Taxi Blues
Такси-блюз
Synopsis
Ivan is old Russia: thick, dour, hard-working, often brutish; he misses Communism. He drives a taxi and one night meets Alexi, a new Russian, a musician, an alcoholic, irresponsible. Alexi stiffs Ivan for the fare, so Ivan tracks him down and a love-hate relationship ensues. When Alexi lets the bath water run over in Ivan's flat and Ivan must pay 500 rubles for repairs, he tries to force Alexi into day labor to repay him. It's hopeless. Then, suddenly, Alexi is discovered, goes on a jazz tour of America, becomes a celebrity, and returns in triumph. Ivan longs to renew the friendship, and it looks as if he may get what he wants.
Top Cast
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Pyotr Mamonov
Lyosha
Pyotr Zaychenko
Shlykov
Natalya Kolyakanova
Christina
Elena Safonova
Nina
Vladimir Kashpur
Old Nechiporenko
Sergey Gazarov
Administrator
Igor Zolotovitsky
Petyunchik
Vladimir Sterzhakov
Musician in the Taxi
Sergey Galkin
Hippy
Evgeniy Gerchakov
musician in the taxi
Dmitriy Prigov
writer
Valeri Khlevinsky
Kolya
Yelena Stepanova
beautiful girl
Lidiya Ezhevskaya
Valya
Vyacheslav Gorbunchikov
mechanic from the cab company
Aleksandr Inshakov
the Mercedes driver
Yury Sokolov
Yuri Yurchenko
Release History & Theatrical Window
Cannes Film Festival
Festival / Special Debut
Key Information & Fast Facts
- Director
- Pavel Lungin
- Screenplay & Story
- Pavel Lungin
- Original Score
- Vladimir Chekasin
- Original Title
- Такси-блюз
- Country of Origin
- Soviet Union, France
- Spoken Languages
- Russian
- Runtime
- 1h 50m
- Production Studios
- Ask Soviet-American Films, La Sept Cinéma, Lenfilm, MK2 Productions
Creative Leadership & Key Crew
Pavel Lungin
Pavel Lungin
Vladimir Chekasin
Eduard Gimpel, Andrei Zhegalov, Denis Evstigneev
Elisabeth Guido
Alexandr Golutva, Pierre Rival, Vladimir Repnikov, Marin Karmitz, Mark Gekht
Department Leadership Roster
Pavel Lungin
Director
Pavel Lungin
Writer
Alexandr Golutva
Producer
Valeri Yurkevich
Production Design
Pierre Rival
Producer
Vladimir Repnikov
Producer
Marin Karmitz
Producer
Mark Gekht
Producer
Elisabeth Guido
Editor
Viktor Ivanov
Stunt Coordinator
Aleksandr Inshakov
Stunt Coordinator
Pavel Lungin
Producer
Olga Vasilyeva
Producer
Sergey Shumakov
Producer
Andrei Zhegalov
Director of Photography
Age Classification & Content Advisories
Official viewer rating standards and content warnings across international classification boards.
International Certification Matrix
Interdit aux moins de 10 ans — 10+ only.
Production Stills & Gallery
Official cinematic photography and background stills for Taxi Blues.
Featured In Curated Collections
Editorial lists, community rankings, and cinematic collections featuring Taxi Blues.
Soviet Movies With English Subtitles
Festival de Cannes - Best Director Winners 1946-2025
Festival de Cannes winners archive (Best Director Winners 1946-2025)
Golden Globe Nominated Titles - IMDb
MovieLens[20K:30K]
WATCHED
Trying to list the movies I have watched, but it may take quite some time to complete it. By the way, I use MyAnimeList's notation system, which is: (1) Appalling; (2) Horrible; (3) Very Bad; (4) Bad; (5) Average; (6) Fine; (7) Good; (8) Very Good; (9) Great; (10) Masterpiece
Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Director
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Frequently Asked Questions About Taxi Blues
Quick factual answers about cast, synopsis, director, box office, and release information.
What is Taxi Blues about?
Ivan is old Russia: thick, dour, hard-working, often brutish; he misses Communism. He drives a taxi and one night meets Alexi, a new Russian, a musician, an alcoholic, irresponsible. Alexi stiffs Ivan for the fare, so Ivan tracks him down and a love-hate relationship ensues. When Alexi lets the bath water run over in Ivan's flat and Ivan must pay 500 rubles for repairs, he tries to force Alexi into day labor to repay him. It's hopeless. Then, suddenly, Alexi is discovered, goes on a jazz tour of America, becomes a celebrity, and returns in triumph. Ivan longs to renew the friendship, and it looks as if he may get what he wants.
Who directed Taxi Blues?
Taxi Blues was directed by Pavel Lungin.
Who stars in Taxi Blues?
The principal cast of Taxi Blues includes Pyotr Mamonov, Pyotr Zaychenko, Natalya Kolyakanova, Elena Safonova, Vladimir Kashpur.
When was Taxi Blues released and how long is it?
Taxi Blues was released in 1990 with a total runtime of 1h 50m.
Who composed the musical score for Taxi Blues?
The original motion picture soundtrack for Taxi Blues was composed by Vladimir Chekasin.
What is the age rating and content advisory for Taxi Blues?
Taxi Blues holds official age classifications: FR: 10 (Interdit aux moins de 10 ans — 10+ only.).