Citizen X
Based on the true story of a Russian serial killer who, over many years, claimed victim to over 50 people. His victims were mostly under the age of 17. In what was then a communists state, the police investigations were hampered by bureaucracy, incompetence and those in power. The story is told from the viewpoint of the detective in charge of the case.
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- Cast:
- Stephen Rea , Donald Sutherland , Max von Sydow , Jeffrey DeMunn , Joss Ackland , John Wood , Imelda Staunton
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Reviews
Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.
what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.
l have two different DVD movie about this most prolific serial killer Chikatilo and Citizen X is the best of them,drives force into a different view of forensic investigation,brings technically more specific things from the back-stages in a closed red country,the killer stay in second plan,it's quite clear in the beginning when the killer is introduced for audience,no secret at all,a powerful casting help to much the high pattern and the status of the movie,however has some disparate points that don't filled the blank according the documentary that come together in the DVD release.Resume: First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8
I won't give any spoilers for this amazing film, but I'll say that if you have never seen Stephen Rea before, you'll really appreciate him as an actor in this particular film. I've seen him in a few films in the past, and always appreciated his work but somehow this gem of a film slipped by me until just now. He's simply stellar, and that puts it mildly. His input truly allows the viewer to experience his character's empathy. He should be given more parts in other films, I'd personally like to see him a lot more often. Anyway.. HE is the reason this movie is so excellent as it is. The film it's self, I give 9 stars. It was well written and directed. If you like thrillers that keep you on the edge of your seat, this is one for you. My taste in films is rather scattered and eclectic, and there are a few that stand out as timeless and I want to watch them again and again. This is one of those films.
This is a compelling drama. I agree with comments praising Stephen Rae, Donald Sutherland and Geoffrey DeMunn for their performances. I would add further commend the atmospheric music by Randy Edelman. It is one of the few films I can watch repeatedly and not get tired of it.But, it is not the whole truth. Yes, there was a serial killer Chikatilo, and yes he was hunted down with a relentless determination by Burakov with the help of Fetisov. But these real men and their methods were not the characters portrayed by Rea and Sutherland. Burakov was a man of the Soviet system who believed in it and applied its methods in his work. These methods included "obtaining confessions from suspects". It was this fixation with obtaining confessions under duress that was one reason the police wasted years chasing false leads. It would not have generated sympathy in Western audiences to have shown this story - so the reality was changed to fit the fable of a lonely hero fighting a bungling system.Read Robert Cullen's "The Killer Departmen" for the full (real) story. Watch the film for a first-class detective yarn in exotic circumstance.
"Citizen X" is a movie that it will leave you speechless. It is a really good movie and it's worth seeing. It's also a true story relating of a Russian serial killer who kills his victims, he killed 52 people and 35 of them were children under the age of 17.This movie is really a good because it shows us how the USSR worked and how ware the relationships between the simple people and the people of the party. It also show us how the same things changed after the disruption of USSR.In this movie I liked very much the interpretation of Stephen Rea as Lt. Viktor Burakov and Donald Sutherland as Col. Mikhail Fetisov. I think Stephen Rea made his best interpretation in this movie. Max von Sydow as Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky made an also good interpretation. This movie it really worth seeing...