In the Moscow Slums: Standard Edition – Deaf Crocodile (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: Russia, 2023
Director: Karen Shakhnazarov
Writers: Vladimir Gilyarovskiy, Ekaterina Kochetkova, Elena Podrez, Karen Shakhnazarov
Cast: Konstantin Kryukov, Mikhail Porechenkov, Anfisa Chernykh, Evgeniy Stychkin, Aleksey Vertkov, Aleksandr Oleshko, Boris Kamorzin, Ivan Kolesnikov, Stanislav Eventov, Georgiy Topolaga, Yuriy Mirontsev, Sergey Shkoda, Sergey Barkovskiy

Release Date: February 11th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 129 Minutes 19 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.78:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD 5.1 Russian
Subtitles: English (Non-Removable)
Region Coding: Region A
Retail Price: $29.95

"In Moscow in 1902, legendary actor and theater director Konstantin Stanislavski (Konstantin Kryukov) is struggling to understand the life of slum dwellers for his latest production of Gorky's "The Lower Depths" -- so he turns to journalist Gilyarovsky (Mikhail Porechenkov) who takes him on a guided tour of the Khitrovka district, pretty much Moscow's version of Whitechapel circa Jack the Ripper. There, they stumble across the bizarre murder of a chess playing friend of Gilyarovsky's called The Rajah and cross paths with a stunningly beautiful fallen aristocrat named The Countess (Anfisa Chernykh) and a savage Englishman and his blow-dart shooting killer companion." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

In the Moscow Slums comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46 GB

Feature: 34.8 GB

This is another solid encode from Fidelity in Motion. The source looks excellent; flesh tones look healthy, color saturation, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD 5.1 mix in Russian with non-removable English subtitles. The source sounds excellent; dialogue always comes through clearly, and everything sounds balanced. Range-wise, the audio track does a superb job with ambient sounds, and it sounds robust when it should.

Extras:

Extras for this release include a teaser trailer (59 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Russian with non-removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #1 (2 minutes, 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Russian with non-removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #2 (2 minutes, 18 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Russian with non-removable English subtitles), a video essay by journalist and physical media expert Ryan Verrill (The Disc Connected) and film professor Dr. Will Dodson titled No Stranger Than Human Nature -Theatre, History, and Mystery (23 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for clips from In the Moscow Slums), a video essay by film historian Evan Chester titled From Sherlock Holmes to Method Acting: Strolling Through Khitrovka (18 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for clips from In the Moscow Slums), an interview with director Karen Shakhnazarov, moderated by Dennis Bartok of Deaf Crocodile (45 minutes 10 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English and Russian with a translator for Russian), an interview about the history and legacy of Mosfilm studios with Mosfilm’s head of public relations Gayane Ambartsumian, moderated by Dennis Bartok (67 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an insert with a URL that has a PDF for From Sherlock Holmes to Method Acting: Strolling Through Khitrovka.

Summary:

Karen Shakhnazarov directed In the Moscow Slums. He’s known for Zerograd and The Assassin of the Tsar.

A director looking for inspiration for his new play enlists the help of a journalist who takes him on a guided tour of the worst parts of Moscow. One day, they stumble upon a dead body and become entwined in a murder mystery. 

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most adapted literary characters in the history of cinema. Besides the Sherlock Holmes stories that Arthur Conan Doyle wrote, there have been numerous adaptations that place Sherlock Holmes and his sidekick Watson in a modern setting. Over the years there have been adaptations that have changed characters gender and race and placed other well-known figures in the roles of Sherlock Holmes and Watson. In the case of the latter, this is what In the Moscow Slums does; it replaces Sherlock Holmes and Watson with Konstantin Stanislavsky and Vladimir Gilyarovsky.

Having read all of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and seen countless film adaptations, I went into In the Moscow Slums with some trepidation. I was not convinced that the idea of switching Sherlock Holmes and Watson with historical Russian figures would work. And yet, the result was a film that had me fully immersed in the story that unfolded. It is amazing how effortlessly one could switch two characters for two other characters and still retain the essence of the source. It is the genius of Arthur Conan Doyle's text or Karen Shakhnazarov's interpretation of said text; I would say both.

For a film where one of the characters is Konstantin Stanislavsky, it is not surprising that performances are outstanding. Konstantin Kryukov portrays Konstantin Stanislavsky, and Mikhail Porechenkov portrays Vladimir Gilyarovsky, and their on-screen chemistry drives the narrative. Other performances of note are Alexander Oleshko, who portrays the police inspector who’s investigating the murders, and Anfisa Chernykh, who portrays a thief nicknamed "The Princess" because her attire is more suited for an affluent setting than the slums.

From a production standpoint, In the Moscow Slums exceeds all expectations. Production design and costumes are impressive, and Karen Shakhnazarov’s flawless directions all contribute to creating a totally tangible world. The meticulously constructed narrative is always riveting, and it keeps you guessing with its well-timed twists. Another strength of the narrative is its ability to create tense moments and build momentum. Ultimately, In the Moscow Slums puts an inventive twist on an iconic character and a well-known story, making it a must-see film for fans of Sherlock Holmes.

In the Moscow Slums gets an excellent release from Deaf Crocodile that comes with a solid audio/video presentation, and insightful extras; highly recommended.

Note: There is a deluxe release of In the Moscow Slums that comes in a slipcase, and a 60-page booklet with an essay by film historian and professor Peter Rollberg (Historical Dictionary of Russian and Soviet Cinema), and an essay by film critic Walter Chaw (Film Freak Central).

Written by Michael Den Boer