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Burnt by the Sun

Play trailer Poster for Burnt by the Sun R 1994 2h 14m History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In the Soviet Union during the summer of 1936, Army commander Sergei Petrovich Kotov (Nikita Mikhalkov), his wife, Marusia (Ingeborga Dapkounaite) and his daughter, Nadya (Nadezhda Mikhalkova), are enjoying their family vacation. Marusia's lost love, Mitya (Oleg Menchikov), missing for 13 years, suddenly shows up at her family's dacha. Although he's greeted warmly, Mitya has a secret agenda: to arrest Kotov for his part in a nonexistent conspiracy to assassinate Stalin.
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Burnt by the Sun

Critics Reviews

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Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Jan 1, 2000
4/5
A brilliant, Chekhovian meditation on trust, love, and the intrusive horrors that period of time brought to otherwise normal families. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
2/4
Burnt by the Sun was not the best of the nominated foreign films (Before the Rain deserved to win), and is not even very original. Go to Full Review
Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot Mar 22, 2022
4/4
In its emotional involvement, it reaches a rare cinematic level of tragic grandeur. Go to Full Review
David Sterritt Christian Science Monitor Mar 30, 2019
3/4
Deep, historically revealing, unforgettable. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Jan 11, 2009
B+
There's a touch of Chekhovian poetic realism in Mikhalkov's mesmerizingly beautiful chronicle of love, family, and the intrusion of politics, which won the 1994 best foreign-language Oscar. Go to Full Review
Boo Allen Denton Record-Chronicle Mar 20, 2004
4/5
Brilliant allegory about retired Russian officer who discovers he can't escape Stalin's purges. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Virgo V @vision Jan 17, 2025 Burnt by the Sun (Wearied by the Sun) is a 1994 Russian drama film starring, directed, written and produced by Nikita Mikhalkov and co-written by Azerbaijani screenwriter Rustam Ibragimbekov. The film also stars Oleg Menshikov, Ingeborga Dapkūnaitė and Mikhalkov's daughter Nadezhda Mikhalkova. The film depicts the story of a senior Red Army officer, played by Mikhalkov and his family during the Great Purge of the late 1930s in the Stalinist Soviet Union. While on vacation with his wife, young daughter and assorted friends and family, things change dramatically for KomDiv Kotov when his wife's old lover, Dmitri, shows up after being away for many years. Burnt by the Sun was popular in Russia and received positive reviews in the United States. It won the Grand Prix at the 1994 Cannes Film Festival, the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and other honours. See more
Jul 22, 2023 Watched in the original Russian. Very good perfomances, very poignant. A few scenes drag on too long, but largely I never found myself wondering "when will it end?" despite its length. See more
Tetyana G @RT87007174 Dec 7, 2022 A masterpiece... a bit slow at the beginning, but very strong ending. The best of Michalkov. See more
May 27, 2020 This is an unforgettable film. More people should see it, because it gives an unstinting look at the joys of life in the Soviet Union and at the miserable failures of that disastrous regime. Beautifully acted and with spectacular cinematography, it is well worth your time. See more
Aug 30, 2018 This is one of my all time favorite films. So many layers, so many rich characters. The languid stroll to the denouement. It's just beautiful in every way. I bought the DVD ages ago, and share it with all my friends. Hard to say much here without spoiling it. I can't recommend it highly enough. Enjoy. See more
Dec 11, 2017 Stirring portrayal of a true believer in the Revolution, caught in the disaster of the Stalinist Purge. One of the most Russian movies I've seen. See more
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Burnt by the Sun

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Cast & Crew

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Nikita Mikhalkov

Director

Oleg Menchikov

Dimitri

Ingeborga Dapkounaite

Marusia

Nikita Mikhalkov

Col. Sergei Petrovich Kotov

André Oumansky

Philippe

Vyacheslav Tikhonov

Vsevolod

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Burnt by the Sun

Burnt by the Sun (1994) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the Soviet Union during the summer of 1936, Army commander Sergei Petrovich Kotov (Nikita Mikhalkov), his wife, Marusia (Ingeborga Dapkounaite) and his daughter, Nadya (Nadezhda Mikhalkova), are enjoying their family vacation. Marusia's lost love, Mitya (Oleg Menchikov), missing for 13 years, suddenly shows up at her family's dacha. Although he's greeted warmly, Mitya has a secret agenda: to arrest Kotov for his part in a nonexistent conspiracy to assassinate Stalin.
Director
Nikita Mikhalkov
Producer
Michel Seydoux, Nikita Mikhalkov
Screenwriter
Rustam Ibragimbekov
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia TriStar Home Video
Production Co
Studio Trite, Canal+, Caméra One, Goskino
Rating
R
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
Russian
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 21, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 25, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.7K
Runtime
2h 14m
Sound Mix
Surround
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