Belyy Bim - Chyornoe ukho (1977)

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Director:

Stanislav Rostotsky

Writers:

Stanislav Rostotsky (writer)
Gavriil Troyepolsky (book)

Release Date:

25 August 1978 (Finland)

Genre:

Drama

Plot Keywords:

Color In Title | Nature | Dog | Based On Book

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

Vyacheslav Tikhonov	...	Ivan Ivanovich
Valentina Vladimirova	...	Neighbor
Mikhail Dadyko	...	Seryj
Ivan Ryzhov	...	Doorman
Irina Shevchuk	...	Dasha
Mikhail Zimin	...	Tolik's father
Gennadi Kochkozharov	...	Alesha's father
Rimma Manukovskaya	...	Tolik's mother
Mariya Skvortsova	...	Stepanovna, Lusya's grandmother
Anatoli Barantsev	...	Veterinarian
Vitali Leonov	...	Fisherman
Lyubov Sokolova	...	Switchwoman
Aleksei Chernov	...	Forester
Raisa Ryazanova	...	Alesha's mother
Georgi Svetlani	...	Guard at Veterinarian's

Also Known As:

White Bim Black Ear

Runtime:

182 min

Country:

Soviet Union

Language:

Russian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:S

Company:

Gorky Film Studios

Movie Connections:

Referenced in K-9 (1989)

A gut-wrenching, beautiful film

"Belyi Bim" has a dog in the starring role, but it is first and foremost a film about human souls and the vicissitudes and uncertainty of human nature, seen through a dog's eyes. Through the many trials in his search of his beloved owner, Bim encounters a varied bunch of people, some kind, some indifferent, some evil. In the most excruciating scene (and I mean that in the literal sense) Bim encounters human kindness in the face of unspeakable tragedy. The film is based on Gavriil Troepolsky's wonderful novel, and stays very true to the book. Be aware that this is not a Disneyesque animal adventure - this movie doesn't pull any emotional punches and therefore it is not a film for everyone. Nevertheless, I'd probably give it a 9 out of 10 rating. Oh, and the cinematography is absolutely superb!