Poruchik Kizhe

Name: Poruchik Kizhe
Released: 1934
Rating: 67.57
Cast: Erast Garin, Sofiya Magarill, Mikhail Rostovtsev, Mikhail Yanshin, Boris Gorin-Goryainov

1934

Comedy, Drama

1h 27m

A sarcastic comedy about the Russian-Soviet bureaucracy, based on the eponymous novella by Yuri Tynyanov. Set in the reign of Emperor Paul I. A copying error by a military scribe turns the Russian words for "the lieutenants, however" into what looks like "lieutenant Kizhe". The Tsar reads the error, and wants to meet this (non-existent) Lieutenant Kizhe. His courtiers are at first too frightened to contradict the Tsar, but then the fiction turns out to be all too convenient for them. (imdb)

AKA:

Lieutenant Kizhe

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

IMDb

Update history

Suggest edit

Poruchik Kizhe

1934

Comedy, Drama

1h 27m

Your probable score

Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Avg Percentile 67.61% from 4 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

(4)

Compact view

clear

Compact view

Show

Sort

Timon88

Rated 15 Jul 2018

An important piece of movie history. The first Soviet "talkie" was not released until 1931, so this is a very early effort in the field, and as such, technically no worse than other very early American talkies. It satirizes the eternal Russian problem of bureaucracy/idiocracy in a style best described as slapstick, yet slowed way down (it works). It's wonderful to hear the famous Prokofiev score in its original context, and Sofiya Magarill proves herself a charming comic actress.

Rated 15 Jul 2018

Report

PUNQ

Rated 07 Apr 2013

Wonderfully absurd! To hell with the primitive sound editing and dubbing. The story and how it was visually told was pure excellence! I loved it! Poruchik Kizhe (aka Lieutenant Kizhe, or the English title - The Czar Wants to Sleep) is definitely not a movie for everyone and the very Russian way of making it will turn many off, but if one get on the same wavelength with this eccentric debut movie by Aleksandr Faintsimmer, it's one rewarding experience.

Rated 07 Apr 2013

Report