarmid as a creepy professor and comedians Fulton and Sayle as a KGB Major and informant respectively. Made prior to the lifting of the ban on filming in Russia, the movie was shot in Helsinki, but Paul Sylbert's production design does a fantastic job of putting us in snowy Moscow, filled with food- lines, little Lada cars and Romanov architecture. Even better is James Horner's fabulous driving score, which ramps up the tension and batters the viewer into submission at all the key moments. Filled with quotable dialogue (when Renko borrows his lawyer friend's gun, the friend says, "It's a lawyer's special issue. It probably won't shoot straight."), great scenes, rich characters and mesmerising performances, this a superb thriller from the sporadically-brilliant Apted (check out his Continental Divide and Gorillas In The Mist as well) that is not to be missed.

Very typical 80s British slow-burn crime thriller, with the Moscow setting and Russian characters just a gimmick. It was filmed in Helsinki, and the protagonist would've made a perfect James Bond, watch it for 80s nostalgia rather than Russian culture.

It's not without its flaws (especially as it's all filmed in Finland rather than Russia) but "Gorky Park" was one of the "must see" films of the 80s. Some of the action is a little bit rushed and, unlike the book, the plot tends to lurch along rather than develop smoothly. William Hurt does a good job with the material available though.

An international murder conspiracy over...sable coats. Thrilling. Weird seeing the Emperor in another role; I wonder if he felt UNLIMITED POWER in reconstructing those heads.

The cold war era, so many little movies around such, supposed paranoid subjects. This was one of the good ones because it doesn't play it as plain good guy-bad guy.

But the mystery still comes up pretty flimsy. Aside from that, it's a pretty good movie. I like the conflicted William Hurt character and Dennehy's US Joe. Marvin was probably a stretch but, why not - it's Lee Marvin! More so, is there ever a time when a movie with a Russian setting doesn't look like a nuclear winter?

Gorky Park (1983)

I was always a big fan of Martin Cruz Smith's mystery novels about the Russian police inspector Arkady Renko. I rushed out to see this movie and was sorely disappointed in it. It's an alright movie, but it really wondered-off from the original book. There's a little too much Reaganesque propaganda in this movie.

Three bodies are discovered buried in the snow in Moscow's Gorky Park. Their faces have been removed to hide their identity. Arkady Renko (William Hurt) and his investigative team are on the case. The book is an excellent police procedural, very much like the CSI television series, following various leads while dealing with socialist bureaucracy, and diminished resources, like when their old, beat-up Zhiguli breaks down trying to follow a suspect in a Mercedes.

The movie sort of comes off like these guys are ultra paranoid of their government, when in actuality, they're pretty high up on the food chain, and the sinister forces are more the American capitalist, Jack Osborne (perfectly played by Lee Marvin). Sure the police suspect KGB, but there are a lot of other potential suspects to go around including a beautiful girl, Irina Asanova (Joanna Pacula) and even a Russian-speaking American cop William Kirwill (Brian Dennehy) who's investigating a Sable smuggling ring.

The audience was really robbed when the movie didn't show Renko going to the U.S. to retrieve his valuable cargo. It was a nice effort for the time, but they really could have done better with this. Still it's worth watching when it comes on TV.

I never understood MGM (and Hollywood's) fascination with movies in the USSR. Were they trying to market to their audiences? Why? The Soviets banned most Western movies during the Cold War. I wish they would've banned this stateside. Total drek.

A really disturbing film when it came out. Some of it's really over the top, some of it is really cool. Based on a true story. I saw this when i was very young. The thing was that the box's only reveiw was from "Playboy Magazine"... which confused me when i was young.

The most authentic depiction of the USSR in the history of Hollywood. While all the Russian scenes were shot in Finland's capital Helsinki (architecturally very similar to Russian cities), the attention to detail is astonishing - from cars and street signs to clothing and documents. And none of that horrible Hollywood "Russian accent". The plot is a little far-fetched and somewhat hard to follow at times, but the movie is a real thriller, with excellent acting, especially from William Hurt.

An interesting murder mystery set behind the iron curtain.

if i tell you the main reason this is one of my favorite films, i'll spoil it for you. if you haven't seen it yet or if you're watching it again, the ending is . . . marvelous.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

(1983) Gorky Park
MYSTERY

Emotionless John LeCarre adaption of the same name which was made, just after the Cold War which the setting is Russia involves the discovery of three bodies with faces that're carved out and William Hurt as the Moscow police searching for answers with very few moscow officers assisting him, like two for instance! Similar to "Cop Land" with Sylvestor Stallone and Harvy Keitel!

A movie that doesn't really have a mystery and no suspense, no clues but with one unemotional scene after the next. Russia is a gorgeous place to look at, but looks so depressingly dreary here! I can get more excitement watching paint dry than to sit still watching this!

1.5 out of 4

Found the story intriguing, but was distracted by the fact that only one of the cast had a Russian accent -- the rest ranged from poor attempts which sounded either cockney or a more upper class English. Very distracting in spite of decent acting job.

Eh....definitely shows its age. Acting is good, plot is just complicated enough to not be too predictable, but it never really surprises, and it dragged on a little too much. It was good to see Lee Marvin in something other than the "Dirty Dozen".

William Hurt puts on a great performance and Lee Marvin also does well as the films villian. I would say the only drawback is that it can feel a little slow at times

Stilted. Worst role for William Hurt ever.

Michael Apted is a skilled director that has brought us several works of art and some thrilling social pictures (The Coal Miner's Daughter, Gorillas in the Mist, Blink). With Gorky Park, Apted attempts to combine the two elements of social structure and craftsmanship into one piece and it ends up falling short in more than just these areas. From the very beginning our senses are injured from both the musical score and most importantly, the accents from the actors (or lack thereof). Even though Hurt is speaking English, which, for an American film is not unheard of, but there is no accent or even a hint of one. Even Harrison Ford attempted to pull off an accent in K-19. Hurt is also a feeble detective and is really kind of a wimp. Sometimes being weak is ok for a protagonist but not here, not to me. I needed some backbone and stature from Hurt, not the Accidental Tourist but more like the magnitude he mustered up in A History of Violence.

In fact, I can't defend any performance in this film. From Hurt to Dennehey to the worst: Pacula (who for some reason nominated for a Golden Globe). All these individuals appear sloppy and empty. How Hurt and Pacula "fell in love" is laughable yet we are expected to take their instant chemistry seriously. Basically every scene Dennehey is in he grumbles out nonsense and usually storms out of sight quickly. Even Marvin defies logic as he fires a bolt action deer rifle (from the hip) one handed fifty yards across a field to successfully take out a few bad guys. I don't have to explain that one, it is just weak and unacceptable. This is not a matinee action flick, it is supposed to be taken seriously (or perhaps I'm mistaken). Lately, I have tried to see more of Hurt's films and performances, either again or for the first time. Some I really like (Body Heat, The Big Chill) and some I will have to leave behind.

The initial crime scene does stand out and it really set us up for a mystery thrill ride. It even opens up the lines to let in a star studded cast onboard. The trouble is that the director never takes the brake off and everyone sits still making small talk hoping for some motion. It is a potential roller coaster that never leaves the station. The three victims in the beginning are murdered and their faces are removed. Sounds brutal and demands justice, enough to get me worked up trying to figure it all out. But soon after we get introduced to the details of the crime and more of the cast, most of the story then drags on to the mundane and back and forth sequences that don't amount to much. The director captures imagination and then has the puppets dance around for what seems like an eternity all to find out what the murders and cover up was all about. I'll leave the rodent details for anyone who wants to open that door. I was going to consider the potential this film had in assessing the grade but since I eventually started laughing towards the end, I felt it was not even good enough to take pity points into consideration for. (F)

pretty good Russian police mystery action flic. Not really what I expected but it was pretty good....for a old film. kind of odd how everyone speaks perfect English the entire time....

(***): Thumbs Up

A well-acted mystery/thriller.