Intriguing investigations, puzzles, unpredictable plot twists, a paranoid atmosphere in which everyone is under suspicion are the main components of the film adaptations of detectives. The best Russian detectives for the most part have two options for the development of the storyline. Either the detective arrives at the scene of the atrocity, accompanied by experts, searches for witnesses, eyewitnesses, gradually outlining the circle of suspects, or the action takes place in a confined space and everyone present becomes suspected. Films and series that are more entertaining than others telling such stories are presented in this publication.
Cult movie
The criminal retrodrama “The meeting place cannot be changed” (1979) was shot by Stanislav Govorukhin long before the passionate publicistic revelations “The Second Criminal Revolution” and “You Can’t Live That Way”. Like the cult series “Seventeen Moments of Spring”, the project went into jokes and sayings, entered the minds of millions of viewers almost at a mythological level. At first glance, the screen version of the usual novel by the brothers G. and A. Vaynerov, “The Era of Mercy”, is deservedly ranked among the best Russian detectives, as it has long turned not just into a significant milestone in Russian cinema, but into a recognizable sign of mentality.
An unrivaled masterpiece
No less beloved and not killed time is considered the work of Igor Maslennikov "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson." It is this legendary project that is considered by many contemporaries to be the best of Russian detective films. The stylish, ironic, classic mini-series presented the public with a wonderful acting duet by Vasily Livanov as Sherlock Holmes and Vitaly Solomin as Dr. Watson. He is so familiar and correct that sometimes it begins to seem that it was with this pair that Conan Doyle wrote his stories.
These projects, without a doubt, are required to open a list of Russian detectives.
Soviet detectives on western scripts
Russian detective films in the era of the USSR were often adaptations of foreign detective literature. These were mainly chamber stories with sometimes naive directing and geographical and historical unreliability. Russian detective stories of the USSR were chamber stories (based on the works of A. Christie and D. Priestley). The traditional three most famous and popular include:
- A film adaptation of the novel by Cyril Hare is the film “Purely English Murder” (1974). The writer is little known in our country, but thanks to the efforts of director S. Samsonov, who created the two-part film, his work became one of the hits of Soviet television.
- Not many Russian detectives can compare with the brilliant production of “Ten Little Indians” (1987) by S. Govorukhin based on the opus of the same name by A. Christie, which the writer herself called her best novel. This is the darkest and truly scary detective in this publication. At the sunset of Soviet cinema, Govorukhin made the best movie version of a classic novel in comparison with foreign samples.
- Among the best Russian detective films, undoubtedly, is another adaptation of the work of A. Christie, entitled “The Secret of Blackbirds” (1983). The story is based on the story of a private investigation by the savvy, inquisitive lady of the venerable age of Miss Marple. The picture was taken by Vadim Derbenev, who later again turned to the works of Christie about the detective Hercule Poirot. But the "Endhouse Riddle" with A. Ravikovich in the lead role did not have such success.
Noteworthy
The most successful and significant Russian detective films also include:
- The production of Ada Neretniece “Death under the sail” (1976).
- One of the best works of V. Basov “Dangerous Turn” (1972). The black-and-white chamber tape is full of irony, purely English prim humor, love passions and intrigues.
- Psychological detective "Inspector Gull" (1979) directed by A. Proshkin ("Cold summer of the fifty-third").
- A screen version of the play by Frederic Nott, created by the Moldavian director Vasile Brescanu under the title “Tony Wendis' Error” (1981).
- Interpretation of A. Christie’s play “The Mousetrap” (1990), dedicated to the memory of Vladimir Basov.
- Curious Russian detective stories - adaptations of the classics recommended for viewing, are also the film "Accident" (1974) and "Favorite" (1976).
TV detectives that are not ashamed
New Russian detectives, using innovative techniques in the production process, worthily continue the traditions of domestic cinema. For example, the series of Konstantin Statsky "Major" (2014-2018). It has everything that foreign TV shows like “Force Majeure” or “White Collar” love: a charismatic and immensely charming protagonist, unexpected twists and branches of a plot related to Russian realities, a verified script, action, humor and beautiful casting .
The series “Method” (2015) by Yuri Bykov was ambiguously perceived by the audience, but was highly appreciated by film critics. The project, created in the spirit of "Dexter" and "True Detective", has a gloomy atmosphere.
Russian detectives filmed in the last decade: MosGas (2012), Gorod (2015), Pennsylvania (2015), Farewell, darling! (2014), “The Seventh Fleece” (2014) - undoubtedly, fans of the genre will like it.
Mix of detective and fiction
Few authors of new Russian detective stories-series decide to combine the most popular and popular genres in their projects. Recently, however, such instances in the domestic film industry is becoming more and more.
“The reverse side of the moon” (2012-2015). The series is based on the fantastic novel by A. Cott, which is a Russian adaptation of the legendary British project Life on Mars. The main character, police captain Mikhail Solovyov (P. Derevyanko), is in a coma. Inexplicably, he falls into the 70s, the era of the USSR, confronts his implacable enemy - a maniac nicknamed Ryzhiy (I. Shibanov) and meets true love (S. Smirnova-Martsinkevich). At the same time, the investigator easily investigates most of the current crimes.
With a mystical touch
Among the Russian detectives-series created for TV-3, the mystical television movie Anna Detective (2016) stands out. Events unfold at the end of the 19th century, the story revolves around the strange young person Anna Mironova (A. Nikiforova), who successfully practices spiritualism. For 50 episodes, the heroine was able to assist in uncovering a variety of atrocities to the provincial investigator Yakov Stolman (D. Fried).
A non-standard detective is the film “Touch” (1992) directed by Albert Mkrtchyan. Some film experts position the picture as the first post-Soviet horror. The narrative is twisted around ghosts that haunt honest and good people, leading them to suicide. The protagonist is an investigator of the prosecutor’s office, trying to protect the daughter and granddaughter of a dead colleague from otherworldly influence. A police officer gets to know the victims of a supernatural during an investigation.