- Source: Romance of a Horsethief
Romance of a Horsethief (French: Le roman d'un voleur de chevaux; Italian: Il romanzo di un ladro di cavalli; Serbo-Croatian: Romansa konjokradice) is a 1971 French-Italian-Yugoslav adventure film directed by Abraham Polonsky. It is loosely based on the 1917 novel with the same name by Joseph Opatoshu.
Plot summary
In Polish Russia, Stoloff, a Cossack in exile has gained control over a Jewish village. The villagers live by horse-thievery and under the leadership of Kifke. Stoloff's regime is tolerated until he commandeers the village's horses for the Russian army. Naomi has been away in France and gotten ideas of a revolution and inspires the town to resist. This gets Naomi into deep trouble, from which only Kifke and his compatriot Zanvil can rescue her. Zanvil is highly motivated since he is in love with Naomi.
Cast
Yul Brynner as Captain Stoloff
Eli Wallach as Kifke
Jane Birkin as Naomi
Lainie Kazan as Estusha
David Opatoshu as Schloime Kradnik
Serge Gainsbourg as Sigmund
Henri Serre as Mendel (credited as Henri Sera)
Linda Veras as Countess Grabowsky
Marilù Tolo as Manka
Branko Plesa as Lt. Vishinsky
Vladimir Bacic as Gruber
Branko Spoljar as Strugatch
Alenka Rancic as Sura
Oliver Tobias as Zanvill Kradnik
Production
Filming began in July 1970 in Yugoslavia. Polonsky called the film "a fairytale, pretending to affect an older style but in fact the contrary."
Reception
The Los Angeles Times called the film "impressive... a rollicking folk tale."
References
External links
Romance of a Horsethief at IMDb