September 14, 2020

The Hunt for Movie Russian


The Hunt for Movie Russian
What time does Sean Connery go to Wimbledon? Tennish. IMDb, "The Hunt for Red October." Screenshot by the author.

I was all set for movie night this past weekend. On the docket: Hunt for Red October, the classic thriller about the captain of a Soviet submarine (the Red October, referring to the 1917 revolution) that goes rogue and tries to defect to America, with the help of hero Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin). My wife and I plopped down, popcorn in hand, ready for some great Cold War naval sequences.

And then Sean Connery opened his mouth.

I have nothing against the guy; gotta love the classic, unapologetic 007, but his way of speaking Russian… Yikes.

I’m not one to “Um, actually,” but the use of Russian in this film is definitely subpar. So I thought I'd take a look and see exactly where it diverges from the everyday Russian language we all know and love.

I guess we should have been warned in the title card:

The title card of "Hunt for Red October."
More than one language in a title card; ambitious. | Paramount Pictures; screenshot by the author.

A title in (kind of) Cyrillic letters appears, then proudly shifts into the title of the film, in English: “THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER.” The implication being that the Cyrillic means “Red October.” Except it doesn’t.

The first word is fine: /krasniy/, red. The second, though, is a mess.

The Russian word for October is октябрь (Oktyabr’). But here that word is made up of Cyrillic and Latin letters to create a pastiche mildly reminiscent of the English word “October.” 

This reminds me of a meme:

A meme making fun of Russian letters used as English equivalents.
Shegg Ueb, vtst dsttsdggu io! | Facebook user Steve the vagabond and silly linguist

Back to Sean Connery. In the opening scene, Captain Ramius (Connery) and an officer are on the top of the ship’s conning tower. The shot starts on his eyes before panning out. His comrade says, “It’s cold this morning” (the way we know is the subtitle, not necessarily the dialogue). Connery responds with a grunt, before saying some Scottish-sounding word that I’ve never heard among Russians. It’s translated as “Very cold.” The classic "Ochen' kholodna" probably would have worked just fine.

Fortunately (mercifully?), the action onboard the Russian sub switches to English-language. However, the Russian returns when our American heroes come face-to-face with the Russian crew, leading to one of the most awkward sequences in the film in terms of faux-Russian-ness.

A climactic scene of the film.
Captain, prepare for poor Russian pronunciation off the port bow! | Paramount Pictures

Connery's character notices the handgun displayed on the hip of one of the Americans, and quips flatly, "Kakov nipudt pakaru," which doesn't mean anything. I interpret the intended meaning as "Kakoi-nibud' bakaru?," loosely translated as "some kind of cowboy." But why the word "kovboi," Russified "cowboy," wasn't the go-to is beyond me.

Regardless, this leads Jack Ryan to break the ice by commenting on how the captain thinks the American is "some sort of cowboy." In response, Ramius says, "New pa ruhsskey."

What exactly this means, or even its intention, is tough to pin down. I assume the writing was aiming for "Nu, po-russki?" meaning "Well, in Russian?" Or maybe the idea would have been better conveyed with a "Vi govorite po-russki?": "You speak Russian?"

And don't even get me started on the intonation.

With all that said, Hunt for Red October is an excellent movie that you should definitely, definitely watch. And it's far from the only film in which Russian is treated with goofy abandon. Action films are just another reason to learn the language.

You Might Also Like

Spycraft Through Film
  • January 01, 2006

Spycraft Through Film

It would be hard to overestimate the cultural impact of film on Russian culture. We plumb the depths of this phenomenon in this year’s Study Russia section.
The First Master of Russsian Film
  • February 01, 1998

The First Master of Russsian Film

Maxim Gorky once called film "the Kingdom of Shadows." Sergei Eisenstein was one of the earliest kings of this realm.
Spetsluzhb Goes to the Movies
  • November 01, 2006

Spetsluzhb Goes to the Movies

The FSB (heir to the KGB) has been influencing Russia’s recent film releases. Propaganda is new again.
Imagining the Enemy
  • November 01, 2008

Imagining the Enemy

Where we consider how Russians have been portrayed in American film over the past century – from Marlene Dietrich to Sean Connery. It turns out this may tell us more about America than about Russia.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of Our Books

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

Woe From Wit (bilingual)

One of the most famous works of Russian literature, the four-act comedy in verse Woe from Wit skewers staid, nineteenth century Russian society, and it positively teems with “winged phrases” that are essential colloquialisms for students of Russian and Russian culture.
Murder and the Muse

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.
A Taste of Chekhov

A Taste of Chekhov

This compact volume is an introduction to the works of Chekhov the master storyteller, via nine stories spanning the last twenty years of his life.
93 Untranslatable Russian Words

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.
The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

The Little Humpbacked Horse (bilingual)

A beloved Russian classic about a resourceful Russian peasant, Vanya, and his miracle-working horse, who together undergo various trials, exploits and adventures at the whim of a laughable tsar, told in rich, narrative poetry.
Moscow and Muscovites

Moscow and Muscovites

Vladimir Gilyarovsky's classic portrait of the Russian capital is one of Russians’ most beloved books. Yet it has never before been translated into English. Until now! It is a spectactular verbal pastiche: conversation, from gutter gibberish to the drawing room; oratory, from illiterates to aristocrats; prose, from boilerplate to Tolstoy; poetry, from earthy humor to Pushkin. 
Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

Faith & Humor: Notes from Muscovy

A book that dares to explore the humanity of priests and pilgrims, saints and sinners, Faith & Humor has been both a runaway bestseller in Russia and the focus of heated controversy – as often happens when a thoughtful writer takes on sacred cows. The stories, aphorisms, anecdotes, dialogues and adventures in this volume comprise an encyclopedia of modern Russian Orthodoxy, and thereby of Russian life.
Fish: A History of One Migration

Fish: A History of One Migration

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

About Us

Russian Life is a publication of a 30-year-young, award-winning publishing house that creates a bimonthly magazine, books, maps, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955