The Russian film Mayor was shown in the U.S. with the title The Major (2013/I). It was written and directed by Yuriy Bykov. It stars Denis Shvedov as Sergey Sobolev, who is a major in the police force. Director Yuriy Bykov plays Pavel Korshunov, called Pasha, another high-ranking police officer.
The film begins with Sergey driving very fast and recklessly to get to the hospital where his wife is in labor. He ignores warning signs and and speeds past a bus stop, where his car hits and kills a young boy. There is no question in anyone's mind--including Sergey's--that he's guilty of what we would call involuntary manslaughter or negligent homicide. If he were almost anything but a police officer, that would be that. However, he's a high-ranking police official, and he has options that others wouldn't have. He calls his fellow officer, Pasha, to help him decide what to do next.
What follows if convoluted, horrifying, and very, very grim. The entire police force is in cesspool of incompetence and corruption. Sergey is involved in the corruption, although he appears to be a competent police officer, and he's well liked by other members of the force.
Irina Nizina plays Irina Gutorova, the young boy's mother, and she does an outstanding job in a difficult role.
For me, the real star of the movie is Pasha, played by director Bykov. Pasha is the ultimate pragmatist. He occasionally appears to be considering the consequences of his terrible actions, but he always ends up ignoring the evil and doing what needs to be done.
It's hard for me to comprehend how an outstanding director can also be an outstanding actor. It's even harder for me to comprehend how the director can direct his own acting in a movie. It's just astonishing, and I watched the film with awe.
We saw this film at the outstanding Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. (Incidentally, this is an extraordinary venue in which to see movies.) The Major will work well on the small screen, although you may lose some of the sense of a Russian winter in a rural area.
This is a movie definitely worth seeking out and seeing. Just don't expect rainbows and unicorns at the end.
