Mother

1990·Movie
3h 20min
86
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Where to watch

No stream option in US yet.

Links go to licensed services. Data from JustWatch and TMDB.

Mother fingerprint

Strong craft, no humor.

Energy

Tense

Builds slowly, so the intensity comes in waves.

  • Tension7
  • Fast Pace3
  • Spectacle3

Heart

Deeply moving and melancholic

Much of it is about family.

  • Pathos9
  • Melancholy8
  • Catharsis7

Humor

A little humor

Not a comedy at heart.

  • Wit & Wordplay3
  • Satire & Parody2
  • Dark Humor2

World

History, politics, and class and money

Lived-in and easy to get lost in.

  • World Immersion8
  • Dialogue Centrality8
  • Rewatchability6

Craft

Standout performances and characters

  • Acting8
  • Character Depth8
  • Direction7

Style

Functional look and sound

  • Cinematography7
  • Music Composition7
  • Editing6

Who it's for

AdultsFriends NightPublic Viewing SafeSolo WatchTeensThought-Provoking

Skip it if

You want fast pacing

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About

The social ferment in late 19th century Russia which led to the 1917 Russian Revolution is movingly portrayed in this lengthy historical drama, which is very faithful to the 1907 novel The Mother by the celebrated Marxist writer Maxim Gorky (1868-1936). In the story, "the mother" (Inna Tchourikova) has no other recourse than to watch her decent, kindly husband turn into an animalistic, drunken brute as a result of working in the inhuman conditions of a steel mill in the town of Sormovo. When he begins to express his suppressed rage by beating her, she is defended by her teenaged son Pavel (depicted Viktor Rakov as an adult, Sacha Chichonok as a boy). After his father's death, Pavel is forced to go to work in the same factory. However, Pavel and his friends begin investigating Marxism and socialist thought, and work to organize their fellow workers.
Russian Historical DramaMarxist Social CommentaryWorking-Class StrugglePolitical AwakeningMelodramatic Family StoryLate 19th Century RussiaRevolutionary FermentFaithful Literary Adaptation

Crew

Directed by:
Produced by:
Composed by:

Sequels and Prequels

No sequels or prequels available

Media

Questions about Mother

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Mother legally?

GoodWatch doesn't know of a legal streaming option for Mother in the United States right now. Pick another country in the Where to Watch section to check elsewhere.

Is Mother worth watching?

86
ExcellentGoodWatch score

Yes. It's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 86/100 (IMDb 7.3 and Metacritic 100). The GoodWatch score combines critic and audience ratings.

What is Mother rated?

Violence

Content advisories: violence.

How long is Mother?

3 h 20 min

Mother runs 3 h 20 min.

Do critics and audiences agree on Mother?

Critics100
Audiences83

Not quite. Critics rate Mother higher (100) than audiences (83). It may be more rewarding than it is crowd-pleasing.

What language is Mother in?

Russian

It was made in Russian. Produced in Italy, Russia.

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