jessicaholom Crime & Punishment being one of my favorite books, I've been trying to find a film adaptation that does the book justice. This is it! Prior to this version, I'd attempted to watch a couple American versions, which were loosely based on the novel but, of the few I found, I couldn't get through the first five minutes. This Russian adaptation, on the other hand, sucked me in immediately. Georgi Taratorkin was near perfection as the paranoid intellectual, Raskolnikov. On all accounts, the roles were well cast, the book's characters coming alive in three dimension on the screen. The screenplay also translated well from Dostoevsky's original, which is rare. And the film editing, though dated and in black-and-white, I would argue reflected the book's dark storyline. Great movie, and even greater book!

oana5874 I watched this movie when I was a child on TV and I rewatched it now, I think it's wonderful, everything is exactly how I imagined when I was reading the book I'm glad they stuck to the book and like someone said here I don't complain it's too long I wanna see it over and over again. The characters are portrayed very well but most of all I liked Georgi Taratorkin as Raskolnikov. I saw he's even born in Saint Petersburg exactly like the main character he's playing. I didn't see other adaptations even if they are many as I heard because I can imagine how they are... c'mon if you wanna see this you gotta see it made by Russians and in Russian language, it's their territory all the way... (by the way I spent a lot of time translating the subtitles cause the ones I found were very bad but I enjoyed it and it worth every minute) I would like to say more but I want to see it again which I advise you to do it too, bye.

Oslo Jargo (Bartok Kinski) There is no doubt that "Crime and Punishment" would have been one of the greatest novels of the century had not Dostoevsky leaned towards the more acceptable sense of morality related to the weak tenets of Chrisitanity. In doing so, he made Rasknolikov a caricature of himself, lethargic and yet redeemable by accepting Christ's pathetic suffering. It was more appropriate to adapt Nietzsche's figure of "the noble superman" but Dostoevsky, at the time of his writing, was a destroyed soul, drinking and plagued by debts, a gambling and morphine addiction and on top of that, he was a converted Christian, which is to say he resembled a "spineless worm". There is a powerful beginning in which the bold character Rasknolikov conceptualizes the murder of an old aged hag who serves no purpose to society but beyond that, Dostoevsky tortures us with the conscience of an obstinate man who is shattered by an insignificant crime. In all effect, Dostoevsky became an apologist not only for bourgeois values and the Czar with his corrupt regime, but for Orthodox Christianity, which not only supported the exploitation of the Russian population but welcomed it. The end of the novel, which portrays a once proud, noble, and intellectually superior young man weeping before a prostitute and the image of the bible, brings about the demise of Dostoevsky's credibility.

shandarose Crime and Punishment is my favorite book, and so I've consciously kept away from any versions of the story. Apprehensively, I gave this Russian version a try (I trusted them more than American versions). It's a wonderful adaptation. Sonya is played by an actress who--if she's not a teenager--looks like a teenager. And none of the actors seem out of the age range they should be in. The film seems low budget, with few cuts in the scenes. But I say that referring to only the best of low-budget, arty films. The crowd scenes are full of people, giving the seamless look of fullness. If you are wondering which version to see, this is the one people.