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IMDb 7.8 16+ HD

Brother

1997 1 h 40 min Action · Drama · Crime Брат

A raw crime drama about a young veteran who drifts to Petersburg and discovers his brother’s violent secret, pulling him into a world where loyalty and survival collide.

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About the film

What it’s about

Danila Bagrov returns from army service to a dull provincial town and leaves for Petersburg, where his older brother Viktor is said to be thriving. He finds Viktor, but the reunion is not simple: Viktor works as a contract killer.

What hooks you

Sergei Bodrov Jr. became a folk hero through his role as Danila. Shot in 31 days, much of it on Vasilyevsky Island, it captures a bleak, apathetic 1990s Petersburg. The director’s own hometown address appears in a police scene, and the tram driver Svetlana was played by an actress who learned to drive a tram for the part.

Who it’s for

It is a good pick for those who like harsh, unsentimental crime stories set in post-Soviet Russia, with a bitter mood and a protagonist who protects the weak while drifting through a grim urban landscape.

In collections
Brother (Collection) 2
Technical details
Country
Russia
Year
1997
Genres
Action, Drama, Crime, Russian
Running time
1h 40min
Age rating
16+
World premiere
May 17, 1997

Ratings

MOVIE․ONE · 1,004 votes
8.3 /10
IMDb
7.828,000
Kinopoisk
8.41,797,720
Your rating —
— /10
1 · Didn't land 10 · Masterpiece

Creative team

All 11
Director Aleksei Balabanov
Starring
  1. 01 Sergei Bodrov Jr. Danila Bagrov
  2. 02 Viktor Sukhorukov Viktor Sergeyevich Bagrov
  3. 03 Svetlana Pismichenko Sveta
  4. 04 Mariya Milyutina Kat
  5. 05 Yuriy Kuznetsov German
  6. 06 Maria Zhukova Kat
  7. 07 Sergey Murzin Round
  8. 08 Irina Rakshina Zinka
  9. 09 Anatoli Zhuravlyov nervous bandit
  10. 10 Igor Shibanov Policeman

Trivia

All facts 9
  1. The chunky knit sweater worn by Danila Bagrov was bought by artist Nadezhda Vasilyeva at a second-hand store for 35 rubles.
  2. At the police station, Danila gives his address: «Vokzalnaya, 22». That address is the railway station in Yekaterinburg, the hometown of Aleksei Balabanov.
  3. The film was shot in 31 days.
  4. The film's cinematographer, Sergei Astakhov, played a truck driver in the last scene, because by the end of filming it turned out that no one had a driver's license to operate the truck.
  5. Due to lack of funds, filming took place in locations that were not properly registered.
  6. Most of the film was shot on Vasilyevsky Island.

Awards and nominations

2 wins 2 nominations

All
  1. 2 wins Kinotavr 1997
Top wins
  1. Grand Prix Aleksei Balabanov Kinotavr · 1997
  2. Best Male Role Sergei Bodrov Jr. Kinotavr · 1997

Also nominated Nika1 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival1

Franchise

2
  1. 1997
    Brother You are here
  2.  
    Брат 2 Sequel

Reviews

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