Hard to Be a God (2013)

6.5Not Rated177 min

2013 film by Aleksei Yuryevich German

Hard to Be a God (Russian: Трудно быть богом, romanized: Trudno byt' bogom) is a 2013 Russian epic medieval science fiction film directed by Aleksei German who co-wrote the screenplay with Svetlana Karmalita. It was his last film and it is based on the 1964 novel of the same name by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky.

A team of scientists travels from Earth to the planet Arkanar, which is inhabited by a race of humans identical to those of Earth. Their civilization has not progressed beyond a civilization that is culturally and technologically nearly identical to medieval Europe. One reason may be the militantly anti-intellectual attitude of Arkanar: Anyone whom the inhabitants of the planet consider to be an "intellectual" is instantly executed. The Earth scientists are ordered not to interfere and to conceal their identities; but one of them, Rumata, wishes to stop the senseless murders of brilliant minds and is forced at last to pick a side.

Plot summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

FAQ

What is Hard to Be a God about?
Hard to Be a God (2013) — A group of scientists are sent to the planet Arkanar to help the local civilization, which is in the Medieval phase of its own history, to find the right path to progress. Their task is a difficult one: they cannot interfere violently and in no case can they kill. The scientist R
Is Hard to Be a God based on a true story?
See the production background and source material details on the official Wikipedia article.
Is Hard to Be a God scary?
Content rating: Not Rated. See the reviews tab for parental guidance and tone notes.