Controversy can sometimes be enough to peak interest in a film. I would be lying if I said that reports of walk-outs and nauseous patrons didn’t get me interested in what is now known as 2016’s “Swiss Army Man.” The same goes for last year’s wider release of “Raw,” a French coming-of-age film about a veterinarian student finding out that she has a craving for human flesh. Reports of sick audiences at the film’s festival showings intrigued me to the point that I watched it as soon as it was readily available. However, it’s not always the weirdly grotesque films that peak my interest. Sometimes another country’s controversy involving a film with a political tilt is enough to grab my attention.
About a couple weeks back, the Russian government banned Armando Iannucci’s “The Death of Stalin” from being shown in theaters. It even went so far as to sue a movie theater for showing the film a few times without permission. It’s this kind of outrage over a satirical black comedy that got me to raise an eyebrow, combing my recent memories to see if I remembered hearing about the film prior to this development. I remembered vaguely of the poster, some of the cast, and the title itself. Without knowing much, I decided to let the controversy steer me towards the film, hoping that I would get something that was not only noticeably controversial but also entertaining.
“The Death of Stalin” comes from Armando Iannucci, a man mostly known for his work on HBO’s “The Veep” and BBC’s “The Thick of It.” It’s based off the comic book of the same name, taking a darkly comedic twist on the events the led up to Joseph Stalin’s death and the power struggle that commenced shortly after between his Central Committee members. His committee includes the Head of the NKVD Security Forces Lavrenti Beria (Simon Russell Beale), Moscow Party Head Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi), Stalin’s Deputy Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov (Michael Palin), and a few others. While power automatically goes to Tambor’s Malenkov after Stalin’s death, the other committee members (specifically Beria and Khrushchev) struggle to keep their loyalty to Stalin when a pristine opportunity to gain a chance at Stalin’s seat shows itself. This leads to the committee members trying their best to gain favor from anyone that can make them look good from the public to Stalin’s children (Andrea Riseborough and Rupert Friend).
First off, the writing is sharp, incredibly dark, and hilarious. It does a phenomenal job at balancing two completely different tones that constantly shift throughout the film. One of those tones is the grim, harsh reality that comes from living under Stalin’s rule, simulating the fear of whether or not something you made or something you said last week would be enough grounds for his security force to detain you, torture you, rape you, or even just kill you on the street. The other tone, on the other hand, is a satirical and comical feel that mainly looks at the Central Committee, showing the absurd lengths these men were willing to go for Stalin’s power. It truly is incredible to see this film handle those tones so well together without either one of them taking away from the other, resulting in a film that will make you laugh, make you sad, infuriate you, and even leave you conflicted as you watch to see which horrible person comes out on top.
What certainly adds to the writing are the performances. The cast is absolutely incredible with not a single bad actor in the bunch. Jeffrey Tambor’s Malenkov is a weak and indecisive man that is reminiscent of some of Tambor’s best roles, making his rise to power so interesting as you watch him comically stumble through his new position. Steve Buscemi’s Khrushchev is hilarious and quintessential Buscemi, bringing his usual mannerisms and talent to bring life to a character that is well aware of the problems that could arise if Beria keeps gaining power after Stalin’s death. Michael Palin’s Molotov is probably the weakest of the main committee members yet never feels like it thanks to his comedic timing that he certainly honed after years with the Monty Python crew.
However, in my opinion, the standout performance of the film comes from Simon Russell Beale as Lavrenti Beria. It takes a great actor to act as such a vile, egotistical, and comedic character without making the audience feel uncomfortable. Beale does this and then some, creating a person that I simultaneously loved and hated to see every time he appeared onscreen. He is the epitome of the corruption of power and the horrors during Stalin’s rule while also representing the hilarious, absurd effects that power can have on a person, making that person feel indestructible even at their most vulnerable moments.
The supporting cast isn’t even bad. Paddy Considine’s character does a great job of introducing the almost hilarious horrors attached to Stalin’s leadership, Jason Isaacs has a blast as Field Marshal Zhukov, Andrea Riseborough brings a few chuckles as Stalin’s daughter Svetlana, and Rupert Friend steals every scene he’s in as Stalin’s alcoholic, dumb son Vasily. He immediately went from “Wait, is that the guy from ‘Hitman: Agent 47?’” to an actor that I’m genuinely curious to see where he goes from here. He rounds out a strong ensemble of actors that elevate the writing to a fantastic degree.
Now even with all that emphasis put on the writing and acting, I’m not done with the praises. The cinematography is bleak yet interesting, the score beautifully captures the dark comedy the film is conveying, and the excellent directing just adds to the comedy and despair as the film progresses. While I truly feel the standouts of the film are the writing and the performances, I barely had any problems with the film’s technical aspects. Besides a lip sync issue here and there, and very few story nitpicks, the film is impressively put together.
In the end, I was absolutely thankful for the Russian controversy introducing me to such a great film. Armando Iannucci’s adaptation of the comic book creates a film that juggles a myriad of emotions without dropping a single one. It’s a film that isn’t trying to be a biopic yet is attempting to recreate the horrors of that era in Russian history while also poking fun at the men who were governing then. It’s a film that closely reminded me of Stanley Kubrick’s “Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb,” a black comedy that isn’t afraid to replicate the horrors of an era while also having a bit of dark fun with it. Not everyone will love “The Death of Stalin” but as someone who loves comedy (and has no real deep knowledge of the intricacies of past Russian leaders), I think it’s a film that deserves all the love it can get.