Evilenko
Encyclopedia
Evilenko is a 2004 Italian
drama-thriller film
very loosely based on the Russia
n serial killer
Andrei Chikatilo
. The film was directed and written by David Grieco. It stars Malcolm McDowell
, Marton Csokas
and Ronald Pickup
. The story of Chikatilo was also told, from a different viewpoint, in the made-for-TV movie Citizen X
, released in 1995.
, schoolteacher Andrej Romanovich Evilenko (McDowell) is dismissed from his position after attempting to molest a student. Driven by his psychopathic
urges and embittered by the collapse of the Soviet Union
, Evilenko begins to rape
, kill and cannibalize
women and children. It is hinted throughout the movie that Evilenko somehow gained the power to psychic
ally influence his victims, which accounts for their lack of resistance and his continuous evasion of the authorities.
Vadim Timurouvic Lesiev (Marton Csokas
), a magistrate
and family man, is assigned to catch the serial killer. For years, Evilenko eludes Lesiev and psychiatrist
Aron Richter (Ronald Pickup
), who is assigned to profile
the killer. Richter eventually finds Evilenko with a little girl and manages to break Evilenko's hypnotic hold on her, but is killed by Evilenko in retaliation; the girl, while it appears to Evilenko that she is run over by a train, escapes alive.
Almost eight years later, Lesiev finally captures Evilenko, who by now has killed 55 people, mostly children and young women. On 22 May 1992, Evilenko goes to court and, on 14 February 1994, he is finally executed. Before his execution, several governments have expressed interest in Evilenko's psychic abilities and asked for extradition of Evilenko - alive - but were denied.
's life. Large segments of the movie were adapted from Grieco's novel entitled The Communist Who Ate Children. The character is renamed Andrei Evilenko and the film is claimed to be based on a true story.
and features two tracks with Dolores O'Riordan
, "Angel's Go To Heaven" and "No Way Out".
Cinema of Italy
The history of Italian cinema began just a few months after the Lumière brothers had patented their Cinematographe, when Pope Leo XIII was filmed for a few seconds in the act of blessing the camera.-Early years:...
drama-thriller film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
very loosely based on the Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Andrei Chikatilo
Andrei Chikatilo
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo was a Ukrainian-born Soviet serial killer, nicknamed the Butcher of Rostov, The Red Ripper or The Rostov Ripper who murdered a minimum of 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990...
. The film was directed and written by David Grieco. It stars Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell
Malcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
, Marton Csokas
Marton Csokas
-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
and Ronald Pickup
Ronald Pickup
-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
. The story of Chikatilo was also told, from a different viewpoint, in the made-for-TV movie Citizen X
Citizen X
Citizen X is a made-for-TV film, released in 1995, which covers the investigation of the Soviet serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted in 1992 of killing 53 women and children between 1978 and 1990, and the efforts of detectives in the Soviet Union to capture him.-Synopsis:The film...
, released in 1995.
Plot
In 1984, in KievKiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
, schoolteacher Andrej Romanovich Evilenko (McDowell) is dismissed from his position after attempting to molest a student. Driven by his psychopathic
Psychopathy
Psychopathy is a mental disorder characterized primarily by a lack of empathy and remorse, shallow emotions, egocentricity, and deceptiveness. Psychopaths are highly prone to antisocial behavior and abusive treatment of others, and are very disproportionately responsible for violent crime...
urges and embittered by the collapse of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, Evilenko begins to rape
Rape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
, kill and cannibalize
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
women and children. It is hinted throughout the movie that Evilenko somehow gained the power to psychic
Psychic
A psychic is a person who professes an ability to perceive information hidden from the normal senses through extrasensory perception , or is said by others to have such abilities. It is also used to describe theatrical performers who use techniques such as prestidigitation, cold reading, and hot...
ally influence his victims, which accounts for their lack of resistance and his continuous evasion of the authorities.
Vadim Timurouvic Lesiev (Marton Csokas
Marton Csokas
-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
), a magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
and family man, is assigned to catch the serial killer. For years, Evilenko eludes Lesiev and psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
Aron Richter (Ronald Pickup
Ronald Pickup
-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
), who is assigned to profile
Offender profiling
Offender profiling, also known as criminal profiling, is a behavioral and investigative tool that is intended to help investigators to profile unknown criminal subjects or offenders. Offender profiling is also known as criminal profiling, criminal personality profiling, criminological profiling,...
the killer. Richter eventually finds Evilenko with a little girl and manages to break Evilenko's hypnotic hold on her, but is killed by Evilenko in retaliation; the girl, while it appears to Evilenko that she is run over by a train, escapes alive.
Almost eight years later, Lesiev finally captures Evilenko, who by now has killed 55 people, mostly children and young women. On 22 May 1992, Evilenko goes to court and, on 14 February 1994, he is finally executed. Before his execution, several governments have expressed interest in Evilenko's psychic abilities and asked for extradition of Evilenko - alive - but were denied.
Main cast
- Malcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowellMalcolm McDowell is an English actor with a career spanning over forty years.McDowell is principally known for his roles in the controversial films If...., O Lucky Man!, A Clockwork Orange and Caligula...
– Andrei Romanovich EvilenkoAndrei ChikatiloAndrei Romanovich Chikatilo was a Ukrainian-born Soviet serial killer, nicknamed the Butcher of Rostov, The Red Ripper or The Rostov Ripper who murdered a minimum of 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990... - Marton CsokasMarton Csokas-Early life:Csokas was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His mother, a nurse, is of Irish and Danish descent; his Hungarian-born father, also named Márton Csókás, worked as a mechanical engineer...
– Vadim Timurovic Lesiev - Ronald PickupRonald Pickup-Life and career:Pickup was born in Chester, England, the son of Daisy and Eric Pickup, who was a lecturer. Pickup was educated at The King's School, Chester, trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and became an Associate Member of RADA.His television work began with an episode...
– Aron Richter - Frances BarberFrances BarberFrances Barber is an Olivier Award-nominated English actress with a long and distinguished stage career. She has also appeared in numerous television productions...
- Alexei Chadyuk – Captain Ramenskij
- Ostap Stupka – Doctor Amitrin
Production
The story is a fictionalisation of serial killer Andrei ChikatiloAndrei Chikatilo
Andrei Romanovich Chikatilo was a Ukrainian-born Soviet serial killer, nicknamed the Butcher of Rostov, The Red Ripper or The Rostov Ripper who murdered a minimum of 52 women and children between 1978 and 1990...
's life. Large segments of the movie were adapted from Grieco's novel entitled The Communist Who Ate Children. The character is renamed Andrei Evilenko and the film is claimed to be based on a true story.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack was composed by Angelo BadalamentiAngelo Badalamenti
Angelo Badalamenti is an American composer, known for his movie soundtrack work for director David Lynch, notably Blue Velvet, the Twin Peaks saga and Mulholland Drive...
and features two tracks with Dolores O'Riordan
Dolores O'Riordan
Dolores Mary Eileen O'Riordan is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. She led The Cranberries to worldwide success and fame for 13 years before the band took a hiatus in 2003. Her first solo album Are You Listening? was released in May 2007...
, "Angel's Go To Heaven" and "No Way Out".