The Death of Stalin (2017)

Moscow, 1953. After being in power for nearly thirty years, Soviet dictator Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) takes ill and quickly dies. Now the members of the Council of Ministers scramble for power.

Jess’ Review

I’d never really given The Death of Stalin a second-look upon its release - even with the irresistible draw of Steve Buscemi calling to me. I just don’t gel well with political pieces. But watching it now with Sam, I curse myself for not giving it a whirl sooner. It’s fantastic.

Darkly comedic, the film documents the sudden death of dictator Joseph Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) and the ensuing power struggle amidst his inner circle. The casting is strong with Buscemi helming the picture as Nikita Khrushchev, alongside Jeffrey Tambor, and Simon Russell Beale as the conniving Beria. Male-dominated, the film casts a lens of the corruption of government within the especially extreme example of Soviet Russia. Despite an understandably harsh reception in Russia, I was completely thrown by quite how much I enjoyed this and how much it’s fallen under the radar. But perhaps that’s on account of its subject matter. It is a smart film, and I realise I might’ve found greater appreciation for the plot had I a better understanding of the Soviet Union. That being said, I still followed the story and now find myself utterly fascinated by this small slice of history.

Extremely well-acted by some absolute powerhouses of the industry, the characters are remarkably slimy. Even the more likeable additions have selfish motivations, and can play just as dirty as the worst of them. Yet the humour is consistent and you can’t help but enjoy watching these terrible men squabbling for control. I think I laughed more during this film than any other in recent memory, which in itself is quite impressive. Perhaps it says something of my sense of humour? Regardless, it’s remarkably engaging and surprisingly light given the heavy undertones of political corruption and injustice.

The film looks good and is well shot, boasting a warm colour palette and quite a charming tone. In a weird way, the visuals reminded me of a diluted Wes Anderson flick. Director Armando Iannucci also made the conscious choice to strip the film of Russian accents, which I thought was unorthodox, but justified. It’s quite ballsy. He states that it was to remove any distraction from the content, and after reading into the actors’ own takes on this freedom, it becomes quite an amusing quirk.

Moving at a steady pace and remaining consistently gripping in both its moments of comedy and moments of bleakness, The Death of Stalin might well be one of my favourite reviews to date. I loved it. Even without the background knowledge, you delve right into this confident that you’ll leave satisfied, intrigued and likely chuckling. A real hidden gem.

9.5/10

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Sam’s Review

Political satire at its finest. The solid foundation to this film is the writing. It's a quick-fire, quick-witted version of the past. The dialogue is sharp, crude and bitingly funny. Audacious may be an understatement. I am not sure if that is a testament to director Armando Iannucci's creative genius or the rich history the plot was pulled from. It has a unique tone, almost an estranged cousin to Chris Morris' Four Lions (2010). Fun fact, Morris is a frequent collaborator of Iannucci.

The tangled web of politics, the false smiles, harsh words and veiled threats, are shown in a comedic light. Fast paced and strangled expressions. Yet, lurking in the background is the fear of death with one misstep. The terror shown, even when styled humorously, is tragic. It doesn't always gel with the tone of the film. Watching people get herded like cattle and then shot, for little or no reason, takes the film to a dark place. Showing those scenes is responsible, as it is important to note, but it also kills the jovial tone incredibly quickly.

On a lighter note... This surely must be the best ensemble cast that has ever been brought together. It is clearly a male dominated cast, but I find it forgivable considering the constraints of history. There are too many actors to mention, and all are in superb form, but the two that lit up the screen with their presence was Jason Isaacs, as the boisterous Field Marshall Zhukov, and Paddy Considine, as the panicked radio director. Stifled by the 450 words I am allowed, I cannot fully explain my admiration for these two men. Again, all act brilliantly. The characters are fleshed out, and the dynamics between them are as hilarious as they are sinister.

My main issue was my lack of knowledge with the situation and all the players. As such, certain nuanced moments were tricky to follow. Which didn't put me off the film, but would take me out of it at times. The ending seems to arrive a little abruptly. Again if I had a greater depth of knowledge on the matter, perhaps it wouldn't have.

Considering the tricky subject matter, I was surprised at how much I laughed. The combination of a sharp script, so well written, with the chemistry of the characters lends itself to humorous encounters. Though at times it borders on immature. For the star power alone, it's worth a watch. Any fan of off-kilter comedy should enjoy this.

8.5/10