Chekist

1992 "The face of death"
7| 1h31m| en
Details

Srubov is a part of CHEKA, the secret police Lenin established after the Bolshevik Revolution. They arrest, interview for a minute, try in ten seconds, and execute intellectuals, aristocrats, Jews, clergy, and their families. In the building basement, five people at a time are shot as they stand naked facing wooden doors. No one to remember their last words; no martyrs, just anonymous bodies. Daily, the kangaroo court, the executions, the loading of bodies onto wagons. Srubov is cold, distant, sexually dysfunctional, and a deep thinker, hated by former friends and his family. As he tries to reason the nature of revolution and the purpose of CHEKA, he slowly goes mad.

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Trailers & Clips

Also starring Igor Sergeev

Also starring Aleksey Poluyan

Reviews

Interesteg What makes it different from others?
Nonureva Really Surprised!
Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
denis888 Oh, what can I say here? Do you want to watch sikly green-yellow-gray movie with tons of gore, unnecessary nudity, with a total lack of any decent plot, with awful actors' performance, with terrible message, with inbearable thiving on brutality, with all the possible Russian 1990's cliches and twists? You got it - Chekist is probably one of The Worst and Unnecessary Movies ever made. Shallow, sick, awfully executed mess. I cannot even say more - serious filmmakers maybe have to watch this as an example of how Not to make films.
bach-661-784192 This very heavy movie is based on a mostly documented book by a communist writer, who was observing this kind of events when he was working between real chekists in a real Russian town shortly after October 1917 revolution. At that time, before 1923, the young writer/journalist was thinking that the revolutionary books should show true life. Soon he has been explained about his mistake. Himself did not survive 1937, was executed when a much more extended murder of Soviet people was organized; but we have got a book, published 52 years after the author death, and, later, this movie, showing what he was observing in the very early years of Soviet Union. Due to the personal involvement of the author, practically participating in the events, psychological conflicts inside of a person (main "hero" of the movie) are shown. It is clearly seen, that not only those, killed by dozens in cellars cannot survive the "revolution", but also murderers will not be able to stay human and keep consciousness and reason, when are involved in such atrocities.
jrd_73 The Chekist creates its power through repetition. Three men set in an office, one reads names, and the other two pronounce the sentence (almost invariably execution by firing squad). Then, the condemned (always in fives) are taken from their underground cell. They are led through the bunker until they get to a large room with doors at the far end. They are ordered to strip and face the doors. Then, they are shot. Afterwards, the bodies are hauled from the bunker via a pulley system and placed in truckbeds. After the trucks are full, they are driven from the compound. The victims cross all age barriers, old men or young women, all are treated the same. These images repeat over and over again. Nearly half of the film are these scenes. Some will find it hard to watch. They are even harder to forget.These executions are overseen (and seen) by Andrey Srubov, a bureaucratic official who shows little emotion as he carries out his job to make Russia better by eliminating those who could be a threat to the communist utopia. Srubov discharges his duties with emotionless efficiency. However, there are hints that even he is not immune to what he witnesses daily. His home life with his wife and mother is a cold, sterile atmosphere. People avoid Srubov because there are very few in this city that has not lost someone they love to his efficiency. As the film progresses, an occasional condemned man will be revealed as someone whom Srubov knows personally. These final meetings are horrifying. They, perhaps, even disturb Srubov.The Chekist may not be a film for everyone but it is one that will produce a response. One cannot watch this film passively.
tom jones I have seen this movie, and must say that it is what someone sees on the brink of madness. The only qualm i had was its portrayal of the officer as the hero. He was made out to look the part as a good guy, where in reality he made the decisions. Is not an officer above the law more responsible for his decisions then his brethren, only to fall short of some fictitious reality??? He shows release by death and this death is not real, a trophy for a killer giving path to a monolithic person above billions of disappeared. My personifage of this character is simply this, the fear of all fears is one's mind. Not to be the judgementor, but the movie screams terror far surpassing the characters in Jacob's ladder, or even apocalypse now in lunacy. This man is a destroyer of world's yet lives like a rat knawing for air. The headless horseman, the idle terror that lurks in the minds of others to have one struck down by this "idol." An idol who does this for a job does all that has come before it and has deserved his mother's supper. An elaborate decadence on part of the fugitive. This movie shows that fear IS the mind killer without one word. Signifying a gang. Much like Rumblefish yet the officer's character is in league with any I have not seen as of yet. This personality is generosity of a sick nature put to life. If murderers can move about their daily tasks, climb ahead spiritually, why not humble men? a better question, why not the telemarketing machine that is Hollywood? Hence the great purge prior to the Jewish holocaust of killing nearly 1 million semite aryan civilians by the jews, turks and dravidians of our modern age is indeed true. If you like this movie, try leo tolstoy, for russians have the uncanny ability of recreating history with unbelievable realistic incarnations of their own past.