Such a frustrating disappointment

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

William Hurt stars in this neatly plotted, well crafted mystery-thriller made at a time when the Cold War was still quite topical. He plays Arkady Renko, a Russian cop who is made to investigate the murders of three people, whose bodies were found buried under the snow in Gorky Park. One thing that will make his job difficult is the fact that the bodies had their faces sliced off. Another is the machinations of the big players in the KGB. Arkady discovers that the girl he loves, Irina (Joanna Pacula, in the role that "introduced" her) has a connection to the case, and a very prominent, smooth American businessman named Jack Osborne (Lee Marvin) is involved as well.While it's too bad that the production couldn't have actually filmed in Russia, Helsinki makes for an acceptable substitute. The atmosphere and local colour do help a lot in the telling of this tale, although most of the main cast are either American or British. James Horners' score is pretty good, although it does sound fairly similar, at times, to other scores ("48 Hrs.", "Commando") that he did during this period. While there isn't really much of a mystery quotient to the screenplay, the scenario does give our intrepid hero the opportunity to match wits with a variety of major players: the unflappable Osborne, amiable prosecutor Iamskoy (Ian Bannen), New York detective William Kirwill (Brian Dennehy). Issues of class and politics figure into this intriguing story; Dennis Potter scripted, from the Martin Cruz Smith novel.Hurt does a creditable job in the lead role, and Marvin and Dennehy both provide solid performances. Pacula is good as the love interest, and the impressive selection of supporting actors is impressive: Michael Elphick, Richard Griffiths, Rikki Fulton, Alexander Knox, Alexei Sayle, Henry Woolf. Ian McDiarmid has a particularly entertaining role as a professor who assists Arkady by reconstructing the face of one of the victims.Rewatching this, this viewer doesn't feel that the climax goes on any longer than it should.Overall, this is satisfying and worth watching for fans of the genre and the cast.Eight out of 10.

Arkady Renko (William Hurt) is a Moscow police detective. They find three bodies in Gorky Park with their faces and fingers cut off. KGB arrives right away but nobody wants the case. The girl was wearing skates stolen from Irina Asanova (Joanna Pacula). As Arkady investigates, the case leads to the government with possible KGB connections. Jack Osborne (Lee Marvin) is an American with government influence and dating Irina. William Kirwill (Brian Dennehy) is an American looking for his brother James. Soon Osborne becomes a prime suspect.This has a bit of quite a few different genre. It's got the CSI police investigation thriller. It has that cold moody murder like a Scandinavian murder mystery. It also has the communist KGB political intrigue. In the center of it all, William Hurt holds the movie together in a murky police/political thriller. It just has a great murder mystery mood.

Disappointing at best, this is not a very satisfying film. It starts off with potential when 3 young people are discovered bludgeoned to death in Moscow's Gorky Park.William Hurt is on the scene as a Russian investigative official. He is soon joined by American Brian Dennehy, who has his own reasons to be there. Lee Marvin, as the villain Osborne, is older looking here, but gives a striking performance as the American up to his neck in intrigue.The picture isn't satisfying because it never fully explains why the 3 were killed. The young lady, their friend, who claimed that they were alive and out of the Soviet Union had her own agenda as well.The picture essentially deals with corruption in Communist society. Corruption is corruption. What was the significance of the sables?

Arkady (William Hurt) is a police officer in the former Soviet Union, in the early 1980's. One day, he is sent to Gorky Park, a popular outdoor site in Moscow, where three bodies, two male and one female, have been found. Curiously, their faces and fingertips have been "cut off", making identification very difficult. What horror. When the KGB arrives, very shortly, Arkady insists he wants to be removed from the case and let the secret police takeover, for he is merely a militia man. They say no and assign him the case. Tough luck. Working carefully, Arkady surmises that the three had been skating at the park, then led to a more secluded area and shot. One of them is, remarkably, an American, from the dental evidence, quite a shock. But, why were they disfigured? The skates of the woman lead to another lady, Irina (Joanna Pacula), for they are registered in her name. When Arkady meets Irina, she declares that she reported her skates stolen some time ago. But, digging further, the militia man learns that she was expelled from the university for political reasons. Soon, Arkady also discoveries the identities of the dead trio. Two were from Siberia and knew Irina and the American man was friends to all. Also connected to these four persons is a wealthy American furrier, Jack Osbourne (Lee Marvin), who deals in precious Russian sable pelts. As Arkady delves deeper and deeper into the killings, it becomes apparent that Osbourne might be a suspect and that the higher echelons of the Soviet government may be protecting him. But, why? Helping Arkady in the process is the American's brother (Brian Dennehy), a New York police officer who is of Russian ancestry and who arrives when he learns his brother is deceased. What a tangled web! Will Arkady live to secure justice, if the KGB is shielding Osbourne from investigation? This is still a fascinating film, made before the fall of the USSR. Its main elements of wintry weather, KGB, beautiful-but-fierce Siberian sables, dissidents, and murder provide a storyline that few can resist. Hurt, in one of his finest roles, is great as the Soviet police officer while Marvin makes a compelling villain. Pacula, a Polish actress making her American film debut, is lovely and touching. The rest of the cast, from Dennehy on down, is likewise most wonderful. The setting, in and around Moscow, is also worth a view, for it provides a glimpse into a Russia that is harshly beautiful. Costumes, gorgeous cinematography, an interesting score and a sure direction complete the makings of a fine, fine film. Why settle for dull television repeats when you can get your hands on this intriguing bit of semi-forgotten cinema? Why, indeed.