Crime and Punishment (1998 film)

Crime and Punishment (1998 film) is a British-American television film adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky's 1866 novel of the same name. Directed by Joseph Sargent, it stars Patrick Dempsey as Rodion Raskolnikov, Ben Kingsley as Porfiry Petrovich, and Julie Delpy as Sonia Marmeladova.

The film largely follows the plot of the novel, focusing on the impoverished student Raskolnikov, who, driven by his own theories of utilitarianism and a belief in his own exceptionalism, murders an elderly pawnbroker and her sister. The film explores the psychological consequences of his actions, his subsequent guilt, and his eventual confession and repentance, influenced by his relationship with Sonia.

The adaptation condenses the lengthy novel and makes some changes to the storyline and character development, but it generally remains faithful to the core themes of morality, redemption, and the suffering caused by intellectual arrogance. The film received mixed reviews, with some critics praising the performances of the lead actors, particularly Kingsley, while others found the adaptation to be too rushed and lacking the depth and complexity of the source material. The film's setting and costuming aimed for a realistic portrayal of 19th-century St. Petersburg.