Synopsis
The true story of Ivan Sanchin, the KGB officer who was Stalin's private film projectionist from 1939 until the dictator's death. Told from Sanchin's view, the sympathetic but tragically flawed hero maintains unwavering faith in his "Master" despite the arrest of his neighbors and his involvement with their daughter, his wife's affair with the chilling State Security chief Lavrentii Beria and her tragic decline, and the deadly political machinations within the Kremlin he witnesses firsthand.
Scores
Overall Score
23.6
Popularity Percentile (Year)
18.2%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
7.0%
Review Aggregate
64.8
Critic Consensus
Critic reception is mixed, with 50% of 4 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize historical, character-driven, emotional. Common reservations focus on execution consistency, even when reviewers praise standout elements.
historicalcharacter-drivenemotionalvisually strikingthought-provokingrealistic
Cast
| Cast | Year | Reported Salary | Inflation Adjusted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Hulce | 1991 | $1,000 | $2,000 | (est) |
| Lolita Davidovich | 1991 | $1,000 | $2,000 | (est) |
| Bob Hoskins | 1991 | $0 | $1,000 | (est) |
| Aleksandr Zbruyev | 1991 | $0 | $1,000 | (est) |
| Feodor Chaliapin Jr. | 1991 | $0 | $1,000 | (est) |
| Bess Meyer | 1991 | $0 | $1,000 | (est) |
Aggregated Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes critic score50.0
RT critic review count8
Rotten Tomatoes audience score78.0
RT audience rating count250
IMDb rating7.0
IMDb votes2,252
Box Office ?
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | 1991 | $93,292 | $214,873 |
| International | 1991 | N/A | N/A |
| Worldwide | 1991 | $93,292 | $214,873 |
Earnings / Profitability
| Category | Year | Reported | Inflation Adjusted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenues | |||
| Theatrical Net Revenue | 1991 | $46,646 | $107,436 |
| Digital Rentals ? | 1991 | N/A | N/A |
| Digital Purchases ? | 1991 | N/A | N/A |
| Physical Rentals ? | 1991 | $1,481,000 | $3,411,084 |
| Physical Purchases ? | 1991 | $903,000 | $2,079,817 |
| TV & Streaming Revenue | 1991 | $46,646 | $107,436 |
| Total Revenues | 1991 | $2,477,292 | $5,705,775 |
| Expenses | |||
| Budget ? | 1991 | $250,000 (est) | $575,808 (est) |
| Print & Advertising (P&A) ? | 1991 | $80,000 (est) | $184,258 (est) |
| Participations | 1991 | $99,000 | $228,020 |
| Residuals ? | 1991 | $170,000 | $391,549 |
| Interest & Overhead | 1991 | $50,000 | $115,162 |
| Total Expenses | 1991 | $649,000 | $1,494,797 |
| Movie Net Profit or Loss | 1991 | $1,828,292 | $4,210,978 |
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