Review of Crime and Punishment

Rodya (Patrick Dempsey) is an impoverished student in St. Petersburg, Russia. Although brilliant, he must suspend his schooling for lack of funds. His sister, Dounia, is a governess for a rich family in the country. Unfortunately, she is lovely and the husband and father of the situation takes a shine to her. Things get complicated when Rodya's mother arranges for Dounia to marry of a man of some means but no other good qualities, simply for sake of giving money to Rodya for his schooling. Desperate, Rodya remembers the old pawn broker in town, a disgusting woman with a large amount of funds. How can he even think of murdering and robbing her to save his sister from unhappy circumstances? This movie is a fine attempt at filming a classic story and making it accessible to the average person. The Russian names are always complicated and the circumstances of the society at the time a bit complex, too. Nevertheless, this presents the story with clarity, making the viewer more aware of what drives Rodya to commit a crime, by understanding the complete situation. The scenes of delusional guilt that plague Rodya are very fine, indeed. All of the principal players, Dempsey, Kingsley, and the lovely Delphy, are quite wonderful. If you've always wanted to know the story but your attempts at reading the novel have failed, this film is a good place to start. Who knows? After seeing this movie, perhaps you will try read the book again. But, in any case, you will have gained a rich experience and food for thought by sitting down to watch this superb story on video.