Remember Hogan’s Heroes? The American sitcom set in a Nazi prisoner of war camp. At the time it aired there were some who were really, really outraged. How dare they turn the Nazis into mere buffoons?!
A situation comedy about Hitler’s thugs?
And no doubt there are any number of folks who might be offended by a film that turned Josef Stalin and his henchmen into a punch line.
Ah, but here the comedy is very, very black. It thumps Stalin and his ilk such that he and his at times brutally authoritarian regime become basically the butt of all the jokes.
This is, after all, a film based on a comic book. Or, rather, a “graphic novel”. However one wants to interpret that.
Still, it also explores the enormously precarious and problematic reality – the existential threat – of living in a regime in which power is basically invested in one man. One man and all of his loyal [or not so loyal] cronies. And, yes, thugs. What happens when he dies? In this case “unexpectedly of a brain hemorrhage” in the middle of the night. Suddenly the power is up for grabs. And the lives of millions will depend on how the dust finally settles.
No one is really safe until then, right? Or, as often as not, not even after then.
Of course the problem with “political satires” of this sort is that you can never really be certain if what you are watching actually occured or was just thrown in there for laughs. You can only assume you get the gist of it. Given a particular political narrative of course.
Bottom line: Unless you are actually familiar with most of the historical facts here, this may just as well be gibberish.
Then the part where in watching the film you either do or do not connect the dots between what happened back then and what may well happen…here and now? Imagine Donald Trump [carte blanche] with a list of “enemies”.
IMDb
[b]Director Armando Iannucci insisted on not having the characters speak with Russian accents, for two reasons: he thought it would take audiences out of the film, and he did not want the actors to worry about their accent when improvising.
The movie was banned in Russia on January 23, 2018, two days before it was due to be released. The Cultural Ministry stated, “The distribution certificate for the film The Death of Stalin has been withdrawn.” One member of the Culture Ministry’s advisory board was quoted as saying, “The film desecrates our historical symbols – the Soviet hymn, orders and medals, and Marshal Zhukov is portrayed as an idiot,” and added that the film’s release in advance of the 75th anniversary of the end of the Battle of Stalingrad (February 2nd), would be “an affront to Russia’s World War II veterans.”
In the scene where Stalin collapses from a stroke, one guard, having heard his collapse from outside, asks if they should investigate, with the other guard bluntly refusing by shooting back that he should shut up before they are both killed by Stalin for entering without permission. This was a reference to the fact that Stalin left explicit orders to not disturb him while he was sleeping under any circumstances, with the penalty of disobeying being the death penalty, which was one of the reasons why no one attempted to investigate when he did not wake up at his usual time.[/b]
trivia at IMDb: imdb.com/title/tt4686844/tr … tt_trv_trv
at wiki: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Death_of_Stalin
trailer: youtu.be/ukJ5dMYx2no
The Death Of Stalin [2017]
Written in part and directed by Armando Iannucci
[b]Title card: For 20 years, Stalin’s NKVD security forces have imposed great terror. Those on Stalin’s lists of “enemy” names are arrested, killed or shot.
…
Beria [head of security forces to soldiers of Stalin’s list of enemies]: Shoot her before him, but make sure he sees it. Oh, and this one…um…kill him, take him to his church, dump him in the pulpit. And I’ll leave the rest up to you.
…
Andreyev: Take your seats. Take your fucking seats. Don’t worry, nobody’s gonna get killed, I promise you. This is just a musical emergency.
…
Andreyev: Comrades…Comrades! I have wonderful news. Comrade Stalin loved tonight’s concerto and would like a recording of it right away, which we don’t have, for reasons that are myriad and complex and… But meanwhile the concerto we just played will be played again. And this time we will record it and we will applaud it.[/b]
Satirically [perhaps] what the “dictatorship of the proletariet” has been [or can be] reduced to.
[b]Malenkov: Maria Veniaminovna, you have to play. I didn’t… I didn’t mean what I said.
Maria: So you said it, then? As God is my witness, I won’t do it. The Lord will see me through.
Khrushchev: 10,000 rubles.
Maria: 20,000.
Khrushchev: Done. Let’s go.
…
Molotov: Good night, comrades. Long live the Communist Party of Lenin-Stalin. Long live John Wayne and John Ford.
Malenkov: Goodbye, Molotov, old friend.
Beria: Goodbye forever…Yeah. On the list. It would be simpler and cheaper if they just drove straight into a river.
…
Guard [hearing Stalin’s body thud to the floor]: Should we investigate?
Guard: Should you shut the fuck up before you get us both killed?
…
Beria [whispering to Stalin lying on his deathbed]: You have a nice long sleep, old man. I’ll take it from here.
…
Official: No, Nicky. Nobody needs factionalism.
Khrushchev [pointing to Beria and Malenkov]: You want factionalism? What about those two, fucking Abbott and Costello over there?
…
Beria: Will he recover, yes or no?
Doctor: No.
Beria: No?
Doctor: No.
Beria: It’s over. It’s over!
Khrushchev: And so it begins. Oh, God! I cry for Stalin. I cry for all the people.[/b]
Tongue in cheek as it were.
[b]Beria [on the phone]: I want Moscow cauterised, now. Cut off the city. NKVD to displace army officers at every station. Remove Molotov from that last list. Implement our lists.
…
Beria [voiceover]: Ladies and gentlmen reset your watches.
…
Khrushchev: Svetlana, I wanted to let you know that no matter what happens, I will never ever let any harm come to you or your brother.
Svetlana: Who said anything about harm?
Khrushchev: No, that’s what I’m saying.
Svetlana: You know somebody wants to harm us? Tell me. I demand to know. If someone…
Khrushchev: No. I should not have used the word “harm”.
Sveltana: Yes. But you keep mentioning the word “harm”. Why?
Khrushchev: If anyone tries to you, they’ll have to get through me first.
Sveltana: My father’s going to die and I’m going to have you to look after me?![/b]
You know, if that’s the way it actually happened.
[b]Khrushchev: Listen, I wanted to invite you to tomorrow’s Committee meeting.
Molotov: Meeting? What meeting? Why didn’t I know about a meeting?
Khrushchev: Stalin and Beria put you on a list.
Molotov: Stalin? Oh, I must have wronged him so badly. What did I do?
Khrushchev: No, nothing. Don’t you see? Beria, he wants you out. Now, I’ve been talking with Comrade Bulganin. I think he’s right. We can outvote them.
Molotov: No, no. This is factionalism. Stalin didn’t like factionalism.
Khrushchev: Stalin is dead!
…
Malenkov: These lists and these arrests. I think we…Should we take that down just a gear?
Beria: Or hold off altogether? Freeze them?
Beria: Freeze, yes. Excellent thought. Yes, we could freeze arrests. We could even release some low-level prisoners.
Malenkov: Fuck me. I mean… I mean, yes. But what would the old man…
Beria: Oh, Stalin…Stalin destroyed the status quo and he built a new one. The changes he made were both radical and popular.
Malenkov: Liberalisation would be radical. Popular.
Beria: Radical.
Malenkov: And popular.
…
Malenkov: Please, understand that this is not some cynical ploy. I mean, these reforms are correct reforms.
Beria: Totally understood.
…
Field Marshal Zhukov [to Beria and Khrushchev]: Tell me something. Why has the army been replaced by the NKVD all over Moscow? I mean, I’m smiling, but I am very fucking furious.[/b]
The chaos ticks up a few notches. Cue “the Bishops”.
[b]Vasily [Stalin’s son]: Foreigners. A vile crime has been perpetrated. Hairy monsters in coats have scooped out my father’s brain and sent it to America. And these traitors, sucking the cocks and balls…sucking the cocks and balls of Zionist…New York… New York Zionist queers in petticoats. Look at them. You see? Those brain thieves!
…
Vasily: I want to make a speech at my father’s funeral.
Khrushchev: And I want to fuck Grace Kelly.
Vasily: I simply don’t care. I want to make a speech at my father’s funeral.
Beria: Comrade Malenkov, your view?
Malenkov: Well, I think, um…it can be, um…no… no problem.
Khrushchev: Ah…Technically, yes, but practically…
Beria: …there are programmatic complications.
Malenkov: You know, I think I misspoke when I said, “No problem.” What I meant was, “No.” “Problem.”
…
Khrushchev: She was guilty. You found her guilty. And Stalin agreed. Nobody doubted. Nobody doubted.
Beria: Past tense, you see. In the good old days you pine for, that sort of dissonance would have had you both shot. Both of you.
Khrushchev: Oh, this is just fucking wordplay.
Beria: Oh, is it? Allegiance to the party line, hm? That was what Stalin demanded. Correct, Comrade Molotov? Um, allegiance to the party line? Yes. And defiance of the party line, that would mark you out as a traitor, wouldn’t it?
…
Khrushchev: What game is this, Lavrenti?
Beria: Oh, don’t be hysterical. We’re in a new reality.
Khrushchev: What, you’re the good guy now? You locked up half the nation. You beat them, you raped them, you killed them.
Beria: Yes, and now I’m releasing them. And you won’t believe how many will be free.
Khrushchev: So now you want the public to love you, is that it? You’re bending and cracking the truth like a human body.
Beria: The truth? This from the man who invited his bit-on-the-side whore pianist to play at the funeral, even though she swore to kill Stalin, who’s now dead.
Khrushchev: Whoa. What the barrelling fuck are you talking about?
Beria: She wanted Stalin dead and she knows your family. She taught your niece to play, remember? I think you should read this. It’s the copy of a note I found by Stalin’s body, from the pianist. It’s lucky we both now live in the new Soviet Union or you and your wife and your family would be a pile of dust on the floor of a crematorium toilet.
…
Khrushchev [holding up the note]: This is your work, is it?
Maria: Why? Are there spelling mistakes?
Khrushchev: Do you have any idea what kind of man Beria is?
Maria: He’s releasing people from prison.
Khrushchev: That was my idea. I was going to do that. I’m the reformer. Me. I was going to release the bishops.
Maria: I thought you hated the Church.
Khrushchev: I do!
…
Khrushchev: We are tied together. Like a rock that’s sinking.
Maria: I know. But I’m confident of everlasting life.
Khrushchev: Who the fuck in their right mind would want everlasting life? The endless conversation!
…
Khrushchev: What if we blame this on someone who’s out of control.
Field Marshal Zhukov: Nicky, be very careful what you say next. Who?
Khrushchev: Beria.
Field Marshal Zhukov [tongue in cheek]: I’m gonna have to report this conversation. Threatening to do harm or obstruct any member of the Presidium in the process of…Look at your fucking face. Nikita Khrushchev. You have balls like Kremlin domes.
Khrushchev: Stop. Be serious. Are you in?
Field Marshal Zhukov: I’m in, I’m in. That fucker thinks he can take on the Red Army. I fucked Germany. I think I can take a flesh lump in a fucking waistcoat.[/b]
It almost always comes down to that: Who has the support of the military? Cue the backstabbing.
[b]Beria: It’s time all of you realised who kept the daggers out of your backs. Show some fucking respect. I… I’ve got… I’ve got… I’ve got documents. I have documents on all of you…All of you! All of you! I have documents on all of you! I’ve seen what you’ve done. I know the truth. It’s all written down. It’s all written down on a very…on a very fucking long list!
…
Khrushchev: No, Beria said “all of you”.
Malenkov: You know, all of you can kiss my Russian ass. All of you.
…
Beria: Right, many terrible things were done in the service of the Union. Evidence was fabricated. Those who are responsible will be found…
Svetlana: And what will you do to them? Question them to death?
…
Beria: You know what I’m doing? I’m offering you and that bloated soak brother of yours my protection…And I warn you, stick by my side or you will both be beaten inside out and strung up for the crows by the others.
Svetlana: Why should I trust you?
Beria: Because I’m the only one who’s telling you: Trust no-one.
…
Khrushchev: Action is gonna be taken at the meeting.
Malenkov: Action? What action? Is this why everyone is treating me like they wanna fuck my sister?
Khrushchev: Zhukov has everybody on board against Beria. When I heard that, I agreed too.
Malenkov: Yes, yes. But Zhukov… is not governing the Soviet Union. I am governing the Soviet Union.
…
Khrushchev: Georgy, Georgy! Georgy, press the button underneath the desk. Press the button, Georgy.
Malenkov: What button?!
…
Khrushchev: If you want to talk to General Zhukov, now’s your opportunity.
Field Marshal Zhukov: Spit it out, Georgy. Staging a coup here.
Malenkov: He’s got a knife by his ankle.
Beria: You’re a disgrace.
Malenkov: Give his head a good kicking.
…
Khrushchev: Georgy, you have to sign this now.
Malenkov: No. No. No. He deserves a fair trial. He’s one of us.
Khrushchev: What about Tukhachevsky and Piatakov? Did they get a trial? What about Sokolnikov? Who begged him to look after his elderly mother. And what did this monster do? He strangled her in front of him. It’s too late. The only choice we have is between his death or his revenge. And you will fucking sign this.
Malenkov: I want it to go on record: this was not my first course of action.
Molotov: Stalin would be loving this.
…
Malenkov: Read it, Nicky. Come on, Nicky, read it.
Khrushchev: “You are accused of using your position as Minister of the Interior to plot against the Soviet Union with the goal of forwarding the interests of foreign powers.”
Beria: Foreign powers? Which one, the fucking moon?!
Khrushchev: "You are also accused of 347 counts of rape, of sexual deviancy and bourgeois immorality and acts of perversion with children as young as seven years old. Exotic for old Beria! Seven years old!
Beria: You are the rapists!
Khrushchev: “Petra Nikova, aged 13. Nadia Ranova, aged 12. Magya Holovic, aged seven. You are accused of treason and anti-Soviet behaviour. The court finds you guilty and sentences you to be shot.”
…
Field Marshal Zhukov [after Beria is shot in the head]: Well, that’s got it done.
…
Khrushchev [to Beria’s burning corpse]: I will bury you in history. You hear me, you fat fucker?![/b]
Again, did any of this actually happen in any way that resembles this? You tell me.
[b]Svetlana: That’s how you deal with a problem, isn’t it?
Khrushchev: I’m sorry you had to be here.
Svetlana: I hope you didn’t tell Beria that he was going to be safe from harm.
Khrushchev: You will be safe, okay? Vasily, too. If you listen to me.
Svetlana: Why wouldn’t we be safe? What are you talking about?
Khrushchev: Just be quiet now.
Svetlana: I refuse to be quiet every time…
Khrushchev: Just shut up!
…
Khrushchev: Vasily stays here in Russia where we can take care of him. Read it.
Svetlana: Vienna? If I stayed, I could contain Vasily.
Khrushchev: No. No. No, you go to Vienna. He stays. We can’t have a drunken madman spreading conspiracy theories all over the world.
Svetlana: He’s not…He’s not bad. He’s just ill.
Khrushchev: Listen to me. No. No. You understand what’s going on? This is how people get killed, when their stories don’t fit. Safe travels.
Svetlana: I just never thought it would be you
…
Title card: After Beria’s execution in 1953, the Central Committee took control of the Soviet Union. In 1956 Khrushchev moved to demote other members of the party, including Molotov and Malenkov. At long last, he became Head of the Soviet Government and Commander In Chief. Until his removal in 1964 by Leonid Brezhnev.[/b]