The Needle

1988 [RUSSIAN]

Action / Drama / Thriller

6
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Certified Fresh 70%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 70%
IMDb Rating 6.9/10 10 3272 3.3K

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Plot summary

Moro returns to Alma-Ata to collect money owed to him. While waiting out an unexpected delay, he visits his former girlfriend Dina and discovers she has become a morphine addict. He decides to help her kick the habit and to fight the local drug mafia responsible for her condition.

Director

Rashid Nugmanov Photo
Rashid Nugmanov

Top cast

Vladimir Danilenko Photo
Vladimir Danilenko as Chess player
Grigori Epstein Photo
Grigori Epstein as Epstein
Marat Azimbayev Photo
Marat Azimbayev as Marat
Ajkhan Chatayeva Photo
Ajkhan Chatayeva as Nurse
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU
644.1 MB
946*720
Russian 2.0
NR
Subtitles
25 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds ...
1.22 GB
1408*1072
Russian 2.0
NR
Subtitles
25 fps
1 hr 21 min
Seeds 7

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by I_Ailurophile 8 / 10

Enjoyable and fairly well done, if modest and broadly unremarkable

I'm not someone who understands broad labels when it comes to "movements" in any medium of art; terms like Impressionism, Romanticism, or Expressionism mean nothing to me, only the works to which such labels may be applied. I couldn't tell you what "New Wave" genuinely means - but then again, even the most unstudied layperson can surely recognize the similarities in style between the films of "French New Wave" auteurs like Agnès Varda, Francois Truffaut, or especially Jean-Luc Godard, and the approach adopted here by "Kazakh New Wave" filmmaker Rashid Nugmanov. A complete narrative is imparted, yet very obliquely as we're treated to instances of shots, scenes, or dialogue that seem attached to the storytelling only barely and in a sidelong fashion (if indeed at all), and which sometimes carry a disjointed or stilted sensibility about them that would seem amateurish if not for how obviously it's all very deliberate. To these add instances of jump cuts; cuts to other footage, and samples of audio, that are very distinctly unrelated to the immediate proceedings (and which may or may not be woven back in); sparing use of narration or intertitles; and even lighting or (Lettrist) manipulation of the film stock echoing what we saw coming out of France some years before. 'The needle' bears a discrete story, yes, but it's clear that the particular manner in which that story is told was very important to Nugmanov. Of course this doesn't inherently speak to the quality of this 1988 picture, but one's engagement with it will probably be impacted by how one views its cinematic kin; in fairness, I don't think the artistic flourishes are as heavy or overbearing here as we've seen elsewhere. When all is said and done I do actually like this, rather a lot, but I'd be lying if I said I entirely knew what to make of it.I'll say this: whatever one thinks of the "New Wave" veneer (for my part, while "hostile" is too potent a word, I can't say I specifically think much of it), it's not so central to the feature as to significantly detract from the value this otherwise represents. Taken in and of itself, the story is earnestly compelling, and actually relatively simple as protagonist Moro reconnects with an old girlfriend and finds that she's in need of help. The details of that story enrich the experience, and the scene writing is likewise quite strong; the characters are sympathetic and at least indirectly relatable, and while perhaps not fully fleshed out are given sufficient identity and personality to make us care about them. Meanwhile, in all those ways that matter most the movie is pretty sharp in its construction - indicative of limited resources, perhaps, but admirably well done within those constraints. Nugmanov demonstrates a terrifically keen eye at points for outstanding shot composition, and for generally orchestrating shots and scenes. Aspects like the filming locations, set design, cinematography, and costume design, and even those few stunts and effects that are employed, are at once a minor treat for the eyes, modest, and charming, and lend a small sense of verisimilitude to the proceedings. Combine such facets with Nugmanov's direction and the result is more engaging than how it first comes off. Moreover, while I disagree that all the choices made here were good ones, I'll at least allow that the work behind them is appreciable. The cast is swell, if not majorly remarkable, and I certainly enjoy the songs of Kino that greet us on the soundtrack.I think the main factor diminishing my favor here is that the stylistic flair is more unnecessary than it is useful or meaningful, and often at least distracting if not also off-putting. Some of the choices made here evoke bewilderment at the emptiness more than anything else; as far as I'm concerned some whole scenes could or should have been trimmed, substantially revised, or even omitted outright without losing anything. Even setting that aside, I don't believe 'The needle' is anything so special as to altogether demand viewership in any capacity - it's enjoyable, but not crucial. Then again, mileage will certainly vary from one viewer to the next, and no doubt others emphatically like it or dislike it more than I do. I guess I'm of the mind that if one is a supreme devotee of all things "New Wave," or digging deep into cinema of the former Soviet Union, this this is probably a higher priority; for wide audiences, maybe you're best served by simply setting it aside for a lazy day when you want something good to watch but not necessarily something that wholly spellbinds and requires heavy engagement. There are elements of this that at best add nothing to it and at worst detract from the viewing experience, but nonetheless it's suitably capable that it's much more worthwhile than not. Don't go out of your way for it, and bear in mind the film-making approach that's taken here, but 'The needle' is a decent way to spend some time if you do have the chance to watch.
Reviewed by ToonEugen6812 8 / 10

Great movie as for the standards of Soviet movies back in the day

As a Romanian teenager who likes this band and its songs and likes history and such (although I don't speak Russian and watched it with subtitles), this movie is great for me! The plotline is also interesting, as it reminds me of how drug addiction was some problem in the USSR back around the 80s (although from what I've heard, it wasn't that prevalent, neither a serious problem). Considering there was some business stuff in the movie, I didn't really understand what happened, but I know that Moro (Viktor Tsoi) goes to present-day Kazakhstan to extract debt from a criminal called "Spartak", then he goes to his ex-girlfriend called "Dina", whose father died, and she let him stay in her apartment. I don't really know much of the plotline, but from what I can remember, Dina was addicted to drugs and Moro had to save her from that, but goes into trouble with some local drug mafia stuff. The soundtrack is also very cool, ESPECIALLY at the end, where it plays one of Tsoi's most popular songs from the USSR! I also have liked the scenes where it took place in a sunny wasteland (I'd say). In conclusion, this movie was pretty much great to me, not my personal best, but it's a great one, even though it doesn't go up with the standards with Western movies (just like Romanian movies before the 90s to be honest). Some parts weren't boring, some parts were boring.

This is why I give this movie an 8/10. Still, a great movie in my opinion!

Reviewed by hellbringer-44797 8 / 10

Great film for fans of Viktor Tsoi and Soviet filmmaking

I have no doubt that the main reason why many people chose to watch this film was because the Soviet rock legend Viktor Tsoi was the protagonist, and this was my reason for watching too. I have been a fan of his music for quite a while, so was curious how about this film, and it was actually far better than I expected.

Tsoi does a great job at playing the role of the protagonist Moro, and whilst the plot was fairly simple, I still enjoyed it. As many others have also pointed out, the ending scene was very good and I can understand why it became so iconic.

The soundtrack here is also great, with several iconic Kino songs playing throughout the duration of the film, as well as some original music that was created specifically for the film.

Ultimately, if you are a fan of Viktor Tsoi and Kino, you will definitely enjoy this film. However, if you are not, you may not find much that holds your interest unless you are particularly a fan of late Soviet-era films such as this.

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