Ward No. 6

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Ward No. 6

2009

1h 23m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

67%

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6 Reviews

68%

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100+ Ratings

Doctor Ragan (Vladimir Ilin) is a psychiatric doctor at an insane asylum located in a small Russian town. He strikes up a conversational relationship with a patient who suffers from paranoid delusions. Their talks take on increasing importance in his life, to the point where he starts ignoring his other responsibilities. His grip on reality slipping, Ragan is tricked into becoming a patient in the mental ward himself, and must face questions regarding the nature of insanity.

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

Often unreadable subtitles cannot dim the brilliance of Karen Shakhnazarov's "Ward. No. 6," an inspired reworking of Anton Chekhov short story.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 16, 2010

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Amber Wilkinson

Eye for Film

Much more complex than it first appears and fully deserving of its selection as Russia's foreign language Oscar nominee this year, Ward No 6 persuasively prods at our preconceptions of 'madness'.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 18, 2012

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John P. McCarthy

Boxoffice Magazine

The movie's profundity shines through because it gestures at something that might counter its aura of futility and despair.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 22, 2010

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Eric Monder

Film Journal International

Better in concept than execution, Ward No. 6 is a disappointing modern-day adaptation of a short story by Anton Chekhov.

Dec 17, 2010

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Nick Pinkerton

L.A. Weekly

Like the best adaptations, even its inventions are good.

Dec 16, 2010

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NOW Toronto

Rated: 1/5

Sep 16, 2010

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Audience Member

This rating is a bit of a shame since I was really enjoying this movie at first, but the Chekhov adaption loses me right past the middle. The acting is great, realism at its finest. Felt like a documentary before the fantasy elements were thrown in. I found the doctor pretty funny, and some of the conversations thought provoking. there's a lot good and it's worth a try, maybe others will get more from the later pieces.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

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Audience Member

The distinctively disturbing aspect of this film is that the decline of a psychiatrist into madness is the product of sensibility, not genetic or ghastly social derangement. In contrast to the aesthetic insensibility of Moscov, the all too human conditions of the dwellers in the sordid grounds of the asylum, exhibit the fragile line between madness and reasons, and the Kafkaesque power of the state to almost whimsically incarcerate for thoughtfulness. The dance scene was quite tender, music and touch being the only opportunity of some humanity for these uncharmed beings.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

Loved the real-life documentary feel of the film, thought the blending of cinema, documentary style interviews, silent grainy home video, and the real life mental health facility and residents just made a seamless film that really brought the story to life in the modern age.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

A magnificent look into the mind of a "mentally ill" person and the journey they must follow before succumbing to madness. Definitely one of the psychological masterpieces of modern film-making. Really opens your eyes to some of the reasoning of the mind.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

Semana dos Realizadores - Fantas 2010

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

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Audience Member

Semana dos Realizadores - Fantas 2010

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Aleksandr Gornovsky

Director

Karen Shakhnazarov

Director

Vladimir Ilin

Ragin

Aleksandr Pankratov-Chernyy

Actor

Evgeniy Stychkin

Actor

Viktor Solovev

Actor

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Synopsis

Doctor Ragan (Vladimir Ilin) is a psychiatric doctor at an insane asylum located in a small Russian town. He strikes up a conversational relationship with a patient who suffers from paranoid delusions. Their talks take on increasing importance in his life, to the point where he starts ignoring his other responsibilities. His grip on reality slipping, Ragan is tricked into becoming a patient in the mental ward himself, and must face questions regarding the nature of insanity.

Director: Aleksandr Gornovsky, Karen Shakhnazarov
Screenwriter: Aleksandr Borodyanskiy, Anton Chekhov, Karen Shakhnazarov
Production Co: Mosfilm
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Russian
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 23m

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