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The history of Soviet cinema began on August 27, 1919, when the Council of People’s Commissars adopted a decree on the nationalization of the film industry in Soviet Russia. Now this day is officially celebrated as the Day of Russian Cinema. Legendary films made by Soviet cinema have been repeatedly nominated for an Oscar and often received honorary awards. Soviet cinema has made an enormous and invaluable contribution to the development of Russian cinema.
Readers are presented Soviet detectives – a list of the best films.
10 Mystery of the Blackbirds | 1983
“The Secret of the Blackbirds” (1983) opens the list of the best Soviet detectives. The film is based on Agatha Christie’s novel A Pocket Full of Lies. The millionaire industrialist Mr. George Fortescue is killed by spiking him with the rarest poison. The deceased was an unpleasant person, and his death would be beneficial to all family members. Soon the murder of the wife of a millionaire and his maid is committed, which confuses the matter even more. Inspector Neal and Miss Marple take on the task of solving a series of crimes. Intuition tells the detectives that the youngest son of a millionaire is involved in the case …
9. Tavern on Pyatnitskaya | 1977
On the ninth line in the list of the best Soviet detectives is the artistic picture of Alexander Feinzimmer “Tavern on Pyatnitskaya” (1977). The events of the film take place during the period of the new economic policy – NEP. A brutal criminal group is operating in Moscow, which keeps local residents in fear and makes regular raids. The police know that this is the work of a recidivist “Gray”, whom they can not catch red-handed. Employees become aware that the Gray gang likes to relax in a tavern on Pyatnitskaya. It is there that law enforcement agencies introduce their man …
8. The fate of the resident | 1970
adventure movie “The fate of a resident” (1970) ranked eighth in the list of the best Soviet detectives. It is a continuation of the film “Resident Mistake”. The storyline of the artistic picture is connected with the main character – an experienced intelligence officer Mikhail Tuliev. Soviet counterintelligence officers, with the help of the arrested spy Tuliev, continue to play with the enemy. Encrypted messages with the signature “Hope” are again coming to the Western intelligence center…
7. Village detective | 1986
“Village Detective” (1986) – crime comedy by Ivan Lukinsky. An accordion is stolen from the caretaker of a remote village. No evidence or witnesses. And there is no one to think about – all of them. The hero decides to spit on it and buy himself a new musical instrument. But the local detective Aniksin, who wants to find the thief, is seriously interested in the dark matter.
6. Rumyantsev case | 1956
“The Case of Rumyantsev” (1956) ranks sixth in the list of the best Soviet detectives. Sasha Rumyantsev leaves for another flight, this time with an unusual cargo. The driver’s boss trades in speculation and sends him with illegal cargo. Unsuspecting Rumyantsev is stopped by the police and arrested. The true criminal, in order to cover his tracks, arranges everything so that all suspicions fall on Sasha. Rumyantsev does not have much chance to get out of the mess, because the investigation is handled by a cruel police captain who is not interested in finding the real criminals. But here an experienced colonel comes into the “game”, who wants to understand this complicated matter …
5. Stalker | 1979
“Stalker” (1979) – a fantastic detective drama by Andrei Tarkovsky, based on the story of the Strugatskys “Roadside Picnic”. In 1980, the film was awarded the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes Film Festival. The events of the picture take place in a fictional world, and its characters do not have names, but only nicknames. The Writer and the Professor head to the Forbidden Zone, where there is a room that can grant any wish. The characters are guided by the Stalker, who demands from the Writer and the Professor that they unquestioningly obey him during the dangerous and long journey…
4. Ten Little Indians | 1978
“Ten Little Indians” (1978) – one of the best Soviet detective thrillers by Stanislav Govorukhin. Ten people are invited to Negro Island under various pretexts. The characters find themselves in a mysterious castle located on an island. This creepy place turns out to be a doom for the guests. Each of them hears a death sentence written down by someone on a record. There are ten figures on the table, and in each bedroom a poem hanging on the wall is prepared for the guest: “Ten blacks decided to dine, one of them suddenly choked, and there were nine left of them.” As soon as another victim of malicious intent dies, one figurine disappears …
3. Solaris | 1972
Solaris (1972) opens the top three best Soviet detective films. The artistic picture is based on the novel of the same name by Stanislav Lem. Solaris is the winner of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. The action of the picture takes place in the distant future. The new science of solaristics, dealing with the study of the planet Solaris, comes to a standstill. On Earth, the issue of curtailing the operation is being decided, since studies of a mysterious planet completely covered with water do not give any results. There is an assumption among scientists that this cosmic body has a mind. To clarify the details, Chris Kelvin is sent to the planet, who will have to face his past on Solaris, which has become a nightmarish obsession for him in reality …
2. Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson | 1981-1986
Multi-part film “Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson” (1981-1986) ranks second in the list of the best Soviet detectives. Sherlock Holm is the best detective in the world, and his colleague Watson sometimes provides him with invaluable help in solving crimes. Together they come to grips with the underworld, which can be brought to light only with unique mental abilities and virtuoso instinct.
1. Gentlemen of Fortune | 1971
art picture “Gentlemen of Fortune” (1971) tops the list of the best Soviet detectives. The released film became in 1972 the leader of film distribution in the USSR, having gathered about 65 million viewers. The good-natured Troshkin, the head of the kindergarten, is approached by the police with an unusual request to help the investigation in solving the case. The thing is that the main character turns out to be surprisingly similar to a bandit nicknamed “Associate Professor”, who has long been hunted by law enforcement agencies. The criminal, together with his group, stole a very valuable thing from the museum – the helmet of the commander of Macedon. Troshkin will have to infiltrate the thieves’ environment under the guise of his own in order to catch the bandit. But such a risky business is associated with a high risk to the life of the protagonist.