The social ferment in late 19th century Russia which led to the 1917 Russian Revolution is movingly portrayed in this lengthy historical drama, which is very faithful to the 1907 novel The Mother by the celebrated Marxist writer Maxim Gorky (1868-1936). In the story, "the mother" has no other recourse than to watch her decent, kindly husband turn into an animalistic, drunken brute as a result of working in the inhuman conditions of a steel mill in the town of Sormovo. When he begins to express his suppressed rage by beating her, she is defended by her teenaged son Pavel. After his father's death, Pavel is forced to go to work in the same factory. However, Pavel and his friends begin investigating Marxism and socialist thought, and work to organize their fellow workers.
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Cast
34 people
Inna Churikova
The Mother
Known for
The Very Same Munchhausen
Messenger Boy
Viktor Rakov
Pavel Vlassov
Known for
To Kill a Dragon
Liubomiras Laucevičius
The Father
Known for
Come and See
Dungeons & Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God
Dmitriy Pevtsov
Known for
The Turkish Gambit
Dead Man's Bluff
Aleksandr Shishonok
Ivan Kabardin
Vladimir Prozorov
Also in
Ermak
Lost in Siberia
Vladimir Fateyev
Olga Shukshina
Also in
I Believe!
Antonella Interlenghi
Known for
Christmas Holidays
City of the Living Dead
Andrei Rostotsky
Known for
They Fought for Their Motherland
Vyacheslav Bogachyov
Known for
The Twelve Chairs
Gleb Panfilov Director · Maxim Gorky Author Mikhail Agranovich Cinematographer
First release May 1, 1990 · Produced in Italy, Russia · Production Cinefin
Production
Mosfilm
Production
Cinefin
Production
Italy · Russia
Produced in
Languages
Original title
Мать
Original language
Russian
Spoken on screen
Russian
Release dates
France · May 1, 1990
Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
Russia · December 1, 1990
Theatrical · Moscow
No release date listed for United States.
More from Gleb Panfilov
Other films they directed, best known first.
Some details come from TheTVDB.