Deeply atmospheric and beautifully shot, Emil Loteanu’s very popular adaptation of Chekhov’s novel “The Shooting Party” takes place in the 19th-century Russian countryside where a story of crime and passion unfolds. Beautiful but poor, young Olga is forced to marry elderly Prince Urbenin. She enjoys her husband’s wealth and passionate love, but a younger friend of his, detective Sergey Kamishev, steals Olga’s heart. Torn between love and money, Olga promises her heart to Sergey, but bounces back to her older husband. Obsessed by passion and jealousy, Sergey is pushed beyond his limits. A top-drawer Soviet-era production, A HUNTING ACCIDENT depicts Russian aristocracy in its most decadent glamour. The stellar performance of Oleg Yankovskiy (Sergey), the late Tarkovsky star, is a joy to behold. Music by Evgeniy Doga adds to the film’s unforgettable atmosphere. —nwfilm.org
Emil Loteanu (November 6, 1936 – April 18, 2003) was a Soviet and Moldovian film director from Moldova. He moved to Moscow in his early life.
Loteanu was born in Clocuşna, and after the death of his father and losing contact with his mother, who had moved to Romania, lived his early life on the streets, sleeping in warehouses and hostels. He studied at the Mkhat studio school and graduated from VGIK in 1962. He made his directorial debut with Bolshaya gora in 1960 at the Moldova Film Studio, and continued to make films there until 1975, when he joined Mosfilm. With films such as Tabor ukhodit v nebo (aka Queen of the Gypsies, 1975) and Moy laskovyy i nezhnyy zver (aka A Hunting Accident, (1977), Loteanu began to attract international attention.
Loteanu died on April 18, 2003, in Moscow, at the age of 66. —Wikipedia
Excellent adaptation of Chekhov novel that completely captures the tone and feel of the time period. Performances are top notch especially Galina Belyayeva as Olga who ensnares the rest of the character's within her feminine atributes. Correct title is "My Tender and Affectionate Beast (A Hunting Accident). Very highly reccomended.
