The Kiss

1983 1h 3m RU

😐

5.4

MID

★5.4TMDB · 10

RomanceTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Lieutenant Ryabovich was accustomed to the monotonous life of an officer, but he found another life—society—difficult: ritual conversations, cards, billiards, chance encounters with random women. One of these women kisses Ryabovich in the house of a provincial landowner, and now the officer’s thoughts are consumed by her half-imaginary image. Meanwhile, the frivolous Lieutenant Lobytko teases his gentle friend, unaware of the danger.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Oleg Yankovskiy
Mikhail Ryabovich
Aleksandr Abdulov
Lobytko
Oleg Menshikov
Merzlyakov
Oleg Tabakov
brigadier general
Alexander Adabashyan
Sergei, the general's son
Sokrat Abdukadyrov
Suleimanov
Aleksandr Vokach
генерал фон Раббек
Irina Alfyorova
барышня в сиреневом

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Roman Balayan
Writers: Roman Balayan, Anton Chekhov
Languages: Russian
Countries: Soviet Union

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 63-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

43 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Roman Balayan, shot by Vilen Kalyuta. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Vadym Khrapachov. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Yelena Lukashenko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Oleg Yankovskiy and Aleksandr Abdulov and Oleg Menshikov carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0170440 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Roman Balayan directs. Vilen Kalyuta behind the camera. Vadym Khrapachov scores. Yelena Lukashenko cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Soviet Union. Dialogue in Russian.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 63-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
243 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Roman Balayan, shot by Vilen Kalyuta. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Vadym Khrapachov. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Yelena Lukashenko shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Oleg Yankovskiy and Aleksandr Abdulov and Oleg Menshikov carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt0170440 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 10 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.