The Rider Named Death

The second adaptation of Boris Savinkov's novel The Pale Horse, the film depicts the assassination of a high-ranking imperial official during the chaotic times following Russia's defeat in the Russo-Japanese War in 1905.

[2][3] In the opening scene, a beautiful, young woman requests an audience with the local minister to personally plead to bring food to her imprisoned brother.

Years of economic unrest (labor strikes increased five fold from 1895 to 1905)[4] and political stagnation (a parliamentary body was not formed until 1906)[5] culminated in the Russian Revolution of 1905 and a military defeat against the Japanese.

[7] Dana Stevens of The New York Times wrote, "If you like your antiheroes tall, pale and existential, you won't do better than Georges, the anti-czarist assassin at the heart of Karen Shakhnazarov's historical drama."

The timing of the release concerned her as she concluded, "To make a film in 2005 that asks audiences to sympathize with the plight of a band of terrorists is an intellectually audacious gesture.

"Gorgeous set design by Ludmila Kusakova stacks the deck even before the plot kicks in: It would be criminal to destroy such stunning works of art as the raspberry-colored palace of the Grand Duke or blow up a masterful layout where even beggars figure as essential parts of the decor."