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The Thief

Play trailer Poster for The Thief R Released Aug 31, 1997 1h 37m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 24 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
In 1946, a soldier fathers a child then dies before its birth. Jump to 1952: on a train, the child and his mother meet a handsome soldier who makes a play for her. She accepts. Posing as a married family, the soldier finds them a place to stay where he becomes everyone's favorite through his good looks and generosity. Meanwhile the widowed Russian with a young son falls for a soldier who turns out to have another identity.
The Thief

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Critics Consensus

As beautiful to look at as it is thought-provoking, The Thief interrogates Europe's past through the experiences of a family in crisis.

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Critics Reviews

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Globe and Mail Rated: 3/4 Apr 25, 2003 Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times It's a superb film in the classic style of screen storytelling, at once intimate and epic, possessed of lyrical beauty and suffused with that mixture of warmth, suffering and rueful humor so characteristic of Russian films. Feb 14, 2001 Full Review David Parkinson Empire Magazine [Stealing] the show is the eight-year-old Philipchuk, whose wide eyes register awe, puzzlement and misery with a conviction not seen since Salvatore Cascio in Cinema Paradiso. Rated: 4/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 3/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 5, 2005 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 3/5 Dec 8, 2002 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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flixster f 11 September, 2014 Simple, but uninteresting. 1/10. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie reminds me so much of Zvyagintsev's The Return. They both emphasize conflict with the father figure and the pressures of becoming a man. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member A fine film with an excellent storyline and outstanding acting. The story is not one a Hollywood production company would be likely to have any interest in filming. But it is a quite touching story of love and the ambiguities of love and family. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Unforgettable, heartbreaking, brilliant, perfect movie. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Just didn't grab me. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member I beautifully told story of a boy growing up in Stalin era Russia. Beautifully filmed and at times really touching, with a pretty amazing cast. While the early years of Sanya's life (which thankfully is the bulk of the film) are really moving and wonderfully acted by the young Misha Philipchuk, the last twenty minutes are a bit of a let down as the actors playing "teenage" Sanya "mature" Sanya just werent as good or engaging. Which sadly took a lot of the emotional "wind" from the sails of this story. But all in all a good solid film. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Thief

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The Thief

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1946, a soldier fathers a child then dies before its birth. Jump to 1952: on a train, the child and his mother meet a handsome soldier who makes a play for her. She accepts. Posing as a married family, the soldier finds them a place to stay where he becomes everyone's favorite through his good looks and generosity. Meanwhile the widowed Russian with a young son falls for a soldier who turns out to have another identity.
Director
Pavel Chukhraj
Producer
Igor Tolstunov
Screenwriter
Pavel Chukhraj
Distributor
Stratosphere Entertainment
Production Co
Canal+
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Russian
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 31, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.1M
Runtime
1h 37m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, Surround