Overview
A soldier's charm leads a mother and son into a dangerous web of deceit and betrayal.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- intimate
- foreboding
- reflective film night
- Russian cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as visually beautiful and thought-provoking, using a family crisis to interrogate Europe's postwar past.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sanya's relationship with Tolyan shapes how the family crisis and the soldier's duplicity are emotionally understood.
Tolyan poses as a husband and father, wins over the rooming house, and conceals his true intentions.
The 1946 and 1952 timeline frames Katya, Tolyan, and Sanya's instability within the aftermath of World War II.
Tolyan's charm and generosity create an inviting household atmosphere that gradually becomes threatening as his plans emerge.
Films like The Thief, and why
The Cranes Are Flying
postwar family crisis, morally compromised outsider, and elegiac historical drama
Germany Year Zero
European postwar disillusionment, childhood perspective, and intimate family trauma
Purple Noon
con artist protagonist, social performance, and tragic crime drama atmosphere
Europa Europa
child-centered historical drama examining political and personal betrayal
Movie Details
- Director
- Pavel Chukhray
- Release Date
- 1997-10-13
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (105)
Cast
- Vladimir Mashkov
- Yekaterina Rednikova
- Mikhail Filipchuk
- Yuri Belyayev
- Amaliya Mordvinova
- Natalya Pozdnyakova
- Lidiya Savchenko
- Anatoliy Koshcheev
- Anna Shtukaturova
- Ervand Arzumanyan
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Klassiki
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Thief about?
- A postwar mother and her son are drawn into the orbit of a magnetic soldier whose charm conceals a criminal life and threatens to destroy their fragile family.
- What is The Thief like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Thief as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Thief violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Thief as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Thief?
- Critics broadly praise the film as visually beautiful and thought-provoking, using a family crisis to interrogate Europe's postwar past.
- Which films are like The Thief?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cranes Are Flying, Germany Year Zero, Purple Noon, and Europa Europa.
- How long is The Thief?
- The Thief runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Thief?
- In United States, The Thief streams on Klassiki.
