Gorky Park

source: Gorky Park

Trailer—Gorky Park

Gorky Park

This is a very good movie with excellent performances by William Hurt and Lee Marvin.If I have a list of favorite movies of all the time, this will qualify as such. A very good adaptation of the book by Martin Cruz Smith. The portrayal of life in Moscow was fascinating,although the movie did not remain faithful to the book one hundred percent.Of course for resons of time script had to be changed a little.But none of the suspense was missing. The action was fast paced , it's one of those movies you don't want it to end.The music score complimented this intense detective story set in a frosty Moscow.I recommend this movie to all those who like original stories set in exotic places like this one in Russia.Arkady Renko is really the epitome of the non-conformistic citizen who cynically sneers at the rotten aparatus of the communist state while trying to solve this triple homicide.

I first saw "Gorky Park" in the theater (MovieWorld, Douglaston, NY). I've seen it a bunch of times since. It's a beautifully told story. The location photography is great. The music is also really good. The cast is top-notch with one terrific performance after another. Lee Marvin gives one of his best performances in this movie. "Gorky Park" is in my regular rotation. It's one of my favorite movies. It never fails to hit the spot. Honorable mention: Brian Dennehy.

GORKY PARK is one of those Hollywood films of the 1980s that explored Russian themes and backgrounds and took a look at Cold War relationships during the era; Schwarzenegger's RED HEAT is another of the popular examples. This one is based on the literate novel by Martin Cruz Smith and certainly has an air of authenticity to it, with Finland ably standing in for Moscow itself. The plot involves William Hurt's impassive militiaman investigating a gruesome triple murder at the titular locale, one where the three victims had their faces skinned to hide their identities. His investigation takes him into the usual dangerous territory involving corruption, conspiracy, murder attempts and a femme fatale to boot. The film has a glacial feel to it at times, but James Horner's kettle drum score enlivens things immensely (just as it did in COMMANDO) and the excellent cast features good parts for Lee Marvin, Joanna Pacula and the scene-stealing Brian Dennehy.

This film has stood the test of time and repeat viewings for me. Have watched about 10 times over the past 20 years and each time I am totally engrossed. Excellent crime-mystery drama. The dialog in this movie is as good as any I know. Scenery and the settings make you feel like you are in Russia during winter: bleak and frigid. Performances by Hurt, Marvin, Dennehey, and Bannen are all solid if not outstanding. Some may be put off by English and Americans performers posing as Russians, but don't let the lack of dialect authenticity get in your way of enjoying this gem. For comparison I would rank it with LA Confidential within its genre.

I didn't have high expectations, but was pleasantly surprised. It's hard to write anything about this type of film without spoiling, but what I can say without telling too much about the plot is, that the film is a non-cliché film, which still is full of clichés (love scene being the biggest). Filming locations are good, though "Moscow" (Helsinki) is a bit too similar to Stockholm. The movie may be a bit too long for the American taste, but for more European film taste the length was just perfect. The end was so complicated, that even Agatha Christie would have been proud. The final solution between the main characters was completely different from what I expected, and definitely was that cherry for the cake. ****/5

It has been a long time since I last viewed this film, but it was a welcome revisit, and a chance to see a great performance by William Hurt (Kiss of the Spider Woman, A History of Violence, The Proposition). After about a dozen of his films, I never tire of watching him act. The cast also included Lee Marvin in a very good performance, and the ever-lovable Brian Dennehy. This was also the American debut of Joanna Pacula, who got a Golden Globe nomination for her outstanding performance. And, we also got to see her golden globes in a skintastic moment, right before she gets Hurt! This was her finest film in a career spanning 30 years. Do not miss this fine police procedural with a surprise ending. The motive is brilliant.