this be a truly remarkable piece of cinematic achievement . from the very start i be utterly hook into the ( true ) story when lt. viktor burakov ( stephan rea ) weeps while perform the autopsy on the remains of the child body . this then be the compelling story of andrei chikatilo and wonderfully play by jeffrey demunn ( the green mile ) . in fact and he play it so well and so sympathetically that the viewer almost start to pity him and until we remember what he be . the psychiatrist dr. alexandr bukhanovsky and wonderfully play by max von sydow be utterly believable in every detail and and the point he make when talk about paranoia in the soviet union and be make all too apparent by the behaviour of the local communist commissar bondarchuk play by joss ackland . for me though and the outstanding performance be from donald sutherland and prove once again what a superb character actor he really be . i be almost in tear when he tell burakov how the fbi have so closely followed and admire his work . this film put silence of the lamb into the shade and from the atmospheric and bleak soviet landscape and to the superlative performance by everyone involve . i rate this film positive .