FILM REVIEW: The Death of Stalin (2017)

Directed by Armando Iannucci 

* * * 1/2

The iron-fisted ruler of the Soviet Union has died. They know this, yet they carry on with a nervous energy on the verge of combustion, as if Stalin is still watching their every move and listening to their every word – whatever it takes to be placed on one of Stalin’s “lists”. This clueless ineptitude (from high-ranking politicians, remind you) is that first domino that kicks off the ensuing hilarity of events, and is perhaps the funniest and most clever joke in the movie, something that The Death of Stalin is never lacking in.

So, Stalin (Adrian McLoughlin) croaks, and in come the buffoons that somehow became politicians, let alone reaching near the top of the Soviet totem pole: Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi), Beria (Simon Russell Beale), and Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor), Stalin’s closest associates. Completely clueless as to what action to take next, they have to break out the literal handbook that guidelines the necessary actions in the event of Stalin’s death – this is implied via red-screened interludes with the instructions displayed on the screen, and then the required actions are carried out.

Beria makes Malenkov the nominal Premier (who is not suited for the position whatsoever), but only to use him as a puppet, essentially. I could almost say “let the games begin”, because the events following Stalin’s death is an endless deluge of insults, childish bickering, and backstabbing (figuratively), which all culminates in the climactic fiasco that becomes of the funeral for Josef Stalin.  

Imagine two young siblings bickering over whatever children bicker about these days. Then their mother tells them to simmer down or face the consequences. They may quiet down to their mother’s joy, but they don’t stop bickering, and it doesn’t take long for the obnoxious quarrelling to go right back to where it was. That is what The Death of Stalin is like. It never once lets up or stops for serious drama, but also never becomes overbearing in the comedy. From start to finish, there is always something to stir dispute and be argued about, and laughs always ensue – at least from me, anyway.

As hilarious as The Death of Stalin is, it never makes light of Stalin’s merciless rule over the Soviet Union, which is expertly captured (with comedy) in the opening scene – go and see it for yourself. Trust me.

The writing is absolutely terrific. I don’t think there’s one scene that didn’t make me chuckle at the very least, and at most there is at least one laugh-out-loud one-liner in each scene. One may argue that The Death of Stalin tries too hard at times, but I didn’t find this to be the case. Additionally, the film moves at a wonderful pace, always moving in that goofy sneaky speed-walk kind of pace. The entire film feels like something about to blow, and each scene only furthers toward combustion.

This is made all the better by the wonderful performances, especially from our three leads. Each of these characters has a very distinct personality, and the actors truly capture their characters so well, from Beria’s calculated coldness to Khrushchev’s colorful run-on commentary. Jeffrey Tambor as Malenkov is the performance that does it for me. Malenkov is one poor clueless sap: never really aware of what’s going on, passive and disconnected attitude about absolutely everything. It is a masterful comic performance that must be seen to be believed.

The production design is absolutely fantastic. While it was good, it wasn’t something I originally intended to write about. Yet here I am; the more I think about The Death of Stalin, the more I hope it gets decorative recognition for its production. Costumes and set designs are exactly what I picture when I picture circa-1950s Soviet Union. What I was most impressed by was the cinematography. As far as how shots are composed, it’s not too spectacular (save for a few shots), but what it makes up for is the color palette. The color palette is very bright and vibrant; lots of reds and earth tones. Not only is the film colored like the Soviet Union, but it also lessens the weight of the situation and makes room for more laughs.

There is one issue that was just a little too irksome for me. It’s actually kind of embarrassing for me considering how superficial it is. I try not to let insignificant details like this get in the way, but it kind of bugged me in The Death of Stalin: I read online that the film is a British co-production. This explains a lot, considering how almost everybody in the film speaks in a British accent. I do not expect a film to go all-out in geographic accuracy, but it would at least be nice if they actually spoke in Russian accents. This complaint faded away pretty quickly, though, as the humor has a very British feel to it, so the British accents actually make it funnier. That said, Buscemi and Tambor are American actors who do not speak in any kind of accent in the film, and the fact that they’re the only two Americans in a sea of Brits makes their out-of-place awkwardness stick out like a sore thumb.

Then there’s the music. Granted, this is not so much a complaint as much as pointing out a major missed opportunity. Here would be a great time to conduct a Russian-sounding score that over-exaggerates the stereotypical notes of Soviet music, but instead the music is rather generic. Once again, nothing bad, just a shame to think about what could have been.

A lot of reviews extol how timely and important this film is because of the circus sideshow that the current political climate has become, but isn’t how it’s always been? I don’t think The Death of Stalin will be remembered as a masterwork of satire, but it is hilarious with some witty writing and terrific performances, and as far as I’m concerned, politics always warrant savage parody. It’s just not news at this point.