A Cruel Romance

A Cruel Romance
Directed by	Eldar Ryazanov
Screenplay by	Eldar Ryazanov
Based on	Without a Dowry by Alexander Ostrovsky
Starring	Larisa Guzeeva Nikita Mikhalkov Andrey Myagkov Alisa Freindlich Aleksei Petrenko Viktor Proskurin
Cinematography	Vadim Alisov
Music by	Andrey Petrov
Production company	Mosfilm
Release date	1984 (1984)
Running time	142 minutes
Country	Soviet Union
Language	Russian

A Cruel Romance (Russian: Жестокий романс) is a 1984 Russian romantic drama directed by Eldar Ryazanov.^[1] It is based on Alexander Ostrovsky's classic play Without a Dowry (1878).,^[2] which had earlier been adapted into a film in 1937. The main female role was played by Larisa Guzeyeva in her cinematic debut.

The film was shot on location in the Upper Volga region, including Kostroma.^[3][4] It features a set of Russian romances written by Bella Akhmadulina, Marina Tsvetaeva and Eldar Ryazanov, composed by Andrey Petrov and Nina Shatskaya and performed by Valentina Ponomaryova. These songs have gained widespread popularity in Russia.