By ISAAC SERRATO
Staff Writer
The Soviet Union under Stalin’s rule was one of the bloodiest periods seen in history with an estimated 20 million people or higher were killed, 18 million people were arrested and sent to Gulags, 900,000 Germans were exiled, 90,000 Finns were exiled, over 40,000 died during their exiles. All in the name of fear, with the interest to protect the Motherland along with the ideal of upholding socialism/communism. Stalin ordered all of this madness because of paranoia or upholding communism. But Stalin died on March 5th 1953, however this did not stop the bureaucracy, the madness, death, terror that was prominent under Stalin. The question was how do you portray all this madness that took place after Stalin’s death in a good way. The answer was through dark, dry, blunt, satirical, witty comedy.
Armando Iannucci is director, film writer along with Fabien Nury, David Schneider, Ian Martin, Peter Fellows all co written, “The Death of Stalin” is based on the french satirical graphic novel “La Mort de Staline”. The British independent film has a wide range of actors Steve Buscemi (Nikita Khrushchev), Simon Russell Beale (Lavrenity Bernia), Jason Isaacs (Georgy Zhukov), Jeffery Tambor (Georgy Malenkov), Michael Palin (Vyacheslav Molotov), Andrea Riseborough (Svetlana Stalina), Rupert Friend (Vasily Stalin), Adrian McLoughlin (Stalin), Olga Kurylenko (Maria Veniaminovna Yudina), Paul Whitehouse (Anastas Mikoyan), Dermot Crowley (Lazar Kaganovich), Paul Chahidi (Nicolai Bulganin).
The cast is amazing as they deliver witty, funny, dark, dry humor poking fun at the Soviet Union along its bureaucracy.
The movie also isn’t afraid to show the horror of living in the Soviet Union as it shows torutre, hints at graphic content, brutal killings of innocent people, swarms of civilians being mowed by soldiers. Then the movie passes it off as a joke or characters put it off as a mistake or ¨It doesn’t involve me so it’s not my problem until I get dragged into it.¨ 
The characters are also metaphors of the Soviet Union bureaucracy, fear, terror, stupidity, greed, backstabbing, brainwashing, death, weakness, summing up to failure to live up to its standards, with killing its people, dismissing it as a mistake or even necessary for the greater good for communism. The characters are greatly exaggerated or flamboyant, like the character Jason Isaacs plays. A crazy, war-hardened, aggressive field marshal of the army.
The end credits alos poke fun at the censorship that took place under the Soviet Union with main characters or people who died in the film are seen being removed or replaced. Ironically, the movie was shown in Russia but when reviewed by the government (Russian Culture Ministry reviewed it), cinema elite were angered. The movie was banned, along with the cinema that showed it was under investigation for showing an ¨greatly offensive comedy that mocked its leaders and history¨ (the theater showed a movie despite being banned). However it had acclaim with even two eldery women who lived under Stalin’s regime said they liked it.
Ultimately if you like historical fiction, dark or dry humor then you’ll enjoy this rollercoaster of a ride. Just beware of its harsh content, blunt reality, or willing to make fun of death or evil.
