The Death of Stalin

2018 "In the Kremlin, no one can hear you scheme"
7.3| 1h47m| R| en| More Info
Released: 09 March 2018 Released
Producted By: Gaumont
Country: United Kingdom
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website: http://www.deathofstalin.co.uk/
Synopsis

When dictator Joseph Stalin dies, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. As they bumble, brawl and back-stab their way to the top, the question remains — just who is running the government?

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Reviews

Listonixio Fresh and Exciting
Casey Duggan It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny
Guillelmina The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.
Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.
ryanbartlett-870-746486 A great British take on a great Russian tragedy. Death of Stalin brings the humor into Moscow where it is not normally found. A surprising film that was surprisingly well made. Not that the ingredients weren't there to make a great product, but it wasn't very well advertised, or really intended for a mainstream American audience. The film hinges one hundred percent on the enjoyment of British-styled humor. From very blunt dry humor to long specific jokes that are very well explained, it is definitely not the typical American comedy. For those who can keep up, it is a real treat, for those that don't enjoy the humor, or can't understand the style, this film turns into a very hard film to watch.
adamradley I loved this movie and totally unsurprised it was banned in Russia. The death of Stalin is a no holds barred historical satire. Adressing in a comically dark undertone the purges by Stalin and the NKVD in the post-war Soviet Union. Performances of note Steve Buscemi as the paranoid Khrushchev, Jason Isaacs as the uncompromising Zhukov (with unexpected yet hilarious northern accent) and Simon Russel as the head of the NKVD who scared me just watching him. Wish there were more films out there like this one. What a triumph!
bowmanblue I've been a fan of Armando Iannucci ever since his early satirical 'Friday Night Armistice' shows making fun of political events. He's always displayed a wry take on modern life which has showed through in his own shows and, of course 'The Thick of It.' Therefore, I watched 'The Death of Stalin' simply to continue watching his output. Now, having seen it, I am left feeling a little disappointed, but I can't help but think that's it's my fault.I studied post Second World War history, but only the WESTERN aspects to it, i.e. European and American. I knew little of what was going on in the Soviet Union, only that the 'Cold War' kicked off and the Russians were always the baddies in the Bond films. As the title suggests the story charts the last days (or even hours!) of Soviet dictator's Stalin's life and then the subsequent power struggle which ensued from all his deputies and surrounding high-ranking staff.There's quite a large cast and, impressively, they're all played by excellent actors (mainly recognisable faces from British film and TV output, but you also have Steve Buscemi and Jeffrey Tambor in there somewhere). Each of these plays the part of a real-life person from Stalin's inner circle. And, just to help out those of us (like me!) who know nothing about this aspect of history, they all get their own caption reminding us who they are and what they do in Stalin's dictatorship. However, despite these clues, they didn't go far to help me understanding who they are, what they do, or what their political motivations are.I get the feeling that if I knew about the real events which inspired this film, I'd be able to watch it and therefore point knowingly at the screen from time to time and say 'Ah, Michael Palin is playing so-and-so. He was responsible for this, that or the other in Stalin's regime.' However, seeing as I know nothing about anything relating to this time period, all I could say was, 'Oh, that's Michael Palin. He was good in Monty Python.'Then there were the accents. Yes, I know this is possibly the most 'pickiest' of flaws that anyone can find in a movie. But, because 90% of the cast were British (and therefore come from all over the country) they all speak with various (British!) accents. I know that not every actor is gifted with the ability of putting on a convincing Russian accent, but it just felt really weird to me watching someone with a northern accent pretending to be a Russian cabinet minister. For example, because Steve Buscemi doesn't try to disguise his natural US accent, I thought he was some sort of American ambassador to the government, until I realised he was part of it.The cast is excellent. They're clearly all having fun and you can see they're all having a good time working on this story. And, if you know even a tiny bit about the historical events behind it, you should love it as much as I wished I did. However, for me, personally, I just couldn't seem to get behind it, no matter how good the cast is. Just check out the general ratings for the film - they're pretty high. If you're wondering whether to watch the film or not, I think you should definitely go with their views over mine. Sorry, Armando - but, don't worry, I'll still watch everything you go on to write.
Pjtaylor-96-138044 There are some genuine laughs to be had when this historical satire leans into its farcical, sometimes slightly absurdist, nature or allows the incompetent clambers and random observations of its characters to pierce through its striking period-accuracy but 'The Death Of Stalin (2017)' is also a pretty dark picture that paints a detailed vision of back-stabbing, blood-shed and brutality under the guise of a political party aiming to clean-up after one of history's most ruthless dictators. It's a scenario that seems scarily close to home - despite the many years since its occurrence - and proves that horror and comedy aren't all that far apart. It is precisely because the piece renders its very real events so very realistically - only taking significant liberties in the way it condenses the narrative - that it works so well. Even without the humour, this would've been a brilliant historical drama. With it, however, it's elevated to a new level, one that allows it to be easily accessed by all and makes its most dire of moments slightly more digestible while also lampooning the decisions and mindsets behind them, which are both often incredibly hypocritical and counter-intuitive. It's surprising that nobody has made a flick about this period of history before, as it is so thematically rich and ripe with drama. The fact that it has been given the subtle, satirical and intelligent treatment it has makes it all the more engaging and, surprisingly, entertaining, despite the weight that comes with knowing pretty much all of it actually happened. 7/10