The Italian

Play trailer

The Italian

PG-13

2007

1h 37m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

92 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

Abandoned by his mother, 6-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) lives in an orphanage run by a greedy woman (Mariya Kuznetsova) and her cruel lover (Nikolai Reutov). Vanya decides to run away and find his mother after a wealthy Italian couple offer to buy him and after observing that the older children in the home survive by stealing or prostitution. He faces many dangers on his journey, including the pair at the orphanage who tried to sell him.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Poignant and unforgettable, The Italian stands out from other European melodramas. Like its extraordinary child lead, this Russian drama about an orphan's search for his birth mother is small in size and monumental in pathos.

Read Critics Reviews

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

The movie’s notable for its striking location photography, though the action is framed as both a play and a novel...

Jul 14, 2022

Full Review

Stella Papamichael

BBC.com

Even when Kravchuck lets the story drift, the boy is a solid anchor.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 24, 2008

Full Review

David Jenkins

Time Out

Andrei Kravchuk's film is sensitive to the hilt and pleasingly attuned to the guileless outlook of its hero.

Rated: 4/6

Jan 24, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Kiefer

Sacramento News & Review

Rated: 4/5

Aug 7, 2008

Full Review

Robert Davis

Paste Magazine

With a tensed brow, Kolya Spiridonov plays a boy perpetually hovering between anxiety and dogged determination, and the film walks the same line, unsure about where it's going but always moving forward regardless.

Jun 9, 2008

Full Review

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

Rated: 4/5

Jan 25, 2008

Full Review

Read all reviews

dave s

Set in rural Russia, six-year-old Vanya, while waiting for his adoption to be finalized, decides to escape from his orphanage and embark on a journey to find his birth mother. The first half of The Italian, set in the orphanage, effectively uses muted tones and soft focus to establish the conditions the children experience, a drab and cold existence where hope for the future seems to be nothing more than a fleeting thought. As tragic as it feels, it is riveting viewing. The second half of the movie loses a bit of steam as Vanya escapes an unlikely number of close calls and chance encounters as authorities pursue him, leading to a predictable and improbable final scene. The movie is saved by the charming and charismatic performance of the young actor who plays the runaway, a performance that gives the film a sense of credibility that would otherwise be lacking.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

raphael v

Gritty. Real. Excellent performances.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Andrei Kravchuk's engrossing Russian drama explores the world of international adoption.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An incredibly moving story, beautifully presented, ripped my heart right out of my body.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Relato dickensiano enternecedor, de sorprendente sencillez, muy bien actuado por su pequeño protagonista, y que revela una triste realidad en la Rusia contemporánea.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ay its a me, pause unpause, and I want to say I lovea this movie, it is about my papi.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Andrey Kravchuk

Director

Kolya Spiridonov

Vanya

Mariya Kuznetsova

Woman

Nikolai Reutov

Grisha

Denis Moiseenko

Koliyan

Sasha Sirotkin

Seriy

Critical Consensus: "King" And "Queen" Are Movie Royalty; "Labyrinth" Worth Exploring; "Hitcher" Not Screened

View more photos

Synopsis

Abandoned by his mother, 6-year-old Vanya (Kolya Spiridonov) lives in an orphanage run by a greedy woman (Mariya Kuznetsova) and her cruel lover (Nikolai Reutov). Vanya decides to run away and find his mother after a wealthy Italian couple offer to buy him and after observing that the older children in the home survive by stealing or prostitution. He faces many dangers on his journey, including the pair at the orphanage who tried to sell him.

Director: Andrey Kravchuk
Producer: Andrei Zertsalov
Screenwriter: Andrei Romanov
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: Lenfilm Studio
Rating: PG-13 (Some Violence|Sexual Content|Language|Thematic Issues)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 19, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $552.5K
Runtime: 1h 37m

Most Popular at Home Now