Gruz 200 (Cargo 200) (Freight 200) poster & wallpaper
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Alexei Serebryakov, Leonid Gromov, Yuri Stepanov, Agniya Kuznetsova, Alexei Poluyan ... see more see more... , Natalya Akimova , Valentina Andryukova , Leonid Bicevin

Brother director Alexei Balabanov takes the helm for this over-the-top black comedy concerning the clash between a sadistic police captain and an atheist university professor. The year is 1984, and po... read more read more...wer-abusing police Captain Zhurov (Alexei Poluyan) lives in a modest Leninisk home with his incoherent, alcoholic mother (Valentina Andryukova). Existing in stark contrast to the corrupt urban policeman, grain alcohol slinger Alexei (Alexei Serebryakov) lives in a remote country shack with his wife Tonya (Natalya Akimova). One night, on his way to visit his mother, local academic Artem (Leonid Gromov)'s care breaks down near Alexei and Tonya's cabin. Later, after Alexei and Artem engaged in a lively debate about communism, atheism, and religion, Leninisk youths Valeria (Leonid Bicevin) and Angelika (Agniya Kuznetsova) show up at the shack in search of some hooch. But Captain Zhurov, who has been lurking in the shadows all along, wants communist chief's daughter Angelika all to himself, and he's willing to take drastic measures in order to get her back to his place and work out his many sexual frustrations. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

73% liked it

643 ratings

Critics

79% liked it

19 critics

Unrated, 1 hr. 29 min.

Directed by: Aleksei Balabanov

Release Date: June 14, 2007

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DVD Release Date: April 28, 2009

Stats: 109 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (109)

  • CrookedlittleB33
    May 2, 2010
    CrookedlittleB33
    I still am uncertain what to think of this film, the previous Balabanov film was a comedic gem really taking black comedies in the direction you'd think they'd go. Known for his Tarantino-esque sense of humour and combining violence with laughs it was quite enjoyable. However, th... read moreis story as gritty as it is and how true it may be is something entirely. There's maybe two people in the entire film that have anything close to a conscience. The perfomances are really believable and the violence is almost random acts of brutality. What you're gonna look at me in the wrong way? Fuck you buddy, the military's gonna beat you up. It's just really scary to see how far authority can go..or heck, how corrupt ANYONE could be. Really different, and definitely not for the weak stomachs, either. Although, I did particularly enjoy the political/philosophical debates over copious amounts of moonshine. A curious look into communist russia, for sure.
  • gator681
    January 4, 2009
    gator681
    [font=Century Gothic]"Cargo 200" starts with Artem(Leonid Gromov), a professor of scientific atheism, drinking with his brother Mikhail(Yuri Stepanov), an army colonel, on a balcony in Leningrad in 1984. Artem leaves to visit their mother in Leninsk but his car breaks down along ... read morethe way. Seeing a light in the distance, he goes to a cabin to ask for help and Sunka(Mikhail Skryabin), a Vietnamese national, fixes his car. A short time later, Valera(Leonid Bichevin) convinces Angelika(Agniya Kuznetsova) to go with him someplace secluded and nearby but they end up at the very same cabin where Valera manages to pass out drunk...[/font]

    [font=Century Gothic]Based on a true story, "Cargo 200" is a nasty, dark and brooding tale set at a time when the Soviet Union was collapsing under its own weight as dead bodies were being returned in coffins from Afghanistan at an ever increasing rate as live bodies were going in the opposite direction, the powers that be trying to cover their tracks as best they could. And on a local level, authority was either alternately being abused or simply ignored. While all of this was going on, the older generation simply scoffed at the younger generation who they expected to fight their battles but instead just ignored the old orthodoxy.[/font]
  • cacutshaw
    April 16, 2010
    cacutshaw
    Brutal and criminally unknown film about interconnecting stories revolving around a police chief who as gone mad in 80?s Russia.  Beautifully shot and directed with great performances by the whole cast.  Downbeat, but a must see.

View All Gruz 200 (Cargo 200) (Freight 200) Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jeannette Catsoulis
January 2, 2009
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times

Art house meets grind house in Cargo 200, Alexey Balabanov's morbidly compelling thriller set in the Soviet Union.

Vadim Rizov
December 30, 2008
Vadim Rizov, Village Voice

Regardless of intent, Cargo 200 is beautifully filmed and completely disturbing for its entire running time. Full Review

Robert Roten
April 9, 2009
Robert Roten, Laramie Movie Scope

This is not a movie for those with weak stomachs, but it is haunting if you can stomach the disgusting acts of sexual abuse and murder. Full Review

Avi Offer
January 30, 2009
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru

Mildly compelling, but, essentially, it's just another bland, tedious, pointless version of Hostel with much less blood-and-guts and ultimately leaves you with a bitter aftertaste. Full Review

Matthew Nestel
January 5, 2009
Matthew Nestel, Boxoffice Magazine

The realism of the cinematography, the pull-no-punches style in the scenes that depict Russia's military as a disenfranchised bunch of thugs and the gumption to toss it into one pot all deliver a robu... Full Review

Lewis Beale
January 2, 2009
Lewis Beale, Film Journal International

Incredibly perverse and weirdly fascinating look at the Soviet Union in the pre-Glasnost era. Full Review

Karina Longworth
January 2, 2009
Karina Longworth, SpoutBlog

Balabanov has crafted horror setpieces as vile (and strangely aesthetically pleasing) as anything you might see in contemporary torture porn, but Cargo's slow-burn build give each act of rape, murder,... Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
January 2, 2009
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice

A depressing Russian thriller set in 1984 that paints a very unpretty picture of society.

Donald J. Levit
January 2, 2009
Donald J. Levit, ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Soviet lives are uncomfortable to watch here but as compelling as Richard Widmark's début in 'Kiss of Death' or Tarantino's more graphic one with 'Reservoir Dogs.' Full Review

Rich Cline
January 1, 2009
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

Balabanov (Brother) writes and directs with an almost unnervingly naturalistic style, loading each scene with pitch-black humour Full Review

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