Rotten Tomatoes
Cancel Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

The Inner Circle

Play trailer The Inner Circle PG-13 1991 2h 17m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
50% Tomatometer 8 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Life changes for a Moscow worker (Tom Hulce) when he's made Stalin's personal film projectionist but cannot tell his bride (Lolita Davidovich).

Critics Reviews

View More
David Ansen Newsweek 02/08/2018
What begins as an intoxicating champagne cocktail goes flat. Ultimately, surprisingly, the film's wildly beating heart is cold. Go to Full Review
Murray Kempton The New York Review of Books 08/13/2018
The Inner Circle's intention is... heroic, and its achievement admirable. Go to Full Review
Malcolm Johnson Hartford Courant 04/25/2018
As Konchalovsky moves farther and farther from the Kremlin, The Inner Circle cracks apart. Go to Full Review
Chuck O'Leary FulvueDrive-in.com 05/07/2007
4/5
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 07/04/2005
2/5
Daniel M. Kimmel Worcester Telegram & Gazette 08/07/2004
3/5
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Virgo V @vision Jan 15 The Inner Circle is a 1991 drama film by Russian director Andrei Konchalovsky, telling the story of Joseph Stalin's private projectionist and KGB officer Ivan Sanchin (real name Alex Ganchin) between 1939 and 1953, the year Stalin died. Sanchin is played by Tom Hulce and the film co-stars Lolita Davidovitch and Bob Hoskins. The film is based on a true story and is an American, Italian and Russian production. It is in English. The Inner Circle was nominated for awards at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival and the 1993 Nika Awards. The film received mixed reviews from critics. Some say The Inner Circle is a moving story that provides a powerful look at life in the Soviet Union under Stalin. Some say the film is geared towards a mass audience unfamiliar with the context Powerful story Some say the film is a moving story that evokes emotion without manipulation. Honest portrayal Some say the film provides an honest look at Stalin's brutality and the "cult of personality." Fascinating history Some say the film is a fascinating look at Soviet history and society. Strong warning Some say the film is a warning against the worship of political leaders as secular gods. See more Georges G 10/06/2024 Excellent film about such a tragic period for Russia. Lolita is wonderful and so touching, from the first scene to the tragic end. This film is at the level of a Doctor Zhivago! We can watch it again and again and still cry just as much! See more 12/30/2015 An excellent and honest look into the casual brutality and "cult of personality" of Joseph Stalin through the eyes of a child-like projectionist. See more 04/08/2012 why is tom hulce so awesome See more 03/10/2010 In my top 10 of all time! Tom Hulce is perfect like always(Amadeus) and Lolita Davidovich touched me so much... I could not stop crying. The music from Eduard Artimiyev is a pure bliss like always... Thanx Eduard for sharing your music <3 See more 02/15/2009 A fine gem of a film that pretty much got zero publicity or marketing here in the United States...which is really unfortunate, because Andrei Konchalovsky, the director, says he made this film "to try to explain Russia to the Americans." Ivan Sanchin was Stalin's personal projectionist from 1939 until Stalin's death. He desperately clung to his love and respect for the dictator even as terrible things were happening to the people all around him; his desire to be part of the "inner circle" blinded him to the fact that he was in service to a man who was directly responsible for the deaths of millions. Despite its dark themes, I like this film for the same reason I watch movies about the Holocaust: to be reminded that no matter how far we progress, we are still capable of turning a blind eye toward evil. See more Read all reviews
The Inner Circle

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW
The Sense of an Ending 75% 52% The Sense of an Ending Watchlist TRAILER for The Sense of an Ending Good Day, Ramon 100% 81% Good Day, Ramon Watchlist Still 92% 82% Still Watchlist Blue Jasmine 90% 77% Blue Jasmine Watchlist Run the Tide 10% 52% Run the Tide Watchlist TRAILER for Run the Tide Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Life changes for a Moscow worker (Tom Hulce) when he's made Stalin's personal film projectionist but cannot tell his bride (Lolita Davidovich).
Director
Andrey Konchalovskiy
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Box Office (Gross USA)
$544.1K
Runtime
2h 17m
Sound Mix
Surround