Citizen X

About Citizen X

Citizen X is a 1995 American-Hungarian made-for-television film which revolves around the true story of a Russian serial killer, Andrei Chikatilo, who was convicted of murdering over 50 people in the Soviet Union over an eight-year span. The film showcases the struggle of a forensic pathologist, Viktor Burakov, who was assigned to the case and had to fight through bureaucracy and politics in his pursuit of justice.

Making / Production

The film is based on the non-fiction book "The Killer Department" written by Robert Cullen. It was directed by Chris Gerolmo and was produced for HBO. Filming took place in Hungary which stood in for the Soviet Union.

Actors

• Stephen Rea: Played the lead role of Viktor Burakov, the forensic pathologist, with a compelling atmospheric intensity.
• Donald Sutherland: Played Colonel Mikhail Fetisov, whose character was initially a roadblock, but later becomes the key supporter of Burakov. Sutherland skillfully balances authority and empathy in his portrayal.
• Max Von Sydow: Played Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky, the first Soviet forensic psychiatrist and criminal profiler, bringing a deep gravitas to his role.
• Played Andrei Chikatilo, the serial killer, potraying him with a disturbing and eerie sense of normality.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The movie is based on the real-life hunt for one of the worst serial killers in the history of the Soviet Union, Andrei Chikatilo.
• Citizen X was Max von Sydow's first, made-for-television movie, despite having a career spanning over four decades.

Awards

The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews and several accolades. It was awarded the prestigious Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie for Sutherland, as well as the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Quotes

• "Fear, it's simply the engine of human history." - Colonel Mikhail Fetisov
• "The killer must be, in his own mind, a nothing, a zero. He needs to kill to feel alive." - Dr. Alexandr Bukhanovsky

Music, Soundtrack

• The film has a haunting original score composed by Randy Edelman which perfectly complements the tense, atmospheric narrative.
• The main theme of Citizen X, called "Viktor's Theme", conveys, through its melancholic melody, the sadness of the tragic events and the persistent determination of the protagonist.