A Gentle Creature (2017)
Sergei Loznitsa's Kafkaesque masterwork follows a Russian woman's harrowing descent into bureaucratic nightmare as she searches for her imprisoned husband.
A Gentle Creature - Movie Information
- Original Title: Кроткая
- Release Year: 2017
- Directed by: Sergei Loznitsa
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Drama, Mystery
- Runtime: 2h 23m
- Original Language: Russian
- Spoken Languages: Russian
- Release Date (Theatrical): August 16, 2017 (France), May 3, 2018 (Germany)
- Alternative Titles: Uma Criatura Gentil (BR), La sumisa (ES), Une femme douce (FR), Krotkaya (RU)
- Production Companies: ARTE France Cinéma, Slot Machine, Graniet Film, Studio Uljana Kim, Wild At Art, Solar Media Entertainment, LOOKSfilm, Haut et Court, Potemkine Films, Atoms & Void, Film Angels Studio
- Production Countries: Germany, France, Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine
A Gentle Creature - Plot
A woman lives in a small village in Russia. One day she receives the parcel she sent to her husband, serving a sentence in prison. Confused and angered, she sets out to find why her package was returned to sender.
A Gentle Creature - Trailer
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A Gentle Creature - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Sergei Loznitsa
Main Cast
- Vasilina Makovtseva
- Sergey Kolesov
- Liya Akhedzhakova
- Sergey Fedorov
- Roza Khairullina
- Dmitriy Bykovskiy-Romashov
- Alisa Kravtsova
- Alexander Zamuraev
- Boris Kamorzin
- Sergey Russkin
Writers
- Sergei Loznitsa
Producers
- Marianne Slot
A Gentle Creature - FAQs
Is A Gentle Creature based on a true story?
A Gentle Creature is not based on a specific true story. The film is loosely inspired by Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1876 short story of the same name, though Loznitsa radically reimagines it as a surreal political allegory about contemporary Russia's oppressive bureaucratic and penal systems.
What is A Gentle Creature about?
A woman in rural Russia receives back the parcel she sent to her imprisoned husband. Determined to understand why, she travels to the prison, only to be swallowed by a Kafkaesque world of indifferent officials, grotesque encounters, and systemic cruelty — a damning portrait of state power and human endurance.
What does the ending of A Gentle Creature mean?
The film's surreal, nightmarish finale — in which the woman is subjected to a hallucinatory spectacle of Russian history and state violence — is widely interpreted as Loznitsa's indictment of collective complicity. The ending suggests the system is not merely corrupt but totalizing, consuming individuals who dare to seek justice or truth.
Is A Gentle Creature a Kafka-style film?
Yes, critics widely describe A Gentle Creature as deeply Kafkaesque. The protagonist's futile quest through an impenetrable bureaucracy — met with absurdity, hostility, and circular logic at every turn — closely mirrors the nightmarish institutional worlds found in Franz Kafka's novels, particularly The Trial and The Castle.
Who directed A Gentle Creature?
A Gentle Creature was directed by Sergei Loznitsa, the acclaimed Ukrainian-born filmmaker known for his unflinching examinations of Soviet and post-Soviet society. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 in the Un Certain Regard section, further cementing Loznitsa's reputation as one of world cinema's most distinctive voices.
Who are the main actors in A Gentle Creature?
The film stars Vasilina Makovtseva in the lead role as the unnamed protagonist, supported by Sergey Kolesov, Liya Akhedzhakova, Sergey Fedorov, Roza Khairullina, Alisa Kravtsova, Alexander Zamuraev, Boris Kamorzin, and Sergey Russkin.
How long is A Gentle Creature?
A Gentle Creature has a runtime of 2 hours and 23 minutes (143 minutes). The film's deliberate, unhurried pacing is central to its effect, immersing viewers in the protagonist's exhausting and disorienting journey through Russia's bureaucratic and penal landscape.
What are some films similar to A Gentle Creature?
Viewers who appreciate A Gentle Creature may enjoy Sergei Loznitsa's other works, as well as films exploring systemic alienation and dark social realism such as Of Freaks and Men (1998), Invisible (2017), and Unsane (2018). Thelma & Louise and Captain Fantastic also share themes of individuals confronting oppressive systems.
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