Shift the setting to New York, or the English countryside, and make the violence of all varieties more prevalent and graphic, and 'The rifleman of the Voroshilov regiment' could easily be a 70s exploitation flick. More than a few "video nasties" were produced of a very similar nature, were they not? The rendition of the revenge flick that we get here isn't nearly so visceral. Whether willful or imposed, its restraint is refreshing. Perhaps as a result, however, this also isn't as readily absorbing as it could be. We get all the story beats familiar to the genre, just without the thrills or general investment to accompany them. This certainly isn't to say that 'The rifleman' is bad - just not necessarily altogether satisfying.
I will say that star Mikhail Ulyanov puts in a solid performance as the protagonist, retiree Fyodorovich, filled with spite and nuanced range. The screenplay is filled with a dire sense of realism in the corruption, indifference, and inadequacies of the police that allow Katya's rapists to walk away untouched. Why, for that matter, Anna Sinyakina is duly charming as the hapless young woman. Fyodorovich's acts of vengeance are definitely gratifying, too. And though the telling of this story doesn't wholly light up the imagination like other versions have in the past, it's executed well, with perhaps a more balanced approach than what we often see elsewhere.
There are no particular criticisms that come to mind in this instance. But I guess the chief drawback - emphasized by how little I have to say, in a rare instance - is just that there also isn't any element here that's especially grabbing. For as well as it's made, 'The rifleman of the Voroshilov regiment' just doesn't feel remarkable; nothing strikes me as a reason to specifically recommend it, or seek it out. If you happen to come across it, then minding a content warning for sexual assault, it's a fine way to spend 95 minutes. Just don't expect a cinematic epiphany.
