The film is about a young woman, Katya (Yekaterina Rednikova), and her 6-year-old son Sanya (Misha Philipchuk), who, in 1952, meet a veteran Soviet officer named Tolyan (Vladimir Mashkov). Katya falls in love with Tolyan, who turns out to be a small time criminal, but who also becomes a father figure to Sanya.
Plot
Katya, a destitute widow, and her young son Sanya struggle to survive in the post-war Soviet Union from the late 1940s to the early 1950s. Sanya was born in 1946, after his father's death, leaving Katya to raise him alone. Though Sanya never knew his father, he often imagines his presence. In 1952, they encounter Tolyan, a charming officer, who seduces Katya. She falls in love with him, and they begin living together, with Tolyan posing as her husband and a father figure to Sanya.
Initially resistant, Sanya gradually grows fond of Tolyan, finding solace and protection in him. However, Katya harbors doubts about Tolyan's authoritarian behavior and mysterious past. Unbeknownst to her, Tolyan sustains the family through dubious means, exploiting his connections to deceive and steal from others.
As time passes, Katya and Sanya witness Tolyan's darker side, straining their relationship. Matters worsen when Tolyan fails to reciprocate Sanya's affection. Despite this, they cling to the hope of their makeshift family. Tragedy strikes when Katya succumbs to complications from a botched abortion.
Left alone, Sanya desperately awaits Tolyan's return, only to discover his true nature as a career criminal when he's arrested and imprisoned. Years later, Sanya encounters Tolyan again, hoping for reconciliation, but is met with rejection. Heartbroken, Sanya takes matters into his own hands, confronting Tolyan, resulting in a fatal confrontation fueled by betrayal and despair.
The Thief has an approval rating of 88% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 24 reviews, and an average rating of 6.99/10.The website's critical consensus states,"As beautiful to look at as it is thought-provoking, The Thief interrogates Europe's past through the experiences of a family in crisis".[3]
^Richard Taylor, Nancy Wood, Julian Graffy, Dina Iordanova (2019). The BFI Companion to Eastern European and Russian Cinema. Bloomsbury. p. 1938. ISBN978-1838718497.((cite book)): CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
