Film Review The Death of Stalin (released 2018)

The Death of Stalin.  My Rating: ★★★ out of Four Stars.

This blog has taken on several different themes, it originally was intended as a blog about Hawaiian Music and the history of the music of Hawaii.  It then turned into a music review journal as I went through each CD in my album collection.  Then after a very long break it briefly became a creative non-fiction blog with life essays.  Now once again after a multi year break it is taking on a new life.

A co-worker of mine who is a film professor recently learned I had majored in film studies as an undergraduate and suggested I restart my blog with film reviews so here we are with another revamp.

My studies focused on film criticism and film history.  Growing up, I had wanted to be a film reviewer like some of my favorites Roger Ebert, Gene Siskel, and especially Leonard Maltin.  Maltin is still my all time favorite reviewer and historian.

At the 2018 California Independent Film Festival I had the great pleasure to meet Mr. Maltin, very very briefly, and see him give an informal talk when he was presented with the 2018 Golden Slate award for his years of film history.  During his talk amid the wonderful stories about Roy Rodgers, Jimmy Stewart, and Katharine Hepburn, Mr. Maltin mentioned The Death of Stalin as one of the best movies now playing.

I recently had the opportunity to see the film on DVD.  As the title indicates the plot deals with the week or so following the death of the Soviet leader and how his inner circle deal with the change of leadership.  Director Armando Iannucci, best known for creating the hit HBO series Veep, uses much of the same skills here satirizing political structures that he brings to his popular TV series.  The inner circle is a bumbling power hungry group of backstabbers played by an excellent cast of familiar faces.  Jeffrey Tambor is particualrly hilarious as the boneheaded Malenkov who takes over the role of Soviet leader.  Paddy Considine is wonderful in a small role as the nervous head of Moscow Radio.  The always reliable Steve Buscemi is great as the fast talking Nikita Khrushchev spouting zingers left and right.

While there are a number of laugh out loud moments throughout it should be noted that this is a dark comedy with serious moments as well as depictions of the Soviet death lists, the Russian prisons, executions, and a rather violent coup.  While most of the action in these scenes is just off screen or in long shot they can be disturbing (which is the intention).  The director mentions on the DVD special features that he did not want the film's humor to erase the fact that the real individuals depicted were ruthless leaders who murdered many of their people.

If it were about ten minutes shorter (it's an hour and forty seven minutes) it would have been a tighter and possibly stronger film but as it is will surely appeal to those who love black comedy and satire.  Is it as great as the reviews led me to believe, no, but it is a well made well acted film with some truly funny moments.