The Railway (2007)

The Railway (2007) poster

Mischa, a mute boy, sets out on a surrealistic journey together with his father and two men. Their means of transportation is an old Soviet locomotive, loaded with stolen coal. The travellers intend to sell off the loot on their way through the borderless steppes of inner Russia. As a parallel to the main plot, sequences of a mysterious travelling circus keep reappearing in a very suggestive way. Many of the odd artists at the circus are people that the four protagonists encounter in the wilderness along the overgrown railway. All through the movie there is a sensation of magic crossed with pure realism, stressed by the crackling communistic infrastructure and a twisted sense of humor. The border between reality and fantasy is very subtle here. The Railway is a story about strong family ties, but also an ambitious interpretation of the clash between the Russia of old and new. One could call it the rebirth of a long forgotten genre: the Russian wonder story.

Director: Alexey Fedorchenko
Genre: Fantasy, Drama
Runtime: 104 min
Release Date:

Cast

Screenplay

Music: Aleksandr Pantykin
Cinematography: Leonid Ilyukhin
Editing: Lyudmila Zalozhneva
Production: 29th February Film Company
Country: Russia
Language: Pусский
Original Language: ru
More Films by Director: Alexey Fedorchenko
More Films in Genre: Fantasy, Drama

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Railway about?
Mischa, a mute boy, sets out on a surrealistic journey together with his father and two men. Their means of transportation is an old Soviet locomotive, loaded with stolen coal. The travellers intend to sell off the loot on their way through the borderless steppes of inner Russia. As a parallel to the main plot, sequences of a mysterious travelling circus keep reappearing in a very suggestive way. Many of the odd artists at the circus are people that the four protagonists encounter in the wilderness along the overgrown railway. All through the movie there is a sensation of magic crossed with pure realism, stressed by the crackling communistic infrastructure and a twisted sense of humor. The border between reality and fantasy is very subtle here. The Railway is a story about strong family ties, but also an ambitious interpretation of the clash between the Russia of old and new. One could call it the rebirth of a long forgotten genre: the Russian wonder story.
Who directed The Railway?
The Railway was directed by Alexey Fedorchenko.
Who stars in The Railway?
The Railway stars Sergey Belyaev, Viktor Terelya, Olga Degtyaryova, Pyotr Zaychenko, Tatyana Orlova, Sergey Yarmolyuk.
How long is The Railway?
The Railway has a runtime of 1h 44m (104 minutes).
What genre is The Railway?
The Railway is a Fantasy, Drama film.
Where was The Railway produced?
The Railway was produced in Russia.