The Russia House (1990) (Limited Edition)

[James Luckard]

Pre-order date: Wednesday, June 29th at 4 pm EST.

Special Features:
-Isolated Score Track
-Original Theatrical Trailer
-"Building The Russia House" - Vintage Behind the Scenes Featurette

YouTube

Yes! At last! One of my favorite films.

There is a German region-locked BD that I own, and also a French region-locked BD that I bought but sold, as it is from a PAL HD master and is at the wrong speed. I'm looking forward to buying an American release, ideally with the featurette that was on the laserdisc, and the trailer - and, in my fantasies with a commentary by director Fred Schepisi. At least we know there will be an isolated score track showcasing Jerry Goldsmith's exquisite, sweeping, romantic, jazz-influenced score.

It's hard to go wrong with a script by Tom Stoppard and this film hits me on so many levels. A fantastic love story, a smart spy movie (not a conventional action thriller at all, I should point out, it's a VERY dialogue-driven drama), and an insightful portrait of life in the Soviet Union. Connery and Pfeiffer are both superb, and the fact that the Soviet authorities, for some mind-boggling reason, allowed it to be shot on location, means it's the only Cold War thriller shot during the Cold War to show Russia accurately. White Nights was shot in Finland and was only able to sneak a second unit into Leningrad, while Gorky Park was shot entirely in Finland and even classics like Dr. Zhivago and Nicholas and Alexandra were shot in Spain. The world of this film is amazing and detailed. I went to many of the sites featured in the film when I vacationed in Russia in 2003.

Thank you Twilight Time!