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The Inner Circle

  • 19911991
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 17m
IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
The Inner Circle (1991)
Trailer
Play trailer0:31
2 Videos
28 Photos
  • Biography
  • Drama
  • History

The true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically fla... Read allThe true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically flawed hero maintains unwavering faith in his "Master" despite the arrest of his neighbors an... Read allThe true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically flawed hero maintains unwavering faith in his "Master" despite the arrest of his neighbors and his involvement with their daughter, his wife's affair with the chilling State Security ... Read all

IMDb RATING
7.0/10
2.1K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
  • Writers
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
    • Anatoliy Usov
  • Stars
    • Tom Hulce
    • Lolita Davidovich
    • Bob Hoskins
Top credits
  • Director
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
  • Writers
    • Andrey Konchalovskiy
    • Anatoliy Usov
  • Stars
    • Tom Hulce
    • Lolita Davidovich
    • Bob Hoskins
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 24User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 12 nominations

    Videos2

    The Inner Circle
    Trailer 0:31
    The Inner Circle
    The Inner Circle
    Trailer 1:19
    The Inner Circle

    Photos28

    The Inner Circle (1991)
    The Inner Circle (1991)
    The Inner Circle (1991)
    Lolita Davidovich and Tom Hulce in The Inner Circle (1991)
    Lolita Davidovich and Tom Hulce in The Inner Circle (1991)
    The Inner Circle (1991)
    The Inner Circle (1991)
    The Inner Circle (1991)
    The Inner Circle (1991)
    Lolita Davidovich and Tom Hulce in The Inner Circle (1991)
    Bob Hoskins, Tom Hulce, and Aleksandr Zbruev in The Inner Circle (1991)
    Tom Hulce in The Inner Circle (1991)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Hulce
    Tom Hulce
    • Ivan Sanshinas Ivan Sanshin
    Lolita Davidovich
    Lolita Davidovich
    • Anastasiaas Anastasia
    Bob Hoskins
    Bob Hoskins
    • Beriaas Beria
    Aleksandr Zbruev
    Aleksandr Zbruev
    • Stalinas Stalin
    Feodor Chaliapin Jr.
    Feodor Chaliapin Jr.
    • Prof. Bartnevas Prof. Bartnev
    Bess Meyer
    Bess Meyer
    • Katya (16 years)as Katya (16 years)
    Mariya Baranova
    • Katya (10 years)as Katya (10 years)
    Irina Kupchenko
    Irina Kupchenko
    • Directressas Directress
    Vladimir Kuleshov
    Vladimir Kuleshov
    • Colonel Schelkasovas Colonel Schelkasov
    Vsevolod Larionov
    Vsevolod Larionov
    • General Rumiantsevas General Rumiantsev
    Aleksandr Filippenko
    Aleksandr Filippenko
    • Major Khitrovas Major Khitrov
    Evdokiya Germanova
    Evdokiya Germanova
    • Governessas Governess
    Lyubov Matyushina
    • Sonia Gubelmanas Sonia Gubelman
    Aleksandr Garin
    • Vasily Mordaas Vasily Morda
    Mariya Vinogradova
    Mariya Vinogradova
    • Fedosiaas Fedosia
    Aleksandr Lipkov
    • Aaron Gubelmanas Aaron Gubelman
    Antonina Anokhina
    • Claudia Mordaas Claudia Morda
    Aleksandr Sirin
    Aleksandr Sirin
    • Voronkinas Voronkin
    • Director
      • Andrey Konchalovskiy
    • Writers
      • Andrey Konchalovskiy
      • Anatoliy Usov
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    The true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically flawed hero maintains unwavering faith in his "Master" despite the arrest of his neighbors and his involvement with their daughter, his wife's affair with the chilling State Security chief Lavrentii Beria and her tragic decline, and the deadly political machinations within the Kremlin he witnesses firsthand. —Martin H. Booda <booda@datasync.com>
    • timeframe 1930s
    • timeframe 1940s
    • projectionist
    • russia
    • stalinism
    • 11 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Biography
      • Drama
      • History
    • Certificate
      • PG-13
    • Parents guide
      • Add content advisory

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The movie premiered in the United States on December 25, 1991 - one day before the Soviet Union dissolved and became the Russian Federation.
    • Goofs
      The movie covers the years 1939 to Stalin's death in 1953. However, it constantly refers to the KGB, an organization that did not come into existence until 1954. Until then the USSR security service was known by a variety of names, most notably the NKVD (Narodny Komisariat Vnutrennykh Del or People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs) between 1934 and 1943. It is this organization that Ivan would have joined in 1939. However, the sign on the NKVD headquarters in the film does read "NKVD" not "KGB". This refers only to foreign versions of movie, because in russian version names are correct. "NKVD" is used in early scenes and "MGB" in '50s.
    • Quotes

      Katya: [On her parents] They're traitors! They tried to kill Stalin! They should be shot!

    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: JFK/Grand Canyon/Father of the Bride/The Inner Circle (1991)

    User reviews24

    Review
    Top review
    another brilliant realization of the theme of "little man"
    There is a human tragedy of global scale - and those humans who sway this tragedy and who just turned out to be grains of sand under those wheels of history. To model what those people were in their good and weak producers and authors of "The Inner Circle" made an awesome cast in this movie - don't you agree that Bob Hoskins playing marshal Berija is worth seeing anyway. Lolita Davidovich's and great Russian actor Oleg Tabakov's was magnificent performance. And at last the central character - Ivan Sanshin - is utterly shrill figure and utterly potent message. Due to genius Tom Hulce who looks and acts completely and very naturally Russian - as I see it being Russian myself. No further words on Tom Hulce - he's just a great actor (though not a "star" in the industry, as I can guess) and every one of his works worth seeing. Even in his small role in "Parenthood" he's very convincing and dramatic - and in "The Inner Circle" he has a great material to work on... An obvious merit of this film - it is historically accurate (with exception of ahead-of-time tanks and probably something else) in details. Accurate Soviet uniforms in a Western movie is really very rare thing and in this film uniform of NKVD-officers looks authentic to the Soviet people like me... And the director's job is not bad at all - Konchalovsky has his peaks and faults and The Inner Circle is one of the peaks, I guess...
    helpful•11
    2
    • FFC
    • Nov 8, 1999

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 25, 1991 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • Italy
      • Soviet Union
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • The Projectionist
    • Filming locations
      • Russia
    • Production companies
      • Numero Uno International
      • Mosfilm
      • Columbia Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $93,292
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $36,782
      • Dec 29, 1991
    • Gross worldwide
      • $93,292
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 17 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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