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THE AMPHIBIAN MAN Is the Sea Devil, as the natives of Unspecified Country have dubbed him, a nun-killing humanoid menace from beneath the sea, or simply a misunderstood young man in a sparkly costume and fancy hat, whose scientist father has grafted shark gills onto him in an attempt to create an underwater utopia where everyone is equal? It matters little to the evil capitalist boat owner, whose only interest is capturing the creature to put him to work as a pearl diver to cut down on the costs of paying his oppressed workers and thus increase his fortune. When the creature-whose name, it turns out, is Ichtyandr, or "Fish Man" (Vladimir Korenev)-and the capitalist (Mikhail Kozakov) fall in love with the same woman, the man/monster question becomes a little more pressing, at least for the beautiful Gutiere (Anastasiya Vertinskaya), who must choose between Pedro's riches, which her father covets, and the happiness and waterfront views promised by a life with Ictyandr. The Amphibian Man is beautifully shot, particularly the underwater scenes, and includes the occasional dance number as Ichty and Gutiere try to bridge the gap between the wealth and status-obsessed world of the land and the paradise under the sea.

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