Tomnoye tsarstvo: A Stifling Look at Old Russia 🎭

Tomnoye tsarstvo, or 'Gloomy Kingdom,' is absolutely not a Sunday afternoon pick-me-up. If you have a soft spot for Russian period pieces that don't shy away from just how unpleasant life could be, then yes, give it a shot. But if you’re hoping for sweeping romance or a neat little redemption arc, you’ll probably find this one a real drag.

The film plunges you right into this stifling little town. You can almost smell the stale tea and the unwashed wool from the costumes. It’s all about the everyday cruelty, the kind that isn't loud but just grinds you down. 😬

A. Kharitonov as the local landowner, he's just so smug. There’s a scene where he’s carving a roast, and every slice feels like a deliberate, slow insult to anyone watching him.

The plot, what little direct 'plot' there is, really circles around these suffocating societal expectations. Someone steps out of line, even a little, and the town just closes in. It’s a very claustrophobic experience.

Raisa Rami-Shor, playing the young woman who perhaps dreams of something more, has these incredible eyes. They hold so much, even when her character is forced to be silent, just accepting things.

There’s a moment, a simple walk through the market square, and the camera just lingers on the faces of the townsfolk. Every single one looks like they’re judging you, or about to, waiting for you to mess up.

The costumes are fantastic, not in a flashy way, but in how lived-in they feel. Like they actually belong to people, not just actors dressing up. The fabric drapes just heavy.

I kept thinking about the silence. This movie uses silence so much. Not like a 'tense' silence, but a heavy one. The kind that makes you want to squirm in your seat.

One particular scene, a heated argument at a card table, really sticks with you. It’s not about huge revelations, but the small, petty insults that pile up. You actually see the veins bulging in someone’s neck, the effort of their nastiness.

Vladimir Lanskoy's character, the earnest but just too weak-willed intellectual, he’s a bit tragic, isn't he? He tries so hard to be decent, but he’s just swallowed whole by the town's smallness.

The entire aesthetic just screams 'old Russia is bleak.' The muted colors, the way the light barely penetrates the windows, the heavy shadows. It’s a very specific vibe they got right.

You can feel the weight of tradition crushing everyone. No one really breaks free. It’s almost depressing, actually, how inevitable it all feels. 😥

This isn't a film you enjoy in the usual sense. You sort of endure it. And then you think about it later, and realize how well it got under your skin. It stays with you.

The ending, too, is just... it is what it is. No grand gestures. Just the same old cycle continuing. Which is probably the whole point of the 'gloomy kingdom' idea.

It’s not for binge-watching. Maybe one quiet afternoon, if you’re in the mood for something that makes you really appreciate modern plumbing and not having nosy neighbors constantly in your business.