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Romance of a Horsethief

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Romance of a Horsethief
Directed byAbraham Polonsky
Written byDavid Opatoshu
Based onnovel by Joseph Opatoshu
Produced byGene Gutowski
StarringYul Brynner
Eli Wallach
CinematographyPiero Portalupi
Edited byKevin Connor
Music byMort Shuman
Production
companies
Jadran Film
International Film Company
Prima Cinematografica
Distributed byAllied Artists
Release date
  • 1971 (1971)
Running time
101 minutes
CountriesFrance
Italy
Yugoslavia
LanguageEnglish

Romance of a Horsethief (French: Le roman d'un voleur de chevaux; Italian: Il romanzo di un ladro di cavalli; Serbo-Croatian: Romansa konjokradice) is a 1971 French-Italian-Yugoslav adventure film directed by Abraham Polonsky. It is loosely based on the 1917 novel with the same name by Joseph Opatoshu.[1][2]

Plot summary

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In Polish Russia, Stoloff, a Cossack in exile has gained control over a Jewish village. The villagers live by horse-thievery and under the leadership of Kifke. Stoloff's regime is tolerated until he commandeers the village's horses for the Russian army. Naomi has been away in France and gotten ideas of a revolution and inspires the town to resist. This gets Naomi into deep trouble, from which only Kifke and his compatriot Zanvil can rescue her. Zanvil is highly motivated since he is in love with Naomi.

Cast

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Production

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Filming began in July 1970 in Yugoslavia.[3] Polonsky called the film "a fairytale, pretending to affect an older style but in fact the contrary."[4]

Reception

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The Los Angeles Times called the film "impressive... a rollicking folk tale."[5]

References

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  1. ^ Jay Robert Nash, Stanley Ralph Ross (1985). The Motion Picture Guide. Cinebooks, 1987. ISBN 0933997124.
  2. ^ Leonard Maltin (July 2005). Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide. Signet, 2005. ISBN 0451216091.
  3. ^ From Myra to Byron By A.H. WEILER. New York Times 28 June 1970: 79.
  4. ^ Making Movies Polonsky, Abraham. Sight and Sound; London Vol. 40, Iss. 2, (Spring 1971): 101.
  5. ^ Tell Them Brynner Is Here Thomas, Kevin. Los Angeles Times 15 Sep 1971: f9.
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