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[peacetraveler22]

Last night I sat in France, drank wine and watched this older Russian film. Good! I liked it, and we found a version with good English subtitles. It's interesting to see the vast winter landscapes which I've driven across so many times on film. Some humorous moments in the movie, but overall it's sad and depressing. The interaction between the main criminals and the Russian cops was especially amusing. What are some similar films about criminals or prison life in post-Soviet Russia? Please recommend, and I will look for versions with decent subtitles so I can understand the story. Otherwise, I'm completely lost when natives are speaking. Thanks! :) 

Comments

[blueswinka.livejournal.com]

Жмурки is a pretty good dark comedy, I can recommend it. I googled English subtitles just now and it seems they exist.
Бригада was a cult series. I haven't seen it, but I know about it.
Брат is also a cult movie, and as a cult movie it is pretty good. I am not sure one can call it a movie about criminals or prison life, but close enough:)

[gella-key.livejournal.com]

I agree. Жмурки is a must. But, when watching with subtitles, be sure, you've got the explanation of the very title and the idea itself. There is a word-play. Жмур means a deadman in criminal slang. And жмурки is a blind man's buff (a children's game). Зажмуриться means 'to close one's eyes tight' and also 'to die' in criminal slang. All these are cognate words, explaining the idea of the film.

[savin0ff.livejournal.com]

"Жмурки"
"Брат"
"Брат-2"

[sasadad.livejournal.com]

There are a lot of criminal films in Russia
You could watch "Leviafan" It's like a real life

[Макс (from livejournal.com)]

why did you do that? It's crap.

otherwise "Жмурки" is very funny. I recommend it. But be sure you understand this is a parody.

also "Брат 1" is good but "Брат 2" is crap.

[karbunkul-lug.livejournal.com]

Why you don't like "Brother 2" ? They both are on same level

[alex-laskin.livejournal.com]

Майор
Если не совсем по теме,то очень познавательно.
http://www.kinopoisk.ru/film/675498/

[karbunkul-lug.livejournal.com]

сериалы Бригады , сериалы ""Глухарь и "ОВД Пятницкий", "Бандитский Петербург", "Терминал"

Film "Bumer" was requem for 90-th, it's not actual now

[timsparrow.livejournal.com]

>> сериалы ""Глухарь и "ОВД Пятницкий"

I would recommend these TV series for the following reasons:

- they show a police point of view, and do not glorify criminals, which is common for Russian media;
- the policemen (and women) in these series are not "Miami Vice" clones, but very realistic Russian cops, who believe in justice, but do not rely on the system (which is shown as corrupt as it probably is in reality) and the law;
- many real police officers praised these series for realism;
- last, but not the least - very good cast.

Старьё в топку

[andrey-kaminsky.livejournal.com]

The most useful film for you is "inadequate people".
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1722450/
The film clearly shows to a foreigner how to speak russian. Facial muscles must be completely relaxed;)

[fox511.livejournal.com]

In addition to abovementioned

http://www.amazon.com/Racketeer-Reketir-English-Subtitles-Isembaev/dp/B00CDY70EU

[mikolas-list.livejournal.com]

"Boomer" is not an indicator and only one side of the past. Maybe "the Island" will be interesting too? http://engtexts.ru/film_the_island.php

[f-l-o-e.livejournal.com]

This film is naturaly shit.

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Why "naturally shit"? You like nothing that Russia produces? It's hard to find quality entertainment nowadays, no matter the country.

[f-l-o-e.livejournal.com]

The most enjoyable way to watch Russian films - pull out yours eyes with hot spoon.

[buddhistmind.livejournal.com]

The Green Elephant

[cossache.livejournal.com]

Nice choice! Hahaa

[mi5ter-fi5ter.livejournal.com]

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0285695/

Russian movie

[habarforever.livejournal.com]

Hey, Shannon. Try to find Heavenly Court, better to watch 4 films versian.

[biker-newbie.livejournal.com]

+1 for Небесный суд. It's awesome, unlike most of the movies and (especially) tv shows adviced in this thread.
In case criminal idea of the movie is not strongly required, I'd highly recommend the movies by Kvartet I: Elections Day (день выборов), Day of the Radio (день радио), What Do Men Talk About 1&2 (о чем говорят мужчины) etc. To my mind, those are the best ones ever made by modern Russian cinema industry.

[mjol1nir.livejournal.com]

Absolutely disgusting show. As almost all Russian movies.
The only wish during watching this crap is let's all characters die as soon as posible.

[vasya-spb2000.livejournal.com]

Бригада

[pinkjackal.livejournal.com]

Blind Man's Bluff: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0420982/

Brother: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0118767/

Brother 2: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0238883/

Cargo 200: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0847880/

Brigada (mini series): http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337898/

[a000796.livejournal.com]

if you really want to watch a classy postsoviet russian movie, turn to "Кукушка" and don't waste your time for this criminal propaganda crap

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Cuckoo_(film)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpO9o8YoXSc

[qi-tronic.livejournal.com]

"Сёстры"

en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Sisters_%282001_film%29

[dkfl.livejournal.com]

for a femist, you better watch "Берегите женщин" movie :)

[peacetraveler22.livejournal.com]

Why do you think I'm a feminist?

[living-for-free.livejournal.com]

посмотри 2-ю часть. "Бумер. Фильм второй".
кино немного другое, больше про любовь.
но тебе понравится даже сильнее, чем первый фильм.

[alex-835.livejournal.com]

War (Война) by Alexei Balabanov

[zirazira.livejournal.com]

As it has already been mentioned, watch Balabanov movies. Брат is a must, so as Брат 2, Жмурки смешной, Война несмешной. Balabanov made depressive and very realistic movies (Жмурки is an exception) but they worth it, it's art.

Don't watch Green Elephant! I haven't but the descrition is far enough. Shit

[den-dark.livejournal.com]

It will be week of Russian cinema?

Try something funny instead. Like ДМБ . It is low budget but famous film in Russia and it is about our army in 90es.
If you still want to see criminal film - try Брат and Брат 2 . They are very famous and second part is about travel in America. I think you will be interested in all three films (but don't know how you will react because maybe for understanding them you really need to be "russian", they all much better than Bumer I think)

ДМБ ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demobbed_(film) )
Брат ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_(1997_film) )
Брат 2 ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brother_2 )

[linamay.livejournal.com]

+1 ДМБ

[linamay.livejournal.com]

"ЖМУРКИ":)) a black comedy about crazy 90s. And it's created in my home city, so there is a lot of old places in Nizhtiy Novgorod.

[onkel-hans.livejournal.com]

On Muscovy, there are no cops. What goes for cops is popularly called and known as the trash, which comes from momzerim, excuse my Hebrew.
Fenya, the basic language of the Russian humans is deduced from the Yiddish - the society of the strict criminals (they call themselves humans) was born in Odessa where more than 50% of population used to be Jewish.