MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Mystery Thriller/Stars: William Hurt, Lee Marvin, Brian Dennehy, Ian Bannen, Joanna Pacula, Michael Elphick, Richard Griffiths, Rikki Fulton, Alexander Knox, Alexei Sayle, Ian McDiarmid, Niall O’Brien, Henry Woolf, Jukka Hirvikangas, Marjatta Nissinen, Heikki Leppänen, Elsa Salamas, Anatoli Davydov/ Runtime: 128 minutes
If there is one thing which I have learned to expect to see pop up time and time again during my tenure as a writer of some skill and talent (how much of both being an item I graciously open to comical yet respectful debate), it would have to be the fact that a slice of cinema doesn’t always have to make money at the box office in order to be genuinely great. I mean It’s a Wonderful Life was, upon first being released, not exactly a film that set fire to the box office making only 3.3 million on a budget of 3.18 million and yet nowadays it’s seen as one of the best holiday movies ever made. Along with that, John Carpenter’s take on The Thing from 1982 may have made only 19.6 million on a budget of 15 million when first unleashed onto audiences, but time has done its thing and, as such, it now stands out as one of the finest sci-fi horror movies of both the decade it was made to say nothing of overall. Heck even Dazed and Confused might have managed to squeeze by 8 million on a budget of 6.3 when it was first released into theaters, but thanks to the power of home video and reappraisal is now seen by a fair majority of both critics and the general movie going public as one of the best indie movies of the 90s to say nothing of a terrific first stepping stone in the careers of such talents as Ben Affleck, Adam Goldberg, Parker Posey, Milla Jovovich, and Mr. Alright, Alright, Alright himself Matthew McConaughey. Finally, the power of Jake Gyllenhaal and the strange allure of a being in a bunny costume calling itself Frank warning him about the end of the world might not have helped Donnie Darko’s box office performance back in 2001, but since then the film has become known as being a genuinely great outing to say nothing of one of the more daring and original pieces of cinema of the last 3 decades easily. The reason I bring this up dear reader is because the slice of cinema I am reviewing for you today, Gorky Park from 1983, is most assuredly another wonderful example of this distinct phenomenon in action. Indeed here is a slice of cinema that, despite receiving a fair amount of praise from the movie-reviewing community at the time, sadly made only 15.9 million at the box office on a budget of 15 million. In the opinion of this reviewer however, I feel that the time has now come for audiences to give this slice of cinema a fair shake of the stick and see it for the genuinely compelling and riveting viewing experience that it is. To be sure, its slow yet methodical nature at unraveling the complex mystery at the heart of it and its preference for atmosphere over shoot-outs and other thrills might not be for everyone, but with the aid of solid work on both sides of the camera there is no denying that Gorky Park “83” is an intriguing crime thriller that is truly gripping from beginning to end whilst also being easily one of the more underrated efforts from that distinct cinematic decade known as the 1980s.
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of a novel of the same name by Martin Cruz Smith, Gorky Park winds the clock back in time to that infamous era known as the Cold War and plants us feet first in the titular park located in no less a locale than the (now former) Soviet Union specifically Moscow. It is here where we meet our main hero in the form of a member of the local police force by the name of Arkady Renko as he is called one cold wintery evening to investigate a truly ghastly crime. It seems that three people, 2 men and a woman, have been found murdered with each having been the tragic recipient of a bullet to the chest. Even more horrific than that however is the fact that, seemingly after death, all 3 had the tips of their fingers and their faces removed from their bodies. Suffice it to say that to most, this whole affair would be enough to cause more than a tad bit of concern, but for our hero it’s especially nerve-wracking to the point that he would rather do anything than be a part of the investigative team on this matter. This is because, as we soon learn during his debriefing with his superiors, our hero suspects no less an organization than the KGB, with particular regard to a member by the name of Major Pribluda who he has had less than positive interactions with, of being involved somehow with these gruesome homicides and if they are involved then our hero feels that he too could be in peril should he be the one to get to the bottom of it. At any rate, we soon see that, following the promise of protection from the Chief Prosecutor, our hero decides to take on the case. Upon doing so however, we see that our hero is doing more than just taking on a run of the mill homicide investigation. Rather, he is also taking the first steps down a dark rabbit hole that will see him cross paths with, among others, a wealthy American businessman by the name of Jack Osborne who specializes in sable fur importing, an enigmatic young woman named Irina Asanova, and a member of the NYPD named William Kirwill who has his own secret tie to at least one of the victims while also start to point him toward this being less a simple homicide and more a political conspiracy on an international level. Thus, with his life coming under peril from virtually all sides imaginable and the truth becoming harder and harder to discern, can our hero get to the bottom of things and, more importantly, figure out who he can trust in this increasingly labyrinth-style puzzler or is he about to find himself on ice in the worst way possible as well? That I will leave for you to discover for yourself dear reader…..
Now right off, it should be said that the work done by the various departments behind the camera in bringing this cinematic adaptation to life all do fairly solid work all things considering. This starts with the work done at the helm by Michael Apted (Coal Miner’s Daughter from 1980) and what Apted does so well here is he brings a degree of efficiency to this adaptation. Indeed Apted is a director who seems to be aware that sense of tempo, especially for a slice of cinema of this ilk, is of the utmost importance. Not just to keep the plot moving forward at a reasonable pace, but also to ensure that the interest of the audience isn’t able to wane for a single second. Along with that, we see that Apted is someone who is able to a highly effective job of showcasing for us as an audience not just the suspense and intrigue present in the story, but also at slowly but surely unveiling for us the degree of corruption that our hero uncovers during the course of his investigation as well whilst never once giving us as an audience that we are ahead of our hero in any way. As a result, not only are we consistently left on the edge of our seats, but the film also does a great job of ensuring that we are left as surprised as our hero whenever a new twist or revelation throws itself into the mix. The film is also the blessed recipient of a good yet not quite great screenplay as penned by one Dennis Potter (Pennies from Heaven). To be sure, Potter does do a fairly commendable job at really getting to the nuts and bolts so to speak of Cruz’s story and there is also a wonderful degree of astuteness and intellect present as well. At the same time though, not only is the atmosphere present in the book in waves not found nearly as much here, but we also see that the snapshots of daily life in Moscow which made the source material so riveting are sadly not as prevalent here as well. As such, this screenplay is good, but honestly I feel that this is a film which might have fared better had it either been given a longer runtime or if it had been retooled into a limited series a’la the recent adaptation of Presumed Innocent on Apple TV+. Along with that, this slice of cinema also benefits from some truly wonderful work done by Ralf D. Bode (Saturday Night Fever and Dressed to Kill) in the cinematography department. Indeed not only does Bode and his team do a masterful job of brilliantly transforming Helsinki into Cold War-era Moscow especially in terms of ambience and mood, but his camerawork also does a terrific job at really conveying the menace, paranoia, mystery, and even romance present in the narrative as well. Lastly, this section would most assuredly be woefully incomplete if I didn’t take the time to talk about the work done here by the late yet great James Horner (Apollo 13, The Pelican Brief, Clear and Present Danger among others) on this film’s musical accompaniment. Indeed not only does Horner do a fantastic job of conjuring up a feeling of menace right from the word go, but he then proceeds to ensure that, from a music standpoint, we are left continuously intrigued, entertained, and unsettled up until the end credits begin to roll. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in well-done work from the editing department among others, it’s clear that the work done behind the camera might not be perfect, but it still does what it can to help make this a fairly compelling sit all the same.
Alongside the fairly solid work done behind the camera, this particular cinematic outing is also aided by a collection of well-done work in front of the camera by a game cast of talent. Without a doubt in my mind, this starts with the late yet underrated William Hurt in the lead role and is terrific here. Indeed in the role of Renko, we see that Hurt does a great job at giving us a character who is a delightful blend of determined, detached, clinical, insightful, and straightforward whilst also remembering to provide us as an audience with moments of vulnerability as if to remind us that, despite his collected exterior, Renko is still very much a human being like you or me. Indeed it’s a gripping performance and one that, based on the fact that there is a series of books following this character, I am still a bit sad we didn’t get to see Hurt reprise at least once. Alongside Hurt, the film also contains a terrific late-career turn from screen icon Lee Marvin in the pivotal role of Jack Osborne. Yes the role is very much a co-starring one at best, but even so there is no denying that Marvin, with that distinct does a wonderful job at playing this more than just a tad bit on the enigmatic side individual with a passive-aggressive affability and charm that, as the movie goes on, starts to slowly but surely ebb away in order to showcase the ruthlessness, menace, and even despicableness that lie just under the surface. Indeed it’s one heck of a turn and there’s no denying that the one on one moments between him and Hurt are easily some of the most chilling in the movie. Alongside this dynamic duo, the film also gives us a wonderful turn from Ian Bannen (the 1965 Flight of the Phoenix and Eye of the Needle from 1981) as the Chief Prosecutor Andrei Iamskoy. Indeed Bannen was always a delight whenever he popped up in something and here he does a marvelous job at playing an authority figure who is seemingly congenial and willing to do whatever he can to help Renko with his investigation all while leaving you with this slightly nagging feeling that there is just something perhaps a bit…off about him as well. Suffice it to say that it’s an incredibly multitiered performance and one that Bannen nails perfectly. Lastly, I most assuredly feel that this section would be truly lacking if I didn’t take some time to talk about the solid work done by the late yet always delightful Brian Dennehy in the role of Detective William Kirwill. Indeed, much like some of his co-stars in this, Dennehy too was always an actor who I enjoyed seeing pop up in things and here is no different as he does a wonderful job at playing a character who may take awhile to appear here, but once he does manages to contribute a sense of honor, stubbornness, astuteness, and even a welcome snarky sense of humor to the proceedings that result in him being a delight whenever he shows up on screen. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in delightful efforts from such talents as Joanna Pacula (even if the chemistry between her and Hurt is mehh more often than not), Richard Griffiths (Vernon Dursley in Harry Potter), Ian McDiarmid (Palpatine from the Star Wars franchise), Michael Elphick, Rikki Fulton, and Alexander Knox among others it’s clear that this film might have a few distinct hiccups here and there, but the work done by the cast in front of the camera is (by and large) no means one of them.
All in all and at the end of the day is Gorky Park a flawless mystery in every sense of the word? Sadly no though not for lack of effort on the part of anyone involved in the making of it. With that being said though, is this the worst slice of cinema on the part of anyone either behind or in front of the camera to say nothing of the mystery genre of movie magic? Thankfully for both me and my ability to actually get a decent night’s sleep once every 5 months I can also confirm that is not the case. To be sure, this is one mystery film that is not going to be everyone’s distinct cinematic brew. A fact I attribute to, among other things, not only how the film is one that places more of an emphasis on atmosphere and suspense over shoot-outs or the like (though there is at least a handful of solidly developed moments like that scattered throughout the film), but also because the script feels less like we are getting a complete telling of the story and more like we are getting an abridged version albeit a solidly made one at that. With that said however, there is also no denying that, for those of you who are able to pick up on this slice of cinema’s rather distinct film frequency, you are sure to find quite a bit to enjoy here as well including solid work at the helm, brilliant work from the cinematography department, a haunting and ominous soundtrack, and a collection of well-done performances from an impeccably chosen cast of talent no matter how big or small their overall amount of screentime may turn out to be. Suffice it to say that if you are in the mood for an extremely well-made mystery with gun battles, fisticuffs, car chases, and maybe even a collection of solid performances thrown in for good measure then I am sorry, but this is most assuredly not that kind of film though I do believe I can provide you with a few recommendations should you like them. On the other hand if you are looking for a slow-burn, well-made, and well-performed mystery that is sure to keep you guessing then you’re definitely in the right place. Suffice it to say that it might not be cinematic gold, but at the end of the day Gorky Park “83” still manages to be a solidly chilling film even if you find yourself never wanting to go to your local park in the wintertime ever again after watching it. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give Gorky Park “83” a solid 3.5 out of 5.
