Russian films about the zone and prison: list of the best, actors, summary

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

An old Russian proverb says: "Do not renounce money and prison." This folk wisdom reflected the traditional attention with which the common man looks at what is happening on the other side of the bars or barbed wire. And modern Russian films about the zone and the prison, the list of which is quite extensive, to a large extent satisfy this curiosity.

What to watch and what to ignore

Not only in modern Russian, but throughout the world cinema, one of the most popular is the action genre, with the obligatory intrigue and dynamism of developing events. The most characteristic products of this genre are endless narratives about the adventures of policemen and thieves. And films that show the results of the work of the police and the police are their logical continuation. For, as Vladimir Vysotsky's character Gleb Zheglov articulated, "A thief must be in prison!" Russian films about the zone and the prison may well satisfy the attention of an ordinary viewer to this topic. The list of them is able to amaze with variety. It also includes fundamental works of Russianthe classics "Kalina Krasnaya" by Vasily Shukshin and "In the First Circle" based on the novel of the same name by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. And quite passable production of television serials. Here it is important not to make a mistake with the choice and determine for yourself what exactly you want to see. And also, one should not forget that Russian films about the zone and the prison, the list of which is updated every year, are mainly created by those who themselves have seen this zone and the prison only on TV in their lives.

"Zone" on screen

Of course, not everything is equally miserable in works on criminal and prison topics. The Zone is quite worthy of attention - a series that has become widely known due to the fact that its prime-time show on the NTV channel was interrupted in the eighth series due to outraged public protests. Later, the audience was able to watch the film. But he walked only late at night.

The project has its fans. The audience's attention was justified. "Zone" - a series that makes you empathize with the main characters. And this is the most important component of the success of any work of art. The film has many storylines, both intersecting and completely autonomous. We should pay tribute to the authors of this work - they themselves were not convicted under criminal articles, but they studied the material conscientiously. The series is marked by many bright acting works, this is manifested in the roles of both the first and second plan. The film embodies the complex and multi-level intrigue in the relationship between convicts andadministration. Watching its development, the viewer has the right to ask the question: "On which side of the dividing line is there a large concentration of crime?"

About love

One of the brightest works on the criminal theme was the full-length film "Prison Romance", released on the big screens in 1993. It is based on the real story of the escape from the St. Petersburg prison "Crosses" of the suspect Maduev. He managed to break free with the help of a pistol, which was given to him by the investigator in his case, Natalya Vorontsova.

At one time, this unusual love affair made a lot of noise and caused a significant resonance in the media. The artistic arrangement of history on the screen has a very distant relation to it. But the audience "Prison Romance" was remembered primarily by the brilliant acting work of Alexander Abdulov, Marina Neyolova, Aristarkh Livanov and Yuri Kuznetsov.

At the turn of the eras

Russian cinema can be distinguished from Soviet cinema at first sight. This is due to the fact that along with the collapse of the Soviet Union, many prohibitions for the masters of cinematography also disappeared. Released in 1990, the film "Nicknamed the Beast" is interesting in that the Soviet historical era in it ended several years earlier than it actually was. The protagonist of this story, a former Afghan warrior Savely Govorkov, fights alone against a whole gang. And he emerges victorious in this fight.

He sweeps away everything that gets in his way, including prison bars and barbed wire. The action takes place in full accordance with all the canons of the Hollywood western. It is hard to believe that the film "Nicknamed the Beast" directed by Alexander Muratov was filmed back in the Soviet Union. Starring in it were such stars as Dmitry Pevtsov, Boris Shcherbakov and Armen Dzhigarkhanyan.

"Escape". Series by American standards

In world cinema, it is not something exceptional that a particular film or a whole series is based on an already existing work. Sometimes this is done even without changing the name of the original source. Released on television in 2012, "Escape" is a series of just such a format. It is an adaptation of the American television product of the same name. The plot is based on the story of two brothers, people from the social classes. By the will of circumstances, they are involved in a powerful whirlwind of criminal and political intrigues.

The whirlpool of events brings the heroes behind the barbed wire. The action of the film is quite dynamic and does not allow the viewer to relax. Everything corresponds to the laws of the genre, but it's hard to say - whose merit is in this. The authors of the adaptation? Or an American original? This work is one of the unfinished. A sequel has been announced. It is possible that in the new season it will sparkle with new unexpected colors. The potential for this has not yet been exhausted.

Unfinished series

Viewers of the series"Special Purpose Prison", released in 2006, is still waiting for its continuation. Events are perceived as not quite completed. The action in the film takes place in the harsh northern region, within the walls of a former monastery. There is the only prison in Russia for pardoned murderers. An Orthodox priest Father Pavel, whose monastic status does not allow him to take up arms, comes into conflict with the bandits planning to escape. And he successfully copes with the forces of evil that are many times superior to him. In this, the combat experience gained in his youth in Afghanistan helped the priest.

This film is not marked by a particularly striking script or director's decisions, as well as acting work. There is no information about its possible continuation yet.

Set of stamps

The recently shown series "Citizen boss" did not become a bright event. This film is based on the adaptation of the novel of the same name by Faina Samoilova. Its plot is as pretentious as it is uncomplicated.

Teacher of the higher police school Irina learns that her lover has been arrested on false charges. Soon he is sentenced, and a brave woman, leaving a prestigious job in Moscow, rushes to rescue him from captivity. The events of the film do not give the impression of authenticity, and the performers of the main roles, perhaps, do not themselves believe in what they portray. However, there is nothing unusual about this. The same can be said for most regular television series. It creates an impression. that they are stampedon the same assembly line by unconscious screenwriters, actors and directors.

Some conclusions about what was seen on the screen

There is not the slightest possibility within the framework of one article to list all Russian films about the zone and the prison. Their list is constantly growing. And not only in length, due to the appearance of new works in it, but also in breadth - the continuation of successful works has long been a good tradition. For this, even special terms have been coined - "sequel" and "prequel". The latter means that the action of the real film precedes the one that became famous. But if you make a list of the top three Russian films on a prison theme, then it will look like this:

• "In the first circle".
• "Zone".
• "Escape".

Of course, any such lists are highly arbitrary and always subjective.