Overview
A Cruel Romance is a 1984 Russian romantic drama directed by Eldar Ryazanov. It is based on Alexander Ostrovsky's classic play Without a Dowry (1878)., which had earlier been adapted into a film in 1937. The main female role was played by Larisa Guzeyeva in her cinematic debut.
The film was shot on location in the Upper Volga region, including Kostroma. It features a set of Russian romances written by Bella Akhmadulina, Marina Tsvetaeva and Eldar Ryazanov, composed by Andrey Petrov and Nina Shatskaya and performed by Valentina Ponomaryova. These songs have gained widespread popularity in Russia.
Plot
The film takes place in the fictional town of Bryakhimov on the banks of the Volga River in 1877–1878. The two episodes of the movie differ chronologically: the events shown in the first episode last for almost one year, whereas the second episode shows events of less than one day, and the culmination of the whole story takes place in the second episode.
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