I remember seeing the book cover for Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith everywhere in the early 80s. I suppose had I wanted to I could have read it then. My parents were pretty liberal with letting me read whatever I wanted, and I had just started delving into mysteries, I read a couple of Agatha Christie novels (didn’t get them at eleven) and I was enjoying Alfred Hitchcock’s The Three Investigators series.

But it just didn’t appeal.

Having said that, I still haven’t read it, but I finally decided to check out the film, and it ends up being a really solid film, with an engaging story, and a solid cast. Sure, there’s the issue that all of the actors aren’t Russian but are all American and British actors.

William Hurt plays Arkady Renko, a police officer in Moscow. He finds himself embroiled in an investigation of the brutal murder of three people. He begins to think he’s being set up by the KGB, but the more he digs into the mystery the more layers are revealed, a far-reaching conspiracy. He encounters an American businessman, Osborne (Lee Marvin), a rogue American cop, Kirwill (Brian Dennehy), and a young woman, Irina (Joanna Pacula), who may have the key to the whole thing.

With a score by James Horner I found myself completely captivated by the entire film. Hurt is absolutely wonderful, playing his role with a brusqueness (although his choice of accent, leaning towards the British is a little odd, but doesn’t detract from the film) and of course, the film has to have a very Russian ending.

Of course, the film couldn’t be shot in Moscow (officials insisted that the city had no crime), so Helsinki stands in for it, and the film has gorgeous locations.

Oh, and right there in the cast, there’s Ian McDiarmid!

The mystery is well-crafted, the story perfectly plotted, and everything just kind of worked for me. I like how the film doesn’t lead you around by the nose, you’re expected to pay attention, and put things together just as Arkady does.

Having watched it now, I know I wouldn’t have understood all of it at eleven, especially when I was more interested in adventures and spaceships, but the film was a great watch, and who knows, the book may be on my horizon at some point.

And honestly, anything with a James Horner score I’ll watch once just to listen to the music, this one had a great story to go with it.