Aleksandr Proshkin directs this historic epic, which is full of complex intrigue, doomed lovers, and shots of the icy Russian landscape. Drawing from two of Alexandr Pushkin's most beloved works, The Captain's Daughter and A History of Pugachev, the film opens with young cadet Pyotr Grinyov (Mateusz Damiecki) trekking off to his remote compound after Empress Catherine II (Olga Antonova) has her husband Peter killed. On the rookie soldier's journey, he lends his fur coat to runaway Emelian Pugachev (Vladimir Mashkov), who soon believes that young Pyotr is in fact Tsar Peter III. Later at the fortress, Pyotr finds himself competing with his fellow soldiers for the attention of Masha (Karolina Gruszka), the gorgeous daughter of the fort's commanding officer, while Pugachev masses rebel forces against the fort. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival.
by Jonathan Crow
synopsis
