Gorky Park-1983
Director Michael Apted
Starring William Hurt, Lee Marvin, Joanna Pacula
Scott’s Review #1,522
Reviewed March 8, 2026
Grade: B+
Gorky Park (1983) is an aptly named thriller set in Moscow, Russia, involving a mysterious triple murder of three young adults while ice skating at the titled central park. In addition to being murdered, their faces have been skinned and their fingerprints removed.
Russian detective Arkady Renko (William Hurt) uncovers a network of deceit and intrigue when he investigates the murders.
As he tries to make progress on the case, it becomes apparent that the KGB doesn’t want the homicide to be solved, and Renko needs to know why. He eventually meets an American businessman, Jack Osborne (Lee Marvin), who offers some clues, but Renko soon realizes that Osborne may be involved in the plot.
He also meets and falls in love with a mysterious young woman, Irina Asanova (Joanna Pacula), who owned the ice skates found on one of the victims.
The film succeeds in outlining a compelling story that doesn’t lag and in providing a cold, wintry atmosphere, just what one would expect from the drab Russian environment. The audience knows deadly shananigans have occurred, and the film is fun to watch as it tries to connect the dots.
Even though the action is palpable, the ensuing mystery can feel overly complicated at times and hard to follow, leading to an overwhelming feeling.
Accepting Hurt, an American actor, as a Russian police investigator takes some time. For the first thirty minutes, I thought he was an American character. He sometimes shows hints of an English accent and no Russian at all.
Once I accepted this, Hurt does a very good job at leading the film, which is a tough ask given the complexities of the story. He is handsome and a good guy wanting to do the right thing, so he’s easy to root for.
The film is adapted from the 1981 novel written by Martin Cruz Smith.
While most of the film is set in Moscow, the action later shifts to Stockholm, Sweden, a city I adore. Due to the Cold War conflicts between the Soviet Union and the United States, the film was obviously not shot in Moscow.
Finland and Sweden were the chosen filming locations.
As hard as I tried to follow the main plot, my mind occasionally wandered because there are KGB elements, Jack Osborne, Irina, and an American detective, William Kurwill, in the mix, as well as various colleagues and connections to Renko.
Any or all of these characters or organizations could be involved in the murders, and minor red herrings like the creepy Professor who recreates the victim’s heads and Irina, who comes off as a cold and unfeeling, emerge as the story goes along.
Despite the story’s complexities, Gorky Park is filmed very well and rises above the ranks of mediocrity it could have fallen into, since countless other political and crime thrillers have used the tired Russia/United States rivalry.
The elements are the best part because numerous snowy and bleak sequences enhance the overall story and atmosphere. A scene in woodsy Sweden is wonderfully cold and white, with the woods and a shack coming into play.
The romantic storyline between Renko and Irina is more plot-driven than anything fresh. It’s predictable from the moment the characters meet as they delve into a strong dislike that becomes a love formula.
While there are some cliches to endure, like menacing ‘type’ characters and the overuse of the word ‘comrade’, the film surprisingly feels crisp, and the big reveal and the hows and whys of a sable fur smuggling organization, though years later, feel dated, are interesting.
I’m not sure I need to see Gorky Park (1983) again, but considering it’s a political/crime thriller amid hundreds of similar films, it stands a bit above the rest.
