Mute Witness (1994)

Director:

Anthony Waller

Writer:

Anthony Waller (written by)

Release Date:

15 September 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

She Can't Speak. She Can't Scream. She Can't Beg For Mercy.

Plot:

Billy Hughes, a mute makeup artist working on a slasher film being shot in Moscow, is locked in the studio after hours...

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Mute | Film Making | Violence | Cult Favorite

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Marina Zudina	...	Billy Hughes (as Marina Sudina)
Fay Ripley	...	Karen Hughes
Evan Richards	...	Andy Clarke
Oleg Yankovskiy	...	Larsen (as Oleg Jankowskij)
Igor Volkov	...	Arkadi
Sergei Karlenkov	...	Lyosha (as Sergej Karlenkov)
Alec Guinness	...	The Reaper (as Mystery Guest Star)
Aleksandr Pyatkov		(as Alexander Piatkov)
Nikolai Pastukhov	...	Janitor (as Nikolai Pastuhov)
Aleksandr Bureyev		(as Alexander Buriev)
Stephen Bouser	...	Lovett
Valeri Barakhtin	...	Mitja (as Valeri Barahtin)
Nikolay Chindyaykin		(as Nikolai Chindjaikin)
Vyacheslav Naumenko		(as Vasheslav Naumenko)
Larisa Khusnolina		(as Larisa Husnolina)
Olga Tolstetskaya	...	Actress
Denis Karasyov	...	Fake policeman (as Denis Karasiov)
Igor Ilyin	...	Fake policeman (as Igor Iljin)
Oleg Abramov	...	Double
Yuri Sherstnyov		(as Uri Sherstiniov)
Lyudmila Makeyeva		(as Ludmilla Makeeva)
Vladimir Salnikov	...	Lab assistant
Sascha Buchman	...	Alex
Natalya Polyushkina		(as Natalia Poliushkina)
Konstantin Sitnikov	...	Angry props manager
Regina Peter	...	Telephone operator's voice (voice)
Pete Drummond	...	Additional Voices (voice)
Norbert Soentgen	...	Peeping Tom

Directed by
Anthony Waller

Writing credits
Anthony Waller		(written by)

Produced by
Aleksandr Atanesyan	....	co-producer (as Alexander Atanesjan)
Alexander Buchman	....	producer
Richard Claus	....	executive producer
Marina Kapustina	....	line producer
Werner König	....	associate producer
Pieter Lony	....	associate producer
Grigori Ryazhsky	....	co-producer
Norbert Soentgen	....	producer
Anthony Waller	....	producer

Original Music by
Wilbert Hirsch

Cinematography by
Egon Werdin

Film Editing by
Peter R. Adam

Casting by
Noel Davis
Elena Denisova
Nina Sokol-Matsuk

Production Design by
Matthias Kammermeier

Art Direction by
Barbara Becker

Costume Design by
Svetlana Luzanova

Makeup Department
Arina Morozova	....	makeup artist (as Irina Morozova)
Maria Smirnova	....	makeup assistant (as Masha Smirnova)

Production Management
Tatyana Zhigayeva	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Boris Blank	....	assistant director
Marat Rafikov	....	assistant director

Art Department
Tamara Garanch	....	set dresser
Valeri Gorkov	....	set dresser
Steffi Kammermeier	....	props coordinator (as Stephie Kammermeier)
Vladimir Murzin	....	construction architect
Vladimir Pasternak	....	construction architect
Valery Semionov	....	set dresser
Yelena Shkatova	....	property master
Ludmilla Tebiakina	....	props assistant
Victor Tolkochlov	....	props assistant

Sound Department
Peter R. Adam	....	adr editor
Albert Avramenko	....	sound recordist
Richard Borowski	....	sound re-recording mixer
Benedikt Just	....	sound trainee
Alexander Kochubey	....	boom operator
Manuel Laval	....	sound effects editor
Manuel Laval	....	supervising sound editor
Emilie McLaughlin	....	assistant sound effects editor
Matthias Münster	....	assistant sound re-recording mixer
Jörn Poetzl	....	foley artist
Valery Sharov	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Victor Orlov	....	special effects
Pavel Terchov	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Christian Burgdorff	....	visual effects supervisor

Stunts
Elia Antonova	....	stunts
Aleksandr Balabushevich	....	stunts
Sergej Chekrigin	....	stunts
Vasili Grishin	....	stunts
Zhana Izosimova	....	stunts
Yuri Sysoyev	....	stunts (as Uri Sisoev)
Sergei Vorobyov	....	stunt coordinator (as Sergei Vorobiov)

Camera and Electrical Department
Valentina Andreanova	....	primary lighting technician
Stefan Austmeyer	....	first assistant camera
Victor Bailov	....	primary lighting technician
Sergej Beliakov	....	secondary lighting technician
Uri Dokuchaev	....	camera operator
Elena Dunaykina	....	clapper loader
Kiril Fedin-Krugliakov	....	second assistant camera
Nikolai Gnesiuk	....	still photographer
Uri Hazanov	....	grip
Nikolai Ivanishin	....	grip
Dimitri Krilov	....	secondary lighting technician
Anton Kuligin	....	video assist operator
Grigory Kunakovsky	....	primary lighting technician
Alexei Kutsnetsov	....	assistant camera: second unit
Boris Lamdon	....	primary gaffer
Andrej Laptev	....	primary lighting technician
Genady Lobachlov	....	primary lighting technician
Ivan Mandur	....	grip
Thomas Merker	....	assistant camera
Anatoli Pashvikin	....	still photographer
Nikolai Porschnev	....	secondary lighting technician
Vladimir Rogozin	....	secondary gaffer
Jekaterina Rudionov	....	clapper loader
Michail Shikaliov	....	grip
Anatoli Sokolov	....	grip
Sergei Svetlyakov	....	secondary lighting technician (as Sergej Svetliakov)
Dimitri Vostrov	....	primary lighting technician
Anthony Waller	....	camera operator
Egon Werdin	....	camera operator
Oleg Zhuravfiov	....	key grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Svetlana Avdeeva	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Bert Brücker	....	negative cutter
Jörg Eybl	....	color timer
Manuel Laval	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Boris Jojic	....	orchestrator
Konstantin Krimets	....	conductor
Aeseny Lapasov	....	music recording supervisor
Frank Reinke	....	music recordist

Other crew
Alexei Aleshkovski	....	continuity
Yelena Boguslavskaya	....	location manager (as Elena Boguslavskaya)
Valeri Bondarenko	....	location manager
Ariane Büsch	....	production assistant: Germany
Martina Elsner	....	production secretary: Germany
Karl-Ludwig Frick	....	computer programmer
Theodore Gershuny	....	script consultant (as Ted Gerschuny)
Pia Greschner	....	production assistant: Germany
Karin Jensen	....	production secretary: Germany
Evgeny Kovalchuk	....	production assistant
Rita Kovalenko	....	production accountant
Rosa Kulabuhova	....	production assistant
Natalya Polyushkina	....	assistant: Mr. Waller (as Natalia Poliushkina)
Markus Rosenmüller	....	script consultant (as Marcus Rosenmüller)
Alexander Sharafutdinov	....	production assistant
Martin Thau	....	script consultant
Viola Winokan	....	production assistant: Germany

Production Companies

• Avrora Media
• Cobblestone Pictures
• Comet Film Produktion GmbH
• Patoss Films

Distributors

• Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International (Argentina)
• Columbia TriStar Films de España (Spain)
• Columbia TriStar Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• LK-TEL Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (Argentina) (VHS)
• Nelonen (2001) (Finland) (TV)
• Nordisk Film Home Entertainment (1996) (Finland) (VHS)
• Sony Pictures Classics (1995) (USA)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Optical Art (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Solid Sound  sound edited at

Also Known As:

Stumme Zeugin (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and a strong scene combining sex and violence.

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

Germany | UK | USA | Russia

Language:

English | Russian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Iceland:16 | South Korea:18 | Argentina:16 (re-rating) | Argentina:18 (original rating) | Australia:R | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | Germany:16 | Peru:18 | Spain:18 | Sweden:15 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Moscow, Russia

Company:

Avrora Media

Trivia:

Temperatures in Red Square went down as far as minus 23 degrees.

Goofs:

Continuity: Spolier Alert! When Larsen jumps out of the car just as it explodes, his jacket is clearly on fire as he lays on the ground. In the next shot it is not burning and isn't scorched.

Movie Connections:

Remade as Mute Witness (2011)

.terrifying, balanced by black humor, nerve wrecking tension

"Mute Witness" is a terrifying roller coaster ride, with lots of black humor thrown in to perfect balance. What makes it so totally different from the usual thriller/horror, apart from its Moscow setting, the Russians are played by real Russians actors, even the American mute woman - excellent casting idea, because she acts brilliantly. More twists to the plot than you could hope for and the main part of the nerve wrecking tension comes from suggestion or chases and less from graphic violence, which one would expect from a film of that genre and plot. Apart from Alec Guinness' guest appearance, no big names, which only makes the film more attractive. I would be surprised if "Mute Witness" hasn't got cult status by now among the fans of the genre.