One of my favourite movies - Gorky Park (1983)

I love the sarcasm in this movie and the dialogue is great.

Mocow's militia's Arkady Renko (William Hurt) is asigned to find who killed three faceless corpses discovered in Gorky Park.

The movie is based on Martin Cruz Smith's best selling novel of the same name.

The opening scene has the militia milling about the bodies when the KGB shows up. Renko wonders why Pribluda, a KGB major, would be interested in such a case.

Pribluda: Stop complaining I have done some of your dirty work for you (after examing the bodies and discovering the faces have been sliced off and in response to someone commenting on disturbing the scene)

Renko : Yes, I know, you always do comrad

Pribluda : One day Renko, this could be you (looking down at the bodies and standing close to Renko)

And thus the stage is set : three faceless bodies without fingertips, KGB, Kremlin beaurocrats, and Renko charged with solving the crimes. Renko just wants to find enough evidence to have the KGB take over the case.

Renko's father was a respected general in the Russian Army and even though it appears that Renko has no respect, his father's reputation seems to give him some leeway in the investigation.

Throughout the search for the killer you get a glimpse of how hard life is for the common person in Moscow.

Milita officer: I think we got enough to dump this case. I just seen the report from ballistics

Renko: What weapon?

Militia officer: it's a 7.65 milimeter pistol

Renko: and that's a KGB gun

Militia officer: is it that shit head, Pribluda?

Renko: That's like asking me if the girl is a virgin when I see her in bed with a man on top of her

Militia officer: what man?

You discover that Renko and Pribluda have a past and somehow an America businessman, Jack Osborne, played very cooly by Lee Marvin, is involved.

Brian Dennehy plays a tough cop from New York (who else would he play) and eventually becomes friends with Renko as they solve the case.

There are a few CSI type moments that some may appreciate as the faces are reconstructed.

Renko meticulously follows the evidence and discovers that a struggling actress, Irina is the key to solve the case.

Irina: KGB have better cars, you know.

Renko: Ah, but they don't always take you where you want to go, do they?

You also discover that Renko has been used as a pawn all along just to put pressure on Osborne.

Renko: A stinger please (in a bar)

Kirwill (Dennehy): That's a whore's drink

Renko: I am a whore

The story moves along logically and the why and how makes perfect sense in the end. You are not left struggling for answers.

My favorite scene is when Renko and Osborne are alone in a spa. It is a cat and mouse contest between the two:

Osborne: There's a sliver of food on your upper lip.

Renko: I'm just a plodding investigator, no style. completely out of my depth. oh, yes. three bodies, three people, shot down and mutilated in Gorky Park, and me, I have food on my lip.

Osborne: Not even caviar at that. I somehow feel that the executioner, whoever he may be, would have preferred somebody, a more nimble opponent.

later, as Osborne is leaving the spa and after he offers Renko a sable hat (he trades in sable)

Renko: First I have the hunch, then I begin to assemble reasons then I

Osborne: and then you

Renko: then I pounce

Osborne: that's no way to catch a sable, they are far too cunning and far too fast, while you wait and you think, and you watch, your prey is gone

Renko: oh, i don't think so

Osborne: good, good! meanwhile I have a hat and you don't

The characters are well developed. The background music is perfect.

In the end, it is about true love and sacrifice.

If you have not seen this movie I highly recommend it.