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The Russia House

The Russia House

Drama · Thriller · Romance · 1990

Barley Scott Blair, a Lisbon-based editor of Russian literature who unexpectedly begins working for British intelligence, is commissioned to investigate the purposes of Dante, a dissident scientist trapped in the decaying Soviet Union that is crumbling under the new open-minded policies.

Movie details

The Russia House

“Their love was as dangerous as the secrets they kept.”

1990 Drama · Thriller · Romance 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.1 / 10

Community rating

Barley Scott Blair, a Lisbon-based editor of Russian literature who unexpectedly begins working for British intelligence, is commissioned to investigate the purposes of Dante, a dissident scientist trapped in the decaying Soviet Union that is crumbling under the new open-minded policies.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Russia House?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Fred Schepisi

Written by

Tom Stoppard

Sean Connery

Sean Connery

Bartholomew 'Barley' Scott Blair

Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer

Katya Orlova

Roy Scheider

Roy Scheider

Russell

James Fox

James Fox

Ned

John Mahoney

John Mahoney

Brady

Michael Kitchen

Michael Kitchen

Clive

J.T. Walsh

J.T. Walsh

Colonel Quinn

Court is in session

Put The Russia House on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.