The Russia House is
a spy novel by John le Carré published in 1989. The title refers to the
nickname given to the portion of the British Secret Intelligence Service that
was devoted to spying on the Soviet Union. A film based on the novel was
released in 1990, starring Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer, and directed by
Fred Schepisi.
It was panned by some critics and audiences - some were
expecting a James Bond type spy adventure - I think it was connery's first
post- bond outing in a spy thriller. Others found the plot too complicated. I
remember some people walking out of the cinema after about five minutes.-
probably the same sort of people as those i saw leaving "Tinker, Tailor,
Soldier, Spy" before the opening
title sequence had finished! FFS what
were you expecting!
I loved this film from the first time I saw it. And have lived and breathed it ever since - it got under my skin. Why? Mainly because it is set in Russia and was one of the first Western films shot there, and, as I mention elsewhere it beautifully captures Moscow, St Petersburg and the Russian countryside in between; it is based on a John Le Carre novel - my favourite
author; all
the cast play their roles convincingly and brilliantly especially Michelle
Pfeifer's portrayal of a Russian woman.
But the film is greater than the sum of its parts, I love
the dialogue which can be witty at times, I love the jazz influenced sound
track, I love the scenery; but most of all I think that the film accurately
portrays some idiosyncrasies of Russian attitudes and mannerisms as well as
capturing the sense of fear that pervaded encounters between Russians and
Westerners in Soviet times.
John Le Carre intended that his novel be a kind of
snapshot of the early days of Perestroika when the Soviet Union was becoming a
more open and freer society. The
policies of Glasnost and Perestroika were yet more state doctrines, imposed
from above. The general population was
understandably apprehensive; there was no guarantee that thing would not go
back to how they were, indeed the coup attempt in 1991 is testimony to the
desire of some apparatchiks to turn back the clock. Both the book and the film manages to capture
the mood of that period in the dying days of the cold war when the grey men on
both sides wished to perpetuate the arms race.
The film may well seem dated in many respects - the
collapse of the Eastern bloc, Soviet
Union, communist ideologies, made the film seem passé when it was released. But the themes of betrayal, conflicting loyalties, ideology and idealism, the corruption of bureaucracy, and, of course, love, are enduring themes and continue to be relevant.
This is my blog which details my quest to identify, list and "bag" all the the locations used in the film.
