3 reasons to watch 'Crime and Punishment', the new Russian TV show
One of the most important novels of Russian and world literature has received a fresh screen adaptation for the first time in many years.
On October 26, 2024, a new TV series retelling 'Crime and Punishment', directed by Vladimir Mirzoyev, will premiere on the ‘Kinopoisk’ streaming platform and will be available via a paid subscription. The action this time takes place in 21st-century St. Petersburg. Law student Rodion Raskolnikov is exhausted by the lack of money, while his sister works as a babysitter in the house of wealthy people to provide for her brother and mother.
Below are three reasons to watch the series.
1. The novel is very rarely adapted to the screen in Russia
Unlike Dostoevsky's ‘The Idiot’ and ‘The Brothers Karamazov’, which appear on screens much more often, ‘Crime and Punishment’ is a difficult material to adapt into a movie or TV show.
That very axe
The last time a TV miniseries was released was in 2007 and, before that, a notable movie based on the novel was made way back in 1969. That movie, directed by Lev Kulidzhanov, was recognized as a classic and, for many years, filmmakers wouldn’t touch the novel.
Raskolnikov and his beloved Sonya Marmeladova
Therefore, a new version of the cult novel in the form of a TV show is already a huge cultural event.
2. Brilliant cast of actors
The main role of Rodion Raskolnikov is played by Ivan Yankovsky. A representative of the famous acting dynasty, today, he is the hottest male acting prospect in Russia. Fame and fortune came to him after the TV show ‘The Boy's Word: Blood on the Asphalt’ (2023).
Running the streets of St. Petersburg
In ‘Crime and Punishment’, Yankovsky perfectly got into the role of a student suffering from poverty, who finds himself on the verge of madness. Director Vladimir Mirzoyev says that this role was written specifically for the actor.
Yulia Snigir as Marfa Svidrigailova
Raskolnikov's sister is played by popular young actress Lyubov Aksenova, who reincarnates in a second from an innocent angel to a vicious woman. Famous actress Yulia Snigir also stars in the TV show.
3. The action has been transferred to the present day
In Russia, the attitude to classical literature is so reverent that most movies are made true to the text and become a kind of cinematic “illustration” of the novels. Therefore, the decision of producers to rewrite the “sacred” text of Dostoevsky can be considered a very bold step. Fans of the writer and zealots of classical literature, of course, will remain outraged that only the basis of the plot remains from the novel.
At the same time, the series highlights the plot lines in depth, where Dostoevsky only outlined them. Svidrigailov and his wife are shown in more detail, as well the story of Raskolnikov's sister, Dunya.
Dunya Raskolnikova and his fellow student Razumikhin
In addition, the authors of the series introduced a new character, which was masterfully played by “Russian Robert Downey Jr.” Boris Khvoshnyansky. He is a kind of alter ego of Raskolnikov, a devil on his shoulder, so to say, who talks to him and encourages him to kill the old woman. You can also notice a reference to Dostoevsky's other works, such as ‘Karamazovs’ and ‘Notes from Underground’.
Raskolnikov and the devil on his shoulder
As director Vladimir Mirzoyev says, this is a TV show about crime, punishment and resurrection. Which, however, the viewer may only see in the next season.
