One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

1970
G
1h 40m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1970)

Ivan Denisovich Shukhov has been sentenced to a camp in the Soviet gulag system. He was accused of becoming a spy after being captured briefly by the Germans as a prisoner of war during Worl... Read allIvan Denisovich Shukhov has been sentenced to a camp in the Soviet gulag system. He was accused of becoming a spy after being captured briefly by the Germans as a prisoner of war during World War II. He is innocent, but is sentenced to ten years in a forced labor camp. The day be... Read allIvan Denisovich Shukhov has been sentenced to a camp in the Soviet gulag system. He was accused of becoming a spy after being captured briefly by the Germans as a prisoner of war during World War II. He is innocent, but is sentenced to ten years in a forced labor camp. The day begins with Shukhov waking up sick. For waking late, he is forced to clean the guardhouse, b... Read all

Director
- Casper Wrede
Writers
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Ronald Harwood
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.1/10

638

YOUR RATING

Director
- Casper Wrede
Writers
- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- Ronald Harwood
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 1 win & 1 nomination total

Trivia
There is a puzzle game called "Ditloids" where the object is to deduce a phrase, title or just a piece of general knowledge from just the initials, which should include a number. The name "Ditloids" comes from the puzzle "1 DITLOID", for which the answer is the name of this film, and the novel on which it is based.

Quotes
[Ivan is told the Communist Party has decreed the sun reaches zenith one hour after noon]
Ivan Denisovich: Can they even tell the sun what to do?

Connections
Featured in Aquarius: A Tale of Two Toads/Photographers' Gallery/One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich (1972)

User reviews22

Review

Featured review

8/10

As depressing as the book.. a true work of art..read the book first

I searched long and hard for a copy of this film and when I found it.. I was not disappointed. Depressing, dark, heavy, without hope.. Just like the book was written to make you feel! I wanted the film to end... release me... but I could not turn the VCR off. I was glued. No matter what your lot.. this film will make you feel glad you are not in that Hell-hole of a camp...You have your human dignity.

I have never seen a film that so closely follows the book from which it was adapted. Not adapted.. transcribed, almost word for word. The performances seen surreal, flat, hollow, lifeless. Not even an extra touch of art to shore up your sinking feelings as you plunge head first into utter hopelessness.

View this movie if you can find it... You will be happy you did.. and happier still when it is over. Your problems won't seem so bad!