Alix Lambert’s The Mark of Cain
Aug.18, 2009 in
Tattoo Books
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August 18th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
“I thought it would be more interesting if I listed some things that I read and watched in preparation for the making of “Eastern Promises” than just listing a random bunch of things that I like. Among these are “The Mark of Cain,” by Alix Lambert, not yet available on DVD. A companion piece to the Russian Criminal Tattoo books, this a very courageous documentary on the tattooing subculture in Russian prisons. I don’t know how it ever got made, but it’s beautiful, scary, and heartbreaking.”
- David Cronenberg
Yes, it is now available. As of March 25, 2008 you don’t have to be friends with David Cronenberg or Viggo Mortensen to see this amazing film. Those of you who saw it the first time around when it was a finalist for the Independent Spirit Award know the gist of the story, but for those who don’t, it’s still incredible.
On a shoestring budget, filmmaker Alix Lambert traveled to Russia and through sheer determination, gained access to the darkest prisons in the country. Her interviews with murderers and mobsters who openly discuss multiple beheadings, contract killings and the mythology and meaning of their tattoos make up the majority of the film, but it is the prison system itself that is most effectively exposed.
Cronenberg talks about re-writing the script for ‘Eastern Promises’ after seeing this film, and after you see it, you’ll understand why. You can’t talk about organized crime in modern Russia without referencing Alix Lambert’s “The Mark of Cain”. This is the seminal work.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:19 pm
4.0 out of 5 stars
Scary and Depressing
A documentary on the violence, hopelessnesss and mistreatment inherent in the “modern” but underfunded Russian prison system.
August 18th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
More than enough coverage of prison tattoo culture to satisfy enthusiasts – though this film is much, much more. Lambert witnesses complexities of the Russian prison system: staff talent shows, generational changes in prison culture, interviews with inmates and administrators, access to overcrowded cells – inventiveness from nowhere. Tremendous, lucid density. Accomplished with an artful, blunt view – a window to the unspeakable and an exceptionally memorable film.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
Awesome
This documentary is captivating and very interesting. We learn more about the Zone and the Vory v Zakone and much more through these criminals wearing those famous tattoos.
August 18th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
Length:: 1:03 Mins
August 18th, 2009 at 10:03 pm
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of most important documentaries on Russia
The Mark of Cain is the macro lens. On the surface, this incredible documentary by Alix Lambert is an excruciatingly tight close-up of tattoos and their role in Russia’s criminal…
August 19th, 2009 at 12:33 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stunning
This documentary is beautifully filmed. It is an amazing view into this small world made up of fascinating contrasts.
August 19th, 2009 at 2:46 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
Extremely well done documentary
The video does a great job of documenting life in a Russian prison. While not as detailed in the history and meaning of individual symbols as the Russian Criminal Tattoo…
August 19th, 2009 at 3:39 am
5.0 out of 5 stars
a riveting education
The opening scene of Alix Lambert’s “The Mark of Cain” immediately draws the viewer into the Russian prison system with a haunting song that sets the mood.