The Thief

This tight little allegory about a Russian mother and son who fall under the sway of a charming brute gains depth from a quick review of post-World War II Soviet history, but works just as well without it. As WWII draws to a close, war-widow Katya (Ekaterina Rednikova) bears a son, Sanya, on the side of a muddy road. Six years later the dust of war has hardly settled, Katya is still looking for a husband and a home, and Sanya (Misha Philipchuk) pines for a father figure. On a crowded train, Katya meets Tolyan (Vladimir Mashkov), a swarthy man in uniform. They become lovers, and the new family moves into a boarding house where Tolyan poses as Katya's husband. Tolyan...