there be some excellent comment and observation on this film . i be pleased to note the comparison to fritz lang m ( forget the 50 abortive remake with lightweight david wayne ) . the real villain be not the tortured murderer ( extraordinarily fine performance by jeffery demunn ) and take out his sexually frustrate anger on his victim mostly child . he be the objective . the real villain be the stifle bureaucratic soviet system and drowning in it own corrupted incompetence . the frustration of an uncompromisingly dedicate man ( rea in his best role since the cry game ) and a facile pragmatist who willing to use the system to his advantage ( sutherland always successful in this kind of role ) and a hesitant and frighten but determine psychiatrist ( the incomparable max sydow ) and the bumbling and boopous bureaucrat of a prosecutor ( brilliant brit actor john wood ) and the quiet and support wife of the driven investigator ( delightful supporter and imelda staunton ) . this be one damn fine film . it darkness and bleakness be support by the portrayal of a corrupt and incompetent system which work against success . the be no need to dip into gore laden slice n dice sensationalism that have characterize so many recent film . gore be present it a ghastly story but it add to the depicting of a pathologically twisted human be . the success of the story be precisely that represent these be act perpetrate by a person and a human like you or i. where you and i choose to vent our frustration by reasonable mean and chikatilo take his anger out on the most innocent and vulnerable of u and our child . the superb premise of this story be make manifest by an equally superb cast of excellent actor . sadly and i note that our australian friend do not like the speech and no doubt would have prefer to hear them speak in aussie dialect . well and too bad . this fine film sure work for me and everyone else i have talk with who have see it .