User:Paleface Jack/Vilkatis Toms

Vilkatis Toms
Directed byĒriks Lācis [lv]
Written byĒriks Lācis
Based onTracks
by Jāņa Mauliņa
StarringGunārs Cilinskis
Olga Drege [lv]
Uldis Vazdiks [lv]
Helmuts Kalnins [lv]
Juris Lejaskalns [lv]
Voldemar Zenbergs [lv]
CinematographyDāvis Sīmanis [lv]
Edited byMaija Indersone
Music byPaul Dambis
Production
company
Distributed byRiga Film Studio
Release date
  • 4 June 1984 (1984-06-04) (Soviet Union)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryLatvia
LanguageLatvian

Vilkatis Toms (translated as Werewolf Tom, Wolfman Tom, and Tom the Werewolf) is a 1984 Latvian period horror film written and directed by Ēriks Lācis [lv].[1]

Plot

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In the 17th century, within the Latvian lands of Vidzeme, many Latvian peasants have migrated and are now living deep within the forests to escape their oppressors after the Swedish-Polish war. During this time, a young man named Tom, with his pet wolf, pretends to be a werewolf as a means of striking back at the aristocracy that means to oppress his people. Together with his brother Miķelis, they capture a local baron of Dormuiža, occupying and burning down the baron's manor. In the resulting chaos, a neighboring baron named Felsberg takes it upon himself to organize a hunt in the dead of winter to find the brothers and execute them for their rebellion.

Cast

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Egons Beseris, Inese Jurjane, and Ieva Murniece

Production

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Vilkatis Toms was written and directed by veteran filmmaker Lācis, marking the Latvian director's tenth directorial effort. The film is based on the novel Tracks (Latvian: Pedas) by Janis Maulins.

Release

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When the film was shown to Latvians in Canada, several animal advocates expressed outrage, due to perceived animal cruelty.[2]

Reception

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References

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  1. ^ Rollberg 2016, p. 165.
  2. ^ Bernāts 2007, pp. 270–282.

Bibliography

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  • Bernāts, Andris (2007). Aktieri par kino [Actors about cinema] (in Latvian). Latvia: Zinātne. ISBN 978-9-9848-0816-1 – via Google Books.
  • Dzene, Lilija (1989). Padomju Latvijas kinomāksla [Cinematic art of Soviet Latvia] (in Latvian). Latvia: Liesma. ISBN 978-5-4100-0675-0 – via Google Books.
  • Kletowski, Piotr (October 13, 2021). Europejskie kino gatunków 3 [European Cinema of Genres 3] (in Polish). Poland: Jagiellonian University. ISBN 978-8-3233-7305-6.
  • Niedra, Māra (1999). Teātris un kino: K-N̦ [Theater and cinema: K-N̦] (in Latvian). Latvia: Press House. ISBN 978-9-9849-5700-5.
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