Gorky Park (1983)

One of the three bodies in Gorky Park is identified as an American because he had a tooth root filled with guttta percha. The pathologist says only American dentists use gutta percha. Nonsense. As a dental student in Glasgow in the early sixties we were taught to use it and it was probably being used routinely for many years before that all over Europe but certainly in the UK. So, as an early significant plot point it is rubbish.

William Hurt is a Russian cop, very handsome, in some conflict with the KGB and all the rest of Soviet rubbish. But strives to solve the mystery of the three bodies found in... Gorky Park of course.He meets Irina, a beautiful young woman and decides that she is involved, and knows more, so, of course, goes into her background. All she really wants is OUT, of Russian of course.Brian Dennehy has a good role, he's an American cop looking for his (now dead) brother. And Lee Marvin has been included, probably just to put a well-known name on the cast list - not very special.Of course there are lots of shooting. All fairly normal?

„Gorky Park " is a crime thriller set in Soviet Union . The main hero is Russian police officer who tries to solve a mystery involving three dead people , who were murdered in Moscow's Gorky Park . The film is set during the twilight years of the old Soviet Union, the brief interlude between the death of Leonid Brezhnev (an event referred to in the script) and the rise of the liberal, reforming Mikhail Gorbachev. The atmosphere of Soviet Union is a one full of cynicism and corruption. I won't spoil the movie by saying that Renko's ( main hero of the movie played by William Hurt ) investigation will lead him to people at the top of Soviet Establishment.The movie may have a Russian hero , but is far from being pro-Soviet. The Soviet system here is soulless and ruthless . It's a hell on Earth for decent people . The movie couldn't been made in Soviet Union , so Helsinki play the part of Moscow. Director Michael Apted and cinematographer Ralf Bode were still able to give us a cold, bleak atmosphere of the USRR."Gorky Park " is a example of 80's neo-noir movie . This genre is obviously inspired by Humprey Bogart movies. It includes several common features that must appear in this kind of movie :-a lonely hero who is outwardly unemotional , but inwardly feels everything very deeply.He acts like a cynical asshole , but he believes in justice . He will risk his life for the cause he believes in. -a femme fatale who is also main hero's love interest . A woman who isn't either good or bad . -a corrupted system -a powerful villain who is connected to the Establishment -bittersweet conclusionWilliam Hurt is a great choice for the main hero , because he knows how to play men who find it difficult to express their feelings . Everything you need to know is written on his face. He doesn't have to shout or gesticulate to show the audience the true depths of his soul. Equally great is Joanna Pacula who plays the main female character in the movie. She was nominated for Golden Globe for her performance. It isn't surprising , because she really makes the audience care for Irina – a woman trying desperately to get out of USRR. Too bad that after this something went wrong and she started to appear in rather bad movies ( with the exception of "Escape from Sobibor" ).The rest of the cast is also solid , especially Bryan Dennehy ( "Rambo : First blood" ) and Lee Marvin ( " Dirty dozen") . The screenplay from Dennis Potter is intelligent. The music made by James Horner is great , even if a little too loud and a rip-off "48 hours". The movie doesn't try to shock you withviolence or plot twists , but rather allows you to enjoy watching as all the puzzles start to make sense.This is one of the better thrillers of the 80's. If you're looking for neo-noir movie you should also watch "Body heat "(also with William Hurt) and "No mercy" (with Richard Gere and Kim Basinger). "Gorky Park " is a solid thriller that made me cry at the end of the movie . It holds up even better on re-watch . I give it 8/10.

I saw this film on a US army base in West Germany about a year after its release. I didn't have enough German to go to a commercial movie theatre and this was the only game in town. I knew nothing about it, hadn't even heard of the book let alone read it; I did know both William Hurt and Lee Marvin and, as I said, it was the only game in town. I thought it was dire. A few years later someone lent me the book which I enjoyed so much that I went on to read the subsequent Martin Cruz Smith novels featuring Arkady Renko. Now, some 26 years later the film has re-surfaced. I checked it out in case my first impression was wrong. It wasn't. This is STILL dire. It's a thriller without any thrills, a who-done-it entirely lacking suspense, set in a Moscow that's about as Russian as Upper Sandusky. The leading lady has no charisma, sensuality, or even bread-and-butter attractiveness that I was able to detect and there's more chemistry between a moth and an icicle than between her and leading man Hurt. For reasons best known to themselves the producers have seen fit to dispense with Renko's wife and the killer is known too us far too soon. All in all a joke.