THE DEATH OF STALIN

UK, 2017, 109 minutes, Colour.
Steve Buscemi, Simon Russell Beale, Jeffrey Tambor, Michael Palin, Jason Isaacs, Rupert Friend, Andrea Reisborough, Olga Kurylengo, Paddy Considine, Justin Edwards, Adrian Mc Loughlin, Paul Whitehouse, Paul Chahidi, Diana Quick, Sylvie Le Touzel.
Directed by Armando Iannucci.

Cinema and television stories of the absurd, with an anchor in real life, could be a description of the work of writer-director Armando Iannucci. His satirical television series on British politics, and political minders, The Thick of It and the cinema version, In the Loop, as well as his originating the American series Veep, have had the ability to make people laugh and cringe at the same time.

It is something of the same here with his take on Soviet Russia, Stalin and his tyranny, the Soviet politburo, a 1953 setting, Stalin’s final days and his death.

Iannucci always has a serious underlining tone to his satire. He seems to work on the principle that one way of dealing with harsh realities is to let off steam through jokes.

With Stalin, although the memories of his decades of rule of the Soviet Union are more than 60 years in the past, this film is a tale of ruthlessness as embodied in his politburo. It is all patently absurd – or is it?

Some audiences have found many of the sequences laugh-out-loud. Others have found a great deal of amusement, interior chuckles more than guffaws, and a checking on how this all relates to memories of the historical episodes and characters.

The tone is set with an orchestral concert as the opening sequence, Paddy Considine as the producer discovering, to his horror when Stalin rings asking for recording of the concert, that none was made! What to do given the military, the KGB, Stalin’s own reputation? The producer brings many of the audience back into the concert hall, rounds up people from the street to fill the seats, to record high applause, to bribe the pianist Maria (Olga Kuryenko) to repeat her performance, cope with the collapse of the conductor and do a raid on an apartment to bring and alternate conductor to do the work in his dressing gown and pyjamas.

And Stalin gets the record, plays it, has a stroke, collapses and dies.

Andy Mc Loughlin does a good impersonation of Stalin – though his accent! And this is the case with all the characters in the film, the actors perform with their own natural accents, from American, to broken English, too harsh Yorkshire… Iannucci has said that Stalin’s advisers came from all over the Soviet Union.

Then the film progresses in chapters, coping with the death, the period of mourning, the funeral, and the regulations quoted about all these events especially who is to take over power. There are several contenders. The actual deputy is the rather weak Malenkov, a good performance from Jeffrey Tambor. Then there is Molotov, of cocktail fame so to speak, played as an extreme loyalist to Stalin and the Soviet, even denouncing his wife for torture, and is played by Michael Palin. Extremely prominent, but we know what will eventually happen to him, is Nikita Kruschev played, with his American accent, by Steve Buscemi.

However, as older audiences with memories of Stalinist days and the KGB will expect, there is a central focus on the head of the KGB, Beria. He is played with intensity by Simon Russell Beale, forever making lists of people to be arrested and tortured, executed, manipulating the members of the politburo, especially Malenkov, clashing tactics and ideas with Kruschev. He also has a rather unsavoury private life.

Then there is Stalin’s alcoholic and rather mad son, Vassily, played by Rupert Friend. And his rather hard daughter, Svetlana, played by Andrea Reisborough.

There are meetings, chaired by Malenkov, controlled by Beria, reluctantly agreed to by Kruschev for unanimity, the autopsy (graphic with a saw in Stalin’s cranium), his lying in state, the ceremonial of the funeral, the forbidding of crowds travel by train, and guns fired at them…

And finally, the manipulation of power, the emergence of Kruschev, the arrival of the military in the presence of General Zhukov (Jason Isaacs), the type that takes no prisoners who shoots first and then makes offhand comments.

While this is all set in the past and is an ironic look at tyranny, bureaucratic struggles, ruthlessness and struggles for power, it is interesting to think about subsequent deaths and succession issues, or, perhaps, of Russia in the present, or even the 2017-2018 history of the American President and the turnover of advisers in the White House.

1. The title, audience expectations, live memories of the death of Stalin, historical memories?

2. The role of Stalin, the development of the Soviet Empire, his reign of terror, the long reign, the style of his rule, despotism, the 30s and the gulags, participation in World War II, defeat of the Germans? The 1950s, his age, eccentricities? The Cold War? World fears?

3. The director, the comedy of his writing, wit, irony, spoofs and parodies? And with serious themes?

4. The cast, the range, both sides of the Atlantic, using their ordinary accents? The effect?

5. This treatment as fact or fiction? Both?

6. Audience knowledge of Stalin, after 60 years? Knowledge of Kruschev? The end of the Soviet Empire, the 21st century, Vladimir Putin, his long rule? Bureaucrats in crises? Apt and inept?

7. The parallels with various rulers, history mocking Mussolini and Hitler? 21st-century United States? The treatment of George W. Bush, Donald Trump?

8. The structure of the film: the episodes, 1953 setting, Stalin, his stroke and death? The chapters with the regulations specified?

9. The performance of the orchestra, the Soviet audience, the producer and his anxiety, the people in the recording room – and no record? Stalin’s phone call? Listening to music, his request? The bumbling of the producers? Urging the audience to stay, bringing people from outside with no knowledge of Mozart? The new conductor? His collapse? Raiding the house, the conductor in pyjamas? The audience applauding, the sending of the record, the argument with the military? Maria, her playing, the demanding more money to continue? Her writing of the note denouncing Stalin and putting it in the record jacket?

10. Stalin, appearance, his accent, his room, the guards outside, not to be disturbed, playing the music, his collapse?

11. The introduction to the Politburo? The different actors and their accents? Kruschev, his role, his relationship with his wife? Michael Palin as Molotov, ultra-loyal, denouncing his wife, her torture, her sudden return? Malenkov and his weakness, the Deputy, easily swayed, not understanding? The other members, their appearance, manner, their roles, Ministry? The meal with Stalin, watching the John Ford, John Wayne western, going to sleep? Loyalty to the Soviet, socialism, the desire for power? The jokes, the stories, the risk of being on the list?

12. Simon Russell Beale as Beria, his history, in charge of the KGB, his compiling lists, the frequent arrests, the nature of the torture? His liking the little girls? The range of agents? Exercise of power, his relationship to each of the politburo and intimidating them? The news about Stalin, finding him, getting the keys, the secret cupboards and drawers, getting the documents? Control? Ambitions?

13. Stalin collapsed, the hesitation in getting the doctor? The issue of rules and regulations? Carrying the body, the autopsy, the head sawn open, the reactions? Vasilly and his sudden arrival and reaction? His alcoholism, unreliability? Svetlana, daughter, strong in her attitudes, with each of the politburo, the demands on Beria? The pomp of the funeral, lying in state, Kruschev making the ceremonial move with Molotov? The crowds, Beria forbidding the trains, the reversing of his orders, the crowds coming, the shooting into the crowd, recriminations?

14. Vasilly as mad, his outbursts, his preparing his speech, delivering it with the group on the balcony?

15. Svetlana, her father, controlled, orders, hard, wanting her dead lover? Concern about Vasilly?

16. The politburo meetings, Malenkov and his presiding, Beria and his setting the agenda, asking the questions, insinuations? Hints for Malenkov? Kruschev, his hesitations – and
then Malenkov wanting unanimity? The various decisions?

17. Molotov, the denunciation of his wife, the return, his double standards, fear, his loyalty to Stalin and its traditions?

18. Beria, the guards, the prisoners, Molotov’s wife, reversal of orders, seeming liberal?

19. The plans, the deals, the secrets, the codes? Molotov and his arguments, yes and no? Kruschev and his ambitions? The support of the other ministers? Malenkov and his fears?

20. The arrival of General Zhukov, his manner, control, his medals, his part in the plot, his shooting Beria? The condemnations of Beria, cruel, power, the little girls? And seeing the girl going to his room? The contrast with Malenkov and his wanting to be photographed with a little girl who had been photographed with Stalin?

21. The subsequent history of the Soviet Union? The politburo ruling? Kruschev and his 1956 takeover?