The Barber of Siberia
The Barber of Siberia (Сибирский цирюльник, translit. Sibirskiy tsiryulnik) is a 1998 Russian film that re-united the Academy Award-winning team of director Nikita Mikhalkov and producer Michel Seydoux. It was screened out of competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival.[1] The film was selected as the Russian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.[2][3]
| The Barber of Siberia | |
|---|---|
 Original Russian language poster | |
| Directed by | Nikita Mikhalkov |
| Produced by | Michel Seydoux |
| Written by | Nikita Mikhalkov Rustam Ibragimbekov Rospo Pallenberg |
| Starring | Julia Ormond Richard Harris Oleg Menshikov Aleksei Petrenko Marina Neyolova Vladimir Ilyin Daniel Olbrychski David Nykl |
| Music by | Eduard Artemyev Anatoly Dokumentov |
| Cinematography | Pavel Lebeshev |
| Edited by | Enzo Meniconi |
Release date |
|
Running time | 180 minutes |
| Country | Russia France Italy Czech Republic United States |
| Language | Russian English |
Plot
Jane Callahan (Julia Ormond), a beautiful American lady, writes to her son, a cadet at a famous military academy, about a long kept secret. Twenty years ago she arrived in Russia to assist Douglas McCracken (Richard Harris), an obsessive engineer who needs the Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich's patronage to sponsor his invention, a massive machine to harvest the forests. On her travels, she meets two men who would change her life forever: a handsome young cadet Andrej Tolstoy (Oleg Menshikov) with whom she shares a fondness for opera, and the powerful General Radlov who is entranced by her beauty and wants to marry her. Tolstoy and Radlov, much to the surprise and indignation of the latter, become rivals for Jane's love. She confides a deep secret to Tolstoy, promises to marry him, and together they spend a passionate night of love. But later he overhears Jane denying her interest in him to the General, in order to win the general's favour and be granted an audience with the Grand Duke. Distraught, Tolstoy attacks the General who arrests his young rival on false charges and banishes him to Siberia to seven years of hard labor and a further five years of exile.
Cast
- Julia Ormond – Jane Callahan
- Richard Harris – Douglas McCracken
- Oleg Menshikov – Andrei Tolstoi / Andrew McCracken
- Aleksei Petrenko – General Radlov
- Marina Neyolova – Andrei Tolstoi's mother
- Vladimir Ilyin – Captain Mokin
- Daniel Olbrychski – Kopnovsky
- Anna Mikhalkova – Douniacha
- Marat Basharov – Polievsky
- Nikita Tatarenkov – Alibekov
- Artyom Mikhalkov – Buturlin
- Georgiy Dronov – Cadet Nazarov (as Yegor Dronov)
- Avangard Leontyev – Andrei's uncle
- Robert Hardy – Forsten
- Elizabeth Spriggs – Perepyolkina
- Nikita Mikhalkov – Tsar Alexander III
Music
- Chopin – Nocturne in D-flat major, Op. 27, No. 2. Jane plays the piece while General Radlov proposes to her.
- Mozart – Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 II Adagio. This is the movement that Jane's son plays to convince his drill sergeant that "Mozart was a great composer".
See also
- List of submissions to the 71st Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film
- List of Russian submissions for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
References
- "Festival de Cannes: The Barber of Siberia". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 11 October 2009.
- Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
- "45 Countries Submit Films for Oscar Consideration". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. 19 November 1998. Archived from the original on 19 February 1999. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
External links
- Official website (in Russian)
- The Barber of Siberia at AllMovie
- The Barber of Siberia on IMDb
- Trailer and Screenshots
- The Barber of Siberia stirs controversy Sergei Blagov, Asia Times, 17 April 1999.
- The Barber of Siberia at Rotten Tomatoes